BBC host completes marathon pedalo challenge
BBCA BBC Radio host has completed a marathon pedalo challenge for Comic Relief.
Matt Bailey, who fronts the Radio Newcastle breakfast show, peddled for 26.2 miles (42km) in a swan pedalo across two days.
He presented his show live on Thursday while pedalling across the lake at South Marine Park in South Shields. But after the pedalo began taking on water, he completed 40 laps instead of the planned 53, leaving him with ground to make up.
Kelly Scott presented Friday's programme to allow him to focus on the challenge - the second time he has taken part in such a feat. As he staggered off the pedalo, he hugged his family and thanked his supporters.
"I never thought this moment was going to happen numerous times across the last two days," he said.
He vowed never to get on a pedalo again, after enduring the challenge for 20 hours, completing 106 laps.
"It was so hard, there were genuinely times when I thought I'm jacking this in, I can't do it."
He thanked all the supporters who sent messages and went to cheer him on.
"Without you I don't think I would have made it."
In November 2023, he completed the equivalent of the Great North Run by peddling 13.1 miles (21km).
'Things went wrong'
Bailey decided to push himself further this time to raise money for Comic Relief, but said he was disappointed after being forced to stop early on day one.
Speaking to Scott on Friday morning, Bailey said: "When I said at the start 'we're doing it bigger and better', remind me to never, ever say that again.
"We're doing it bigger but it's certainly not better."
He said delays on day one cost him about two hours of pedalling time.
"Nothing got started on time, we were late in the pedalo and things went wrong," he said, adding it was "a really hard day".
"John who runs the pedalos was like 'oh I think it is taking on water', which is never a good thing for a boat.
"It kept getting stuck in the twigs and stuff in the lake, and when I got off I just couldn't get back on."