BBC host takes on marathon pedalo challenge
BBCA BBC Radio host is more than halfway through a marathon pedalo challenge for Comic Relief.
Matt Bailey, who fronts the BBC Radio Newcastle breakfast show, is aiming to complete 26.2 miles (42km) in a swan pedalo by Friday evening.
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 Bailey to focus on the challenge - the second time he has taken part in such a feat.
In November 2023, he completed the equivalent of the Great North Run by peddling 13.1 miles (21km).
At the finish line he said: "I've got no interest going on a pedalo ever again, but it's been brilliant."
'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 of the challenge 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."
Bailey said he now faces 66 laps to complete the challenge.
"I was averaging only four laps an hour yesterday so genuinely I could be here until midnight!"
