BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing has revealed the “not pretty” side effect of running five consecutive ultra-marathons across five days in aid of Comic Relief.
The former Made in Chelsea star ran a total of 150 miles (241km), from London to Salford, where he crossed the finish line on Friday (21 March), raising more than £2m for the cause.
However, in an update shared on Monday (24 March), Laing revealed he had woken up with swollen “Hobbit” feet.
Sharing a picture of his red, inflamed feet with a blackened left toenail, Laing wrote: “No one warned me that this would happen….. Why have I woken up with feet like a Hobbit?”
“I apologise if you hate feet and if you like these feet I also apologise.”
He added in a separate post: “My feet are so swollen!!! They’re battered and my toenail is about to fall off. They look a little bit like hobbit feet. One thing for sure they aren’t looking pretty.”
Laing was sent supportive messages from his fans and celebrity colleagues, with Davina McCall writing: “Oh my god you poor thing !!!!”
Another person added: “Thanks for this mate. Straight to the printer and laminator. Have donated another 10 quid xoxo.”
Laing’s BBC Radio 1 colleague Greg James simply added: “No thanks,” as a fan joked, “It’s giving 3rd trimester.”
Another person added: “Didn’t think I would wake up on a Monday morning to see @jamielaing trotters…incredible run.”
Laing, 36, who claimed to have never run more than 3.1 miles before taking on the challenge, was greeted at the finish line by his wife, Sophie Habboo, and his Radio 1 colleagues Greg James, Vick Hope and Jeremiah Asiamah.
In a clip shared on Laing’s Instagram page, fans were shown the moment he discovered he had raised a huge sum for charity, burying his face in his hands and crying.
“Thank you everyone, thank you so much, thank you for digging deep, that is unbelievable,” he said. “It just means the world, I’ll never forget this… you are changing and saving lives.”
He began his career as a BBC radio presenter in March last year, but his hiring faced some backlash due to his history on reality TV.
Laing, whose great-grandfather founded the McVitie’s biscuit empire, told The Sunday Times that people were wrong to assume he had “just swanned in” to the slot: “I’ve been trying to get this job for eight years, constantly grinding, constantly asking to do little slots,” he said.
“No one is given a job here because their mum or dad helped them into it. You have to earn your colours.”
Red Nose Day’s 40th anniversary show was filmed in Salford, where the media personality crossed the finish line. The star-studded programme had raised £34m for the charity by the end of the anniversary broadcast.
The night included The Inbetweeners stars reuniting as Oasis, a Gladiators sketch and a surprise appearance by The Traitors star Linda Rands.
