2018 Virgin MoneyLondon Marathon Celebrities

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Sam AttwaterCaitriona Balfe Marcus BatemanMarcus BeanBertie CarvelJoseph CoelhoDanny CratesHannah DanielRob DeeringJoel DommettChris EvansSean FletcherBryony GordonSelasi GbormittahDev GriffinJaye Griffiths

Ryan HandRichard HarringtonRochelle HumesGeorge LambTom ListerBobby LockwoodHannah Macleod MBERendall MunroeEve MylesChris NewtonJayne NisbetKai OwenCassie PattenGilles PetersonChris PowellKatie Price

Frances QuinnSophie RaworthAdele RobertsKeith Senior Jada SezerBaasit SiddiquiKevin Sinfield MBEMaya SondhiDavinia TaylorPaul TonkinsonCharlie WebsterKieran West MBEShane Williams MBEMelanie Wilson

document date: 17 April 2018version: 1.2

Sam

Charity: The Children’s Trust

Sam landed his first television role playing Ricky in Hollyoaks in 2009 before joining the cast of EastEnders and its first online spinoff EastEnders: E20, playing the character Leon Small. He is also a singer and has starred in West End musicals as well as touring the world with numerous shows.

Sam was the winner of the sixth series of ITV1’s Dancing on Ice in March 2011. He also went on to win the tour where he skated alongside Torvill & Dean. Due to Sam’s success on the show he was invited back for the final ‘All Stars’ series where he skated with his now wife Vicky.

Caitriona

Charity: World Child Cancer

Catriona is an actress and model, best known for playing Claire Fraser in the US series Outlander for which she has received three nominations for the

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama. She has also appeared in film such as Super 8, Now You See Me and Escape Plan.

Marcus

Charity: Teens Unite

Marcus has been one of the UK’s most popular celebrity chefs since he won Iron Chef UK on Channel 4 in 2010. Self-taught, Marcus only started cooking when he found himself fed up with chefs at the pub he was running. After winning Iron Chef UK, Marcus went on to become a regular chef on ITV’s This

Morning. He has also appeared on Good Food’s Market Kitchen, Channel 4’s What’s Cooking and Drop Down Menu. He is also a regular host on the BBC Good Food shows which tour the country.

Marcus

Charity: SportsAid

A retired international rower who was part of the Great Britain team at London 2012 Olympics. Marcus won medals at the 2010 World Rowing

Championship and World Cup Series with Matt Wells in the double scull.

Joseph

Charity: Half Moon

Joseph is a performance poet and playwright. His plays have received special note from The Verity Bargate Award and The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. His debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules is published by Frances Lincoln and won the CLPE CLiPPA Poetry Award 2015. His latest

collection Overheard In A Tower Block has been nominated for the 2018 Carnegie Medal. Both of his solo poetry collections have been featured as a Sunday Times Book of the Week.

Bertie

Charity: The Old Vic

Bertie is an actor who many will recognise from the hit BBC drama Doctor Foster where he played Simon Foster. Bertie is also known for appearing in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Babylon and for his

many incarnations in the theatre. Most recently he appeared as Rupert Murdoch in James Graham’s INK.

Hannah

Charity: Bloodwise

Hannah is an actor and writer, acting credits include the BBC’s Hinterland and BBC Wales’ Keeping Faith and her original comedy series Cardiff Is The Capital

Of The World is currently in development with Hat Trick Productions.

Danny

Charity: SportsAid

Danny is a former Paralympic 800m athlete whose most notable achievement was winning the gold medal at the Athens 2004 Paralympic games, in a year that saw him set the World Record for the mens T46 800m. Since retiring in 2009, Danny has

been working for Channel 4 as a sports presenter as well as the BBC. In 2015, he was a quarter finalist in Celebrity MasterChef. This will be Danny’s third London Marathon.

Joel

Charity: Teenage Cancer Trust

Joel is a comedian and TV personality who won over a legion of fans when he appeared in I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016. He returned to the jungle last year as the host of Extra Camp, a spin-off

of the main show. Before appearing in the jungle, Joel starred in the E4 show Skins as well as touring as a stand-up comedian.

