logo
Sam Thompson issues update on his painful calf injury as he's forced to modify the second leg of 'emotional' 260-mile endurance challenge

Sam Thompson issues update on his painful calf injury as he's forced to modify the second leg of 'emotional' 260-mile endurance challenge

Daily Mail​03-06-2025

Sam Thompson has given an update on the calf injury he suffered during the first day of his gruelling journey on both bike and foot from London to Manchester.
The I'm A Celeb star, 32, set out on his mission to raise money for Unicef by delivering the Soccer Aid match ball to Old Trafford from Stamford Bridge on Monday.
To complete the challenge, Sam is expected to run a marathon for five days and cycle in between, ensuring the ball arrives on June 6 ready for this year's star-studded match on June 15.
But during the first leg, the reality TV star suffered a calf injury which left his chances of completing the mission in-doubt.
Now, the star has been forced to modify the second leg of his challenge - setting off on bike, rather than on foot, with doctors in doubt over whether he will be able to run at all later in the day.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
At the end of day one, Sam was pictured grimacing while receiving treatment on a medical table before revealing he could 'barely walk'.
With the support of his expert physio, Sam is however powering through the setback - with medical professionals advising him to travel from Stadium MK to Villa Park by bicycle.
Ahead of the start of the second leg, the 32-year-old reality said: 'Yesterday was really hard.
'The medical team here are looking after me, but it means today I'm starting on the bike so I can use different muscles in my legs to aid my recovery and I hope to be back on my feet soon.
'My goal is to get from Milton Keynes to Villa Park and no matter what I'm getting that ball there - I just need to keep pedaling.
'What I'm trying to do has changed, but why I'm doing it hasn't. I really need your support right now, so any donations or love you can send my way would be so appreciated. It's going to be an emotional day.'
Aiming to complete a 72-mile journey through Towcester, Rugby, Coventry and Solihull, medical experts will assess whether Sam can ditch the bike and begin running again throughout the day.
Sam's sister Louise revealed on her Instagram Stories on Monday that she almost suffered a breakdown after seeing her sibling's injury.
She said in a video: 'I cannot believe I am in my dressing gown but desperate times call for desperate measures.
'I have been following so closely to the Soccer Aid channel, the Instagram, the Instagram Stories, Hits Radio this morning all covering my brother doing his run from here to Manchester.
'And I am literally on the cusp of having a breakdown every time I see stuff. I saw a video of him limping really badly after the first marathon and he has now got to get on a bike and do a really really really long cycle and I am so worried his legs are just going to give in'.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline earlier in the day, Sam opened up about what he believes will be the biggest challenge he'll face during his grueling mission.
He said: 'The hard part of this challenge is gonna be the fear of not completing it.
'That that will, is and will always be the hardest thing in my head is the fear of injury and not being able to play it.
'I just, I have to be able to get of course I finish line.
'And like, you've seen how many people are here. Just letting people down is my biggest weakness, so that is terrifying to me.'
Sam also gave an update on his relationship with Love Island star Samie Eilishi, 25, after the pair were spotted sharing a kiss in London recently.
While his sister Louise and her partner Ryan Libbey were present at the starting line to show their support, Samie was notably absent.
Speaking just moments ahead of the challenge, Sam revealed that several close friends, including best mate Jamie Laing, have remained tight-lipped about whether they'll join him along the way.
However, he did not confirm whether or not Samie, who he has been dating since April, will be making an appearance.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Sam said: 'Throughout the experience, I hope there'll be a few people.'
When asked directly if Samie would be making an appearance, he responded: 'I feel like... this is so much more than who I'm dating or hooking up with.
'And I feel like it would take away from what it is going on. You know what I mean?
'You know, If I had a wife or something like, like a girlfriend of years it might be a different.
'I just think that I don't want to do anything that will take away from this challenge and Unicef - the spotlight needs to be on them.
'Like, I'm literally a vehicle. That's how I'm seeing it. I'm just a thing that is running to try and make money, so I want to keep it that way.'
To donate visit socceraid.org.uk/challenge

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Notting Hill's selfie-takers are ignoring one thing: the movie's a turkey
Notting Hill's selfie-takers are ignoring one thing: the movie's a turkey

