PENULTIMATE DAY OUT OF THE WAY
PENULTIMATE DAY OUT OF THE WAY
Olly Murs says he’ll “never forget” birthday spent completing penultimate day of brutal endurance challenge for Soccer Aid for UNICEF after emotional reunion with wife Amelia
Multi-platinum singer and Heart presenter, Olly Murs has spent his 42nd birthday completing day four of his 400km challenge to mark Soccer Aid for UNICEF’s 20th Anniversary. Across Monday to Friday this week, he’s running, rowing and riding his bike from Manchester’s Old Trafford to London Stadium with no clue what the route will throw his way each day and has raised over £600,000.
- Olly Murs has spent his 42nd birthday completing the fourth of his five relentless days tackling some of the UK’s most demanding terrain, running, riding and rowing his way from Manchester’s Old Trafford, where Soccer Aid first kicked off two decades ago, to London Stadium, home of this year’s landmark match.
- Heart’s Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden revealed that for Olly’s Toughest Birthday, he would start his day by rowing over 5km along the Grand Union Canal from Nether Heyford to Stoke Bruerne.
- After a very emotional reunion with his wife Amelia, This Morning’s Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard revealed to Olly that he had raised over £500,000 and that his next leg would be a 19km ride from Stoke Bruerne to Wolverton, alongside his best friend Mark Wright.
- After arriving into Wolverton, Heart’s Matt Wilkinson broke the news to Olly that his time on the saddle was not over and he had another 49km to go, through Milton Keynes and Dunstable, ending in Redbourn.
- Sore from his rowing and riding, Olly was hoping to finish in Redbourn, but in true into the unknown style, Heart’s JK and Kelly Brook revealed that Olly had a 8km run to go to reach his final point in St Albans, which he did alongside British sprinter Adam Gemili and, later, a local running club.
- Tomorrow will see Olly complete the challenge as he hopes to be on the road by 5am before finishing at London Stadium, live on This Morning.
- For more information and to donate to Olly’s challenge visit www.socceraid.org.uk/challenge
Thursday 14 May: Today, multi-platinum singer and Heart presenter, Olly Murs, completed his toughest birthday yet as he continued the challenge of a lifetime taking on a gruelling 400km for Soccer Aid for UNICEF, raising over £600,000.
Speaking from today’s finish line where Olly was joined by a local running club and serenaded with ‘happy birthday’ and chants of ‘go Olly’, Olly said: “I was running for about 2 or 3km and then all of a sudden 20 or 30 guys turned up – a running club – and it just gave me a huge boost. Nothing but respect for those guys. Thank you so much. I really needed that.”
Speaking about the rest of his day, he added: “The thing that was so brutal about it was of course doing all three but it was the fact I didn’t know when I was doing them. It’s been brutal today. My quad is so sore. I felt it go about 4 or 5km so I’m going to have to get that looked at. Can’t believe this is how I’m celebrating my 42nd birthday – something I’ll never forget!”
With his route for the day only being revealed every few hours, the birthday boy rowed, ran and cycled his way from Neyther Heryford to St Alban’s Cathedral covering nearly 80km.
Mid-morning Olly was overcome with emotion when he was surprised with a visit from his wife Amelia live on This Morning who he thought he would be spending his birthday apart from for the third year in a row.
Speaking before the reunion, Amelia said: “I’m nervous but excited to see him. Watching from home this week has been so hard – seeing him push through all the pain. I just want to give him a hug. What he has done for this charity and pushing himself through, every day, I am in total awe of him and I just hope he can raise as much money as he can because he has been through battlefields for this and he’s given everything he’s got.”
She added: “I can’t wait for the kids – when they’re a bit older – to see what their dad did to help other kids around the world. I’m just so, so proud of him.”
To accompany him through the afternoon, Olly was joined by co-presenter and best friend, Mark Wright, for a cycle stint and British sprinter, Adam Gemili, for a run.
After finishing his cycle with him, best friend Mark said: “He is an absolute trooper. The terrain was hard. It was hilly. There were cracks. Every minute I was cycling I was thinking what a guy Olly is. He doesn’t need to do this. He does it because he’s a special person that has seen where the vital funds raised for UNICEF go to. He’s seen it firsthand. And that’s why he’s pushing so hard and doing something so out there to show you how much it means to him if you donate. He’s an absolute legend.”
British sprinter Adam Gemili, who ran the last 8km of today’s route with Olly and gifted him a Team GB shirt, said: “What he’s done is phenomenal. His body is tired, he’s being doing some crazy, crazy work all week. His endurance is insane. I can’t really believe it. He’s a true warrior – a true soldier. He’s really earnt a lot of respect from people all up and down the country. If people at home want to donate, they really should. There’s not really many better causes out there. Your money goes directly to helping children around the world. If you’re debating it – and have an extra £1 here or £2 there – every little matters. Get your phone out, donate, and raise money for a good cause.”
Since Monday Olly has been tackling some of the UK’s toughest terrain as he runs, rows and rides his way from Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium, where Soccer Aid first kicked-off 20 years ago, to London Stadium, home of this year’s landmark match. However, he’s been told next to nothing about the direction that he will take and is only discovering the day’s route moments before setting off. It means he’s had no clue when he’ll be scaling the steepest peaks, biking the most brutal uphill climbs or facing his long-held fear of deep water, until he’s standing on the start line each day.