Rob

Charity: Parkinson’s UK

Rob is a popular comedian and running podcaster. He was the host and writer of Out to Lunch on BBC Radio 2 and has hosted 99 Things to Do Before You Die on Channel 5. He has also won celebrity editions

of The Weakest Link and Celebrity Mastermind. Rob hosts a podcast alongside fellow comedian and runner Paul Tonkinson called Running Commentary.

Sean

Charity: Young Minds

Sports presenter Sean returns to the London Marathon once again and this year he will be running for the charity Young Minds. Sean began his career at the BBC and was one of its main sports presenters on their rolling news bulletins and BBC Breakfast before joining Sky Sports in 2011. He spent three years at

Sky before being recruited to be the sports presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Since October 2015 he has also been a reporter for BBC One’s Countryfile, and has also co-presented BBC Two’s Food Detectives.

Chris

Charity: Children in Need

Chris is one of the UK’s most famous presenters and currently hosts The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. He shot to fame in the 1990s as the host of Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast and then TFI

Friday which he also presented when it returned to British TV last year. Chris has also presented Top Gear and The One Show on the BBC in recent years.

Selasi

Charity: World Vision

Though he did not end up the winner, Selasi was the undoubted star of the 2016 series of the Great British Bake Off as he won over fans with his laid-back personality, as well as his baking. He was knocked out in the semi-final of the series but has gone on to

open his own pop-up selling floral cupcakes as well as holding down his banking job. Selasi is one of a ‘Baker’s Dozen’ of Great British Bake Off contestants from across the first six series who will be taking part.

Bryony

Charity: Heads Together

Bryony is a newspaper columnist and author who is running her second Virgin Money London Marathon. She is a regular columnist for The Daily Telegraph and has written two books: The Wrong Knickers: A

Decade of Chaos and Mad Girl. Her third book Eat, Drink, Run.: How I Got Fit Without Going Too Mad is due out later this year.

Jaye

Charity: Bloodwise

Jaye has been in a string of TV shows including The Bill, Bugs, Silent Witness and she is currently playing

Dr Elle Gardener in the BBC drama Casualty.

Dev

Charity: Heads Together

Dev is a radio presenter, DJ and music producer whose career began on children’s TV before he got a dream job on BBC radio station 1Xtra. While juggling his radio commitments, Dev co-wrote the CBBC show The Crust with school friend Reggie Yates. Dev moved from 1Xtra to Radio 1 where he now presents

the weekend breakfast show from 6am to 10am. Dev also produces music under a pseudonym and DJs around the globe. In 2017, Dev achieved a lifelong dream of competing on Celebrity MasterChef where he reached the final and has since gone on to present BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen.

Richard has had starring roles in the Welsh show Hinterland, Bleak House, Jimmy McGovern’s Gunpowder, Treason & Plot and Gavin Claxton’s

comedy feature film The All Together.

Richard

Charity: Bloodwise

Ryan

Charity: Marie Curie

Ryan is an Irish presenter, comedian and DJ, who recently appeared on ITV’s new Saturday night entertainment show Cannonball. He was presenting

alongside cricket legend Freddie Flintoff, Saturday’s singer Frankie Bridge and presenters Maya Jam and Radzi Chinyanganya.

Rochelle

Charity: Teenage Cancer Trust

Rochelle is best known as a member of the pop group The Saturdays with whom she had 13 Top Ten hits with and is also a TV presenter and clothes designer. Rochelle was a member of the hugely popular The Saturdays from 2007 to 2014 having started her

career as a member of S Club 8. She currently co-presents the ITV show Ninja Warrior UK and The Next Great Magician. She has her own clothing range with Very and is married to JLS’ Marvin Humes. The couple have two daughters.

George

George is a radio and television presenter who has been working with Audible during the build-up to the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon on a series called Mo-Joe where he is receives tips and advice as he prepares for his first marathon from Sir Mo Farah

and Joe Wicks. George currently presents Football Tonight on BT Sport and has previously presented on Radio 6 Music and hosted the Channel 4 game show The Bank Job.

Tom

Charity: Hope For Justice

Tom made his name playing the villainous Carl King in Emmerdale, a role he played for 12 years before he was famously killed off in 2012 a part of the show’s

40th anniversary celebrations. Since then he has been busy appearing in stage productions around the country including the West End revival of 42nd Street.

Hannah

Charity: Beat Eating Disorders

Hannah was part of the Great Britain hockey team which won a famous gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics. This capped a fabulous 12-year international career for Hannah during which she amassed 150 caps for Great Britain and England. During that time she also won a gold medal at the 2015 European Championships, silver medal at the

2012 Champions Trophy and a bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics. Since retiring after the Rio Olympics, Hannah coaches the Great Britain Elite Development squad and works at a performance consultant and motivational speaker for a range of businesses and teams.

Rendall

Charity: Bodie Hodges Foundation

Rendall ‘The Binman’ Munroe is a former WBA, European and Commonwealth Super Bantamweight holder. His nickname comes from the fact that he held down a job as a binman in his home town of Leicester

while fighting as a professional. Rendall and his corner made a habit of coming into the ring wearing fluorescent jackets as a nod to his day job.

Eve

Charity: NSPCC

Eve is a Welsh actress best known for playing the lead role in BBC TV’s Torchwood – a part she won after impressing creater Russell T Davies when she was cast in the first series of the reboot of Dr Who. Eve, 39, who has two children, has also appeared in Little Dorrit, Merlin and Frankie.

Chris

Charity: Anthony Nolan

Chris is a multiple world track cycling champion and triple Olympic medallist. Chris won a bronze medal in the team pursuit at the 2000 Olympic Games and a silver medal in the same discipline at the 2004 Olympics. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Chris competed solo and won a bronze medal in the points race.

Jayne

Charity: Beat EatingDisorders

Commonwealth Games High Jumper Jayne is taking on the London Marathon in support of her Charity B-EAT. Jayne has openly spoken about her background and overcoming an eating disorder in her book Free-ed which she wrote to help others suffering

with similar disorders. Jayne has a passion about helping others achieve their dreams and is really hoping that running the London Marathon will help inspire others that they can achieve anything they put their minds to.

Kai

Charity: NSPCC

Kai was born and bred in Llanwrst, North Wales and is best known for his portrayal of Rhys in the worldwide hit series Torchwood created by Russell T Davies. In 2015 Kai was cast as Pete on Channel 4’s

Hollyoaks. He was involved in an extremely powerful storyline that along with support from the NSPCC gained great acclaim from critics and audiences alike. This will be Kai’s fourth London Marathon.

Cassie

Cassie won a bronze medal in the 10km open water swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and reached the final of the 800m freestyle. Cassie, who is one of only nine Brits to have won a swimming medal at the Olympics in the past 20 years, also won a World Championships silver medal in the 10k open water

swim in 2007 – despite being stung by a jellyfish on route – and replicated that feat a year later. Cassie has now started work in the media and was the lead swimming pundit at the 2012 Olympic Games for Sky Sports News.

Gilles

Charity: The Steve Reid Foundation

Gilles is one of the most respected DJs of his generation as well as being the owner of the record label Brownswood Recordings. The French-born music aficionado made his name DJing on radio stations such as Kiss FM and in clubs around the

country. He was then recruited by BBC Radio1 in 1998 and spent 14 years on the station before moving across to BBC Radio 6 Music. He also broadcasts an internationally syndicated worldwide show across seven European countries.

Chris

Charity: Prostate Cancer UK

The former England international football player made more than 650 appearances during a professional career that spanned 23 years and is nw the manager of Southend United. Chris is best known for his time at Charlton where he attained legendary status among the club’s supporters and during which

time he won five England caps. Chris also had a lengthy playing spell at Southend United as well as spending time at West Ham United, Watford and Leicester. He returned to Charlton as the club’s manager in 2011 and led them to promotion to the Championship.

Katie

Charity: British Lung Foundation (BLF)

Katie, also known as Jordan, shot to fame as one of the most famous glamour models of the Nineties. She has since developed her career and become known as one of the most recognisable faces across the nation thanks to TV appearances, books and music.

She has appeared in many TV series about her life, won Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 and is a regular on ITV’s Loose Women. Katie’s mother was diagnosed with the terminal Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IBF) last year.

Frances

Charity: Macmillan Cancer Support

Frances won the fourth series of the Great British Bake Off in 2013. Since then she has released her first book called Quinntessential Baking and has made numerous TV appearances and can be seen regularly taking part in cookery demonstrations and

appearances at food festivals. She is part of the Baker’s Dozen of 13 former Great British Bake Off contestants running the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Sophie

Sophie is not only one of the country’s most recognisable newsreaders, she is also a passionate marathon runner. She completed the full set of Abbott World Marathon Majors last year when she finished the Chicago Marathon having previously

run the London Marathon on seven occasions, plus the marathons in New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin and Tokyo. Sophie is the current BBC News at One presenter and also regularly appears on the BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten.

Adele

Charity: Heads Together

DJ Adele appeared in the third series of the reality TV series Big Brother before her career in music really took off. In 2012 she joined BBC Radio 1xtra before becoming the host of BBC Radio 1’s early breakfast show between 4am and 6.30am. Adele ran

her first London Marathon last year, also for Heads Together, and was surprised in the build up to the event by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who came on to her BBC Radio 1 show.

Keith

Charity: The Laura CraneYouth Cancer Trust

Keith is widely regarded as one of the finest rugby league players of the Super League era. During a glittering career, he won every honour in the British domestic game, representing Sheffield Eagles and

then Leeds Rhinos. He represented both Great Britain and England at international level and was named in the Rugby League World XIII on three occasions.

Jada

Charity: Heads Together

Jada is one of Britian’s leading plus-size models who is running the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon with Bryony Gordon.

Baasit

Charity: Cash for Kids

Baasit along with his dad Sid and brother Umar have become one of the most popular families on Channel 4’s hit show Gogglebox. Baasit will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon for the third year in a row.

Kevin

Charity: Prostate Cancer UK

Former England and Great Britain international Kevin is one of the most decorated players in rugby league history. He captained Leeds Rhinos to seven Super League championships and two Challenge Cup victories and holds records as the highest points-

scorer in Leeds Rhinos history, the highest points-scorer in Super League history and the third highest points-scorer in British rugby league history. Kevin ran his first London Marathon last year, finishing in 3:30:53.

Maya

Charity: Bloodwise

Maya is a writer and actor from Birmingham. As an actress she is best known for appearing in Line of Duty and Citizen Khan and as a writer her credits include EastEnders and Mount Pleasant. Maya is currently working on the new series of Ackley Bridge.

Davinia

Charity: Mind

Davinia is best known for playing Jude Cunningham in the soap opera Hollyoaks, a role she played for two years from 1996 to 1998 before returning to the soap in 2016 after an 18-year absence.

Paul

Charity: Parkinson’s UK

Stand-up comedian and DJ Paul is a runnerholic and hosts his own podcast, the Running Commentary, alongside friend and fellow marathon runner Rob Deering. Paul is a regular guest on TV comedy panel shows and he was the first breakfast show presenter of Xfm Manchester before taking over the drivetime slot. He has a monthly column in Runner’s World.

Charlie

Charity: Malaria No More

Charlie is a leading sports presenter who has worked for Sky Sports, Channel 4 and ITV on sports ranging from football to cycling and speedway to boxing. Charlie is a keen runner, who started competing in the sport as a child. She has run 10 marathons but

this will be her first since she contracted malaria in Brazil ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics after she had completed a 3,000 mile bike from the London Olympic Stadium to Rio de Janeiro.

Kieran

Charity: JDRF

Kieran is a former Olympic and World Champion rower, winning a gold medal representing Great Britain in the men’s eight at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. His eight year international rowing career also includes competing in the 2004 Athens

Olympics, and gold and silver medals at three World Rowing Championships. He won the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on three occasions, once as President, and was awarded an MBE for services to rowing in 2001.

Shane

Charity: Velindre Cancer Centre

Rugby union legend Shane is Wales’ all-time leading try scorer, with his 58 tries in the red of his country also the fourth highest ever recorded by a single player in international rugby history. During a glittering playing career, Shane played in three World

Cups, won two Six Nations championships and was named World Rugby’s player of the year in 2008. Shane was also part of three British and Irish Lions tours and is now a TV pundit appearing on ITV’s coverage of the Six Nations.

Melanie

Charity: SportsAid

Melanie is an Olympic rower who competed at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, winning a silver medal at the latter as part of the women’s eight

crew. Mel has been working as a doctor in London since 2016 and this will be her first marathon.