Bishop gets go-ahead to row Channel for charity

Comedian John Bishop will be able to undertake a gruelling triathlon for charity after he was granted last-minute permission to row the English Channel.

The stand-up will attempt to cycle, row and run 290 miles from Paris to London in five days, starting today.

He was previously refused permission from French authorities to row from Calais to Dover, but yesterday the Admiral of Cherbourg gave him the go-ahead after a Twitter campaign from fellow charity rowers Andrew Flintoff and Davina McCall.

Bishop will start his BT Sport Relief Challenge by the Eiffel Tower in the French capital, and cycle 185 miles to the coast in less than 24 hours. For the second leg, he will row from mainland Europe to the UK, joined by a celebrity team including Flintoff, McCall and Denise Lewis.

The final stage of his epic journey will see him take on three marathons in three days, finishing in Trafalgar Square in London on Friday, 2 March.

Celebrity friends, including Dermot O’Leary and Frank Skinner, will provide motivation when they run alongside him.

He is hoping to raise enough money to pay for a vaccine against five deadly diseases for 250,000 children in Africa, and also help people living tough lives in the UK.