With seven caps under his belt, Olly first laced up his boots for Soccer Aid for UNICEF back in 2010. Now over 40, a veteran of the game, and with a knee injury to endure, he’s entering unchartered territory with the uncertainty of what lies ahead, combined with the unforgiving landscape, that will push Olly to his limit. He’ll need every ounce of stamina he can muster and all the support he can get to reach the finish.
As a new dad himself, Olly has been inspired to take on the unknown and raise as much money as he can for children around the world, following his recent trip to Romania to see UNICEF’s work and the vital difference funds can make to ensure children grow up safe, healthy and able to play. Olly visited the Pipera Primo Hub in northern Bucharest, a play, learning and parenting project set up in partnership with UNICEF in Romania. The Primo Hub supports Ukrainian children, who have been displaced by conflict, and Romanian children, providing them with access to quality education services, therapeutic music and creative sessions, so they continue to learn, play and thrive. The Primo Hub also delivers sessions developing the parenting skills of community members, as well as strengthening and expanding the competencies of educators.
Across the week, audiences can follow Olly’s journey live on ITV’s This Morning and on Heart as he shares daily updates from cross-country terrain, relentless roads and daunting stretches of open water ways.
The epic challenge will also be captured for a one-off special documentary, ‘Olly Murs: Steps Into The Unknown’, on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player as viewers can watch every moment from Olly’s epic challenge on Friday 29 May at 9pm, produced by Initial TV (a Banijay UK company).
The documentary forms part of a special week of Soccer Aid for UNICEF programming from Saturday 23rd May to Sunday 31st May, including the brand new documentary, Soccer Aid: More Than Just A Game, which takes a special look back at the illustrious legacy of Soccer Aid for UNICEF as the match celebrates a milestone 20 years.
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) has committed to double every donation received up to £6 million, for this Soccer Aid for UNICEF campaign. CIFF’s matched funding will go directly towards the Child Nutrition Fund, tackling challenges such as severe forms of malnutrition and anaemia and helping children to get the nutrition they need to grow up healthy and able to play.
Olly will also be returning to play in this year’s Soccer Aid for UNICEF match, as a veteran of the game having first taken part in 2010. The match will air live and exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player on Sunday 31st May.
To follow along, find out more and donate to UNICEF and Olly Murs: Into The Unknown for Soccer Aid now, visit www.socceraid.org.uk/challenge
ENDS
For more information or interview requests, please contact:
UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0208 375 6030
NOTES TO EDITORS
Olly Murs: Into The Unknown for Soccer Aid – challenge route:
Olly will start his challenge at Old Trafford and finish at London Stadium with the route being revealed each morning.
SOCCER AID FOR UNICEF
Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2026 will take place on Sunday 31 May at the London Stadium and will be broadcast live exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Over the last 20 years, Soccer Aid for UNICEF has united millions of people and raised over £121 million to support UNICEF’s vital work helping children grow up safe, healthy and able to play.
Right now, children around the world are facing devastating crises – from global aid cuts, war and climate change to hunger and disease – threatening their childhoods and their right to play.
The money raised from this year’s campaign could help UNICEF provide life-changing support for a child, like clean water and nutrition, vital vaccinations, or the opportunity to learn, so every child can get the best start in life.
Donations are open for Olly Murs: Into the Unknown – for more information and to donate, visit socceraid.org.uk/challenge
Soccer Aid for UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service
SOCCER AID FOR UNICEF PARTNERS
Soccer Aid Productions Limited
The multi-stakeholder project of Soccer Aid for UNICEF is run by Soccer Aid Productions, a collaboration between UNICEF UK and Triple S Events which is part of the Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group.
UNICEF UK
UNICEF partners with communities, organisations, local and national governments to improve children’s lives. Across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. It also promotes and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. It is a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
ITV Social Purpose
ITV’s Social Purpose is about using the power of ITV to shape culture for good, through using creativity and scale to inspire positive change in the world, and to nurture a responsible and inclusive working environment. ITV’s social purpose encompasses four priorities – better health, diversity and inclusion, climate action and giving back, all with their own measurable goals. For more information go to itvplc.com/socialpurpose
Initial
Initial, part of Banijay UK, has been the producer of all 14 Soccer Aid shows since its inception in 2006. Experienced in making premium entertainment and ambitious reality programmes, credits include hit shows such as Celebrity Big Brother (ITV), Big Brother (ITV), Last One Laughing (Prime Video), 99 To Beat (ITV & Fox), Total Wipeout and Tenable.
Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group
The Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group is a full-service sports and entertainment group operating in multiple industry sectors and countries. As a long-standing and expert agency with highly experienced personnel, it offers a range of services, including: talent management, event management, commercial rights exploitation, financial & legal advice, PR consultancy, social media & digital production, contract, transfer & negotiation management and crisis management services. The Group represents some of the highest-profile sporting professionals in the UK, as well as renowned personalities in the entertainment industry. Triple S has also been responsible for some of the biggest sports entertainment TV events in the UK.
About Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is an independent philanthropy that works with a range of partners including governments, NGOs and multilateral institutions to create large-scale change which is locally owned to help build a world where all children can flourish. CIFF has over $4 billion actively invested in programmes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on: tackling climate change, improving health and nutrition, and promoting opportunities and choice for women and girls. For more information, please visit www.ciff.org
ITV’s This Morning & Heart
Watch This Morning weekdays from 10am on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player and listen to Heart via the Global Player app, the official Heart app, at heart.co.uk, on smart speakers or DAB digital radio.
The event will be supported by Soccer Aid for UNICEF partners Adidas, Norqain and Chery.