Jamie Laing Comic Relief Ultra Marathon: Radio 1 DJ Greg James dons wedding dress for final stretch

He’s not running alone, however, as he’s joined by fellow Radio 1 host Greg James, who’s sporting a wedding dress and garter as he participates in the challenge. The pair will cross the finish line in Salford this afternoon, just in time for Red Nose Day.

Before departing Buxton, Jamie joined Greg live on Radio 1’s Breakfast Show, where it was revealed that his fundraising efforts had surpassed £1,300,000 - an impressive £630,000 increase since the previous evening. During the segment, Jamie was also joined on air by his best friend, Toby Wilkinson, who has been encouraging Jamie to use running as a way to cope with anxiety and mental health challenges.

The fundraising efforts hit a new milestone after Radio 1 listeners exceeded the £450,000 target set earlier this week. As a result, James was roped into running a leg of the marathon with Jamie, donning a wedding dress in a nod to the proposal from his wife, Bella, before he took on his own challenge.

Yesterday, Jamie faced not only a physically demanding course, but also the hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 17 degrees Celsius. At one point, he had to strip down to his running vest to keep cool. After a lunch break, Jamie feared he had broken his foot, but it was a false alarm, and he was able to continue his run after an ice pack was applied.

The day also brought an emotional moment when Jamie was joined by his father, Nick, on the Going Home Show. Nick shared his pride for his son, saying, "It's awful because there's a conflict of emotion there, because on one hand you see this extraordinary hero... And on the other hand, he's my son and I... I just want to hug him." Jamie responded, tearfully, "I've never seen my dad cry. This is the greatest man, he's the greatest person in the world, my dad is. He's unbelievable. You're great dad."

Reflecting on the challenging run, Jamie said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so emotional today, I think this is about 30 years of emotions all coming out this week. That was tough – there’s a lot of hills here. I am so happy that one is over. I got told by everyone Wednesday would be the worst. It’s all lies. This was the worst. My knee is sore, my ankle is swollen, but we’ve raised a huge amount of money, which is awesome – what an experience. One more day to go, let’s do it!”

By the time the Going Home Show aired, Jamie and the Radio 1 listeners had raised £670,000 for Red Nose Day. This total continued to grow after Greg James revealed that the figure had topped £1,300,000.

Today’s final stretch of the ultra-marathon will see Jamie run from Buxton through Whaley Bridge and Stockport, finishing in Salford just ahead of Red Nose Day’s night of TV. The event is being broadcast live on Radio 1 and BBC Sounds, with video highlights available on Radio 1’s social media channels.