Jo Brand readies for 150-mile charity walk challenge

Comedian Jo Brand is set to walk 150-miles from Hull to Liverpool in a week-long, coast-to-coast challenge for the charity Sport Relief.

The 58-year-old begins her 'Hell Of A Walk' challenge in Hull later today.

"When I first started training for this challenge, I didn't realise I was not the national fitness icon I'd always believed myself to be," Brand said.

"The realisation is gradually dawning that I have to walk a very, very, very long way, with many days back-to-back using only my poor little legs to carry me - and that's a gruesome thought.

"But the hope is that the walk will raise much needed funds for people who really deserve it, which will keep me going."

As well as raising money for the charity, Brand, a former psychiatric nurse, has said she wants to highlight the work Sport Relief does on mental health.

The BT-sponsored challenge will see the comedian climb to 1,500ft across The Pennines.

She will take a total of 60,000 steps as she walks from dawn to dusk over seven days, burning around 6,000 calories a day.

The journey will be recorded for a documentary to be broadcast on the BBC ahead of Sport Relief weekend, which takes place from 18 to 20 of March.