Times

time26 minutes ago

  • Times

Notting Hill's selfie-takers are ignoring one thing: the movie's a turkey

What has been the biggest disappointment of my life? Along with losing my virginity and seeing U2 at Wembley, it was probably when the film Notting Hill came out in 1999. A romance that isn't romantic, a comedy with no good jokes, this intolerable follow-up to Richard Curtis's almost flawless Four Weddings and a Funeral sees Hugh Grant's cringing bookshop owner meeting Julia Roberts's odious actress, spending the night with her before deciding, bewilderingly, that they can't be together, then changing his mind after she gives him an original Chagall and jumping in a car for a faked-up 'rom-com run' to tell her that he loves her before she gets on a plane — which presumably, if she had, would only have meant he had to wait until she landed, when he could have given her a call. Spoiler alert, by the way. Now it turns out that this swizz, this stone-cold Turkey Twizzler of a movie, is still causing people pain a quarter of a century later. This month it was reported that residents in the candy-coloured W11 streets where it was made have had to endure fans of the film, more recently joined by Instagram influencers, thronging the pavements to get pics for their social media feeds. Some have the gall to enter the front gardens to get the right shot. They make a lot of noise. They leave rubbish behind. Locals are so irritated that a number of them have taken the desperate step of painting their homes black. What enrages me most, though, about this is the evidence it provides that there are still people out there who think Notting Hill is a good film. • Hugh Grant's best performances — ranked Let's summarise. Curtis scored a surprise hit with Four Weddings by casting Grant as a posh avoidant who panics when he sees all his posh friends getting married, until the death of a slightly older posh friend forces him to get serious. Solid. Relatable. Crammed with good jokes. The screenwriter's next move was to cast Grant as a posh avoidant with a group of posh friends, including (again) one with a disability and a working-class flatmate. Again he's in love with a glamorous American out of his league. Jokes are repeated. 'F***ety f***!' Grant exclaims in the first film. 'Shittety brickety,' he mutters, less plausibly, in the second. The laziness of all this is compounded by the film's incredibly unconvincing disavowal of privilege, which in fact it would do far better to own. In Four Weddings, Grant's friend Tom cheerfully admits to being the seventh richest man in England. In Notting Hill, even though all the characters are obviously loaded, they claim to be poor. Grant's friend's restaurant is failing. His own bookshop, located in prime real estate just off Portobello Road, is struggling to stay afloat. Yet he owns a house with a roof terrace in the heart of Notting Hill, which (a glance on Zoopla reveals) would now be worth £3 million. Need another way to relate to these guys? They're all total losers, we're assured. Grant's sister Honey works in 'London's worst record store'. His friend Max is 'the worst cook in the world'. His friend Bernie is 'the worst stockbroker in the whole world'. His friend Tony is 'the worst restaurateur'. His flatmate Spike is 'the stupidest person you've ever met'. The film is imbued with a bizarre glorification of uselessness that is epitomised in the notorious 'brownie' scene. Personally I have always struggled to care for a brownie (there's something twee about the very word), yet here it randomly becomes the prize in the sob story Olympics. One of Grant's posh friends can't have children. Roberts has no self-esteem. And so on, and so on. Supposedly a classic, the scene is actually weird and depressing. • Inside the ultimate Notting Hill bachelorette pad Vulnerability is winning. Self-contempt, less so. Given that Americans are supposedly unable to understand our tendency to talk ourselves down, it's hard to know what Roberts sees in Grant, unless it's the fact that he's the only person on the planet who is arguably better-looking than her. That said, she has some off-putting qualities herself. She's rude one moment, needy the next. And she has zero dress sense. The teenage crop top she wears in one early scene is a very odd choice. When she sports a man's tie in the Ritz, it's meant as a tribute to kooky Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. But it leaves Roberts looking like a pantomime horse. Speaking of kooky, the entire last scene — the press conference in the Lancaster Room at the Savoy Hotel — is ripped off from Roman Holiday (1953). In that much better film, Audrey Hepburn's celebrity princess reveals her love for a journalist in the crowd with a carefully nuanced answer. In Notting Hill, Roberts does something similar with a less nuanced one. We then cut to a shot of the pair relaxing together in a residents' garden, reading Captain Corelli's Mandolin, of all things. Just as Chagall (along with Munch and Dalí) is the top-dollar painter for people who don't like painting, Louis de Bernières' middle-brow blockbuster is the book for people who don't read. And Notting Hill is the film for people without eyes. (And Ronan Keating's When You Say Nothing at All, which plays over one key scene, is the song for people who lack access to any of the five senses.) It's fashionable to make a noise about how much you hate Curtis's next big rom-com, Love Actually (2003). But in fact, Love Actually is far from being the worst in his rom-com oeuvre. It contains one or two good jokes and Emma Thompson's heartbreaking turn alone makes it worth a watch. Not so Notting Hill. It's time we called time on the idea that there's any merit in this slow, insipid, neighbourhood-wrecking stinker.

Oldham keepers Hudson & Donaghy extend deals
Oldham keepers Hudson & Donaghy extend deals

BBC News

time32 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Oldham keepers Hudson & Donaghy extend deals

Oldham Athletic goalkeepers Mathew Hudson and Tom Donaghy have signed new 26, has signed a three-year contract after making 40 appearances as the Latics won promotion back to the Football League last 22, who joined from Fleetwood Town in February and played 10 times for Oldham in the 2024-25 campaign, has signed a two-year deal."I'm really proud to be staying at Oldham. This club means a lot to me and I've enjoyed every minute here," Hudson told the club website., external

16 must watch TV series of the summer – from Keeley Hawes spy thriller to Danny Dyer comedy and return of Netflix hits
16 must watch TV series of the summer – from Keeley Hawes spy thriller to Danny Dyer comedy and return of Netflix hits

The Sun

time34 minutes ago

  • The Sun

16 must watch TV series of the summer – from Keeley Hawes spy thriller to Danny Dyer comedy and return of Netflix hits

THE summer telly schedules are bringing the heat — with can't-miss premieres and buzzy returns. Whether you want to escape with reality TV, like ITV's Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, or get bingeing with red-hot dramas such as Netflix's Squid Game, there are plenty of shows to keep you glued to the couch. 14 There's also the live drama of the Women's Euros and excitement of Glasto. And with the return of fan favourites such as The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Wednesday, you can settle in with some old friends. Jess Lester rounds up the best of the upcoming TV . . . Attack On London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers -Netflix, July 14 NETFLIX is no stranger to a true-crime documentary, and this time it has turned its attentions to London's worst terrorist attack. Investigating the 2005 bombings, the four-part series follows the intense effort to track down those responsible for the attack on the city's public transport system, which killed 52 people and injured more than 700. Through interviews, archive footage and expert analysis, including with then PM Tony Blair, it celebrates the resilience of those who worked around the clock to put the guilty individuals behind bars. There is a deeper dive into the broader issues of terrorism, too. Destination X - BBC, July 14 THERE'S a brand new travel adventure competition coming to the BBC, hosted by Rob Brydon. The show takes contestants on a journey on a blacked-out bus, sending them on a mystery road trip across Europe not telling them where they are, or where they are heading. Through a mix of clever challenges and red herrings, they must guess each destination or face elimination from the show, which is based on a popular Belgian format that launched last year. Think Race Across The World mixed with The Traitors, as there's set to be plenty of tension with psychological twists and turns, while Rob acts as the puppet master overseeing it all. And with prize money likely up for grabs, it's all to play for. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Prime Video, July 16 14 IT'S set to be an emotional finale as The Summer I Turned Pretty returns for its third series, finishing up Jenny Han's much-loved trilogy of books. This time, there's a two-year time jump as Belly (Lola Tung) is further into her college education. Season two saw her end things with Conrad, and instead choose other love interest Jeremiah. But as they plan their future together, possibly even a wedding, Conrad returns and reignites long-simmering feelings between him and Belly. With the love triangle at the centre of the story, there's a mammoth 11 episodes for Belly to figure out what she really wants. But will she? Squid Game - Netflix, June 27 14 SQUID Game took the world by storm in 2021, and now its highly anticipated third and final series hopes to captivate audiences once again. We see lead character Seong Gi-hun, below, regroup with Cho Sang-woo and Kang Sae-byeok after the failed armed uprising from the previous season. The survivors are determined to bring down the cruel billionaires who orchestrate the deadly games. However, to succeed, they must first continue playing the brutal competitions, all while secretly plotting their escape. But the question remains: Will they survive the games this time and finally end the nightmare? The Couple Next Door - Channel 4, July FOLLOWING the success of the first series on Channel 4 – it was the broadcaster's biggest scripted series streaming launch ever – the drama is back with a fresh storyline and new cast. In this next chapter, the plot centres around Charlotte Roberts (Annabel Scholey), a brilliant heart surgeon, and her husband Jacob (Sam Palladio), a consultant anaesthetist. Things will be turned upside down when mysterious new hospital colleague Mia (Aggy K Adams, above) rents the house next door and becomes entangled in their personal and professional lives. While Charlotte navigates the reappearance of her past flame, the hunky Leo (Sendhil Ramamurthy), only time will tell whether Mia will spell disaster for the formerly happily married pair. The Assassin - Prime Video, July 14 KEELEY HAWES and Freddie Highmore, above, star in this tense six-parter which sees the duo battling it out in a globe-spanning showdown. Keeley plays Julie, a retired assassin who is enjoying a quiet life on a remote Greek island – until her estranged son Edward arrives, that is. He has come to ask questions about his father, but it sets a whole chain of events in motion. Julie and Edward, played by The Good Doctor's Freddie, go on to uncover a dark conspiracy and are forced to head off on the run. Julie's complicated past then resurfaces and her fractured relationship with her son is put to the ultimate test. The Bear - Disney+, June 26 14 IN what is likely to be the final series of Disney+ 's much-loved drama, Jeremy Allen White is in a race against time to secure the restaurant's future. At the end of the last series, the restaurant was ripped apart by a review in The Chicago Tribune. Joined once again by Ayo Edebiri's Sydney, Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Richie and the rest of The Bear crew, Chef Carmy (White, above) will once again be chasing Michelin glory. It's all under wraps, but the cast will likely be packed with even more guest appearances, after series three featured John Cena, Thomas Keller and Will Poulter. Glastonbury - BBC, from June 27 THE BBC is showing more than 90 hours of the festival, with live streams from five main stages, and on-demand content for 30 days. The likes of Clara Amgo, Jo Whiley, Lauren Laverne and Huw Stephens will be there to guide viewers through the action on the iPlayer Glastonbury Channel. Neil Young The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Raye, Loyle Carner and Jorja Smith will all hit the screens, alongside some surprise 'secret' acts. The channel will also have special recap montages from previous festivals, including Beyonce and Coldplay. The Hostage - Netflix, August 21 14 SHE'S played some big characters and now Suranne Jones, takes on the role of Prime Minister Abigail Dalton in this hot Netflix thriller. But her life is turned upside down when her husband is kidnapped and she is forced to work together with the French President, a long-time rival. The two powerful women, who are also being blackmailed, have to navigate betrayal, danger and looming threats to their careers and personal lives in this twisting five-parter. Also featuring are Queen Charlotte hunk Corey Mylchreest, Miss Scarlet's Sophie Robertson, Before Sunrise actress Julie Delpy and actor and musician Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas. Dora And The Search For Sol Dorado - Paramount+, July 4 STARTING off as an animation series in 2000, Dora The Explorer had her first live action film in 2019's Lost City Of Gold. Now she is back for more adventuring. This time, teenage Dora, played by Samantha Lorraine, is embarking on a new journey deep in the jungle on a quest to find the mythical treasure of Sol Dorado. Along the way she will have to battle villains, with the help of her loyal cousin Diego, archaeologist Camila the Crusader and her trusty sidekick Boots the monkey. After making its premiere on kids' channel Nickelodeon UK on July 2, it will be available to stream – for kids and adults – on Paramout+. The Institute - MGM+, July 13 14 BASED on a 2019 novel by horror writer Stephen King, this eight-episode thriller follows 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis, who is kidnapped and wakes up in a mysterious facility where children with unusual abilities are being held against their will. As Luke (played by Martin Freeman's son Joe) plots his escape, a former police officer, who has moved to the town for a quiet life, uncovers disturbing facts about the place, known as The Institute. Expect Stranger Things-style superpowers and the same kind of simmering discomfort as Stephen's previous TV adaptations, Castle Rock and The Outsider. Mr Bigstuff - Sky, July 14 AFTER winning a Bafta for its first series, Sky's hit comedy returns for a second run, reuniting Ryan Sampson and Danny Dyer as brothers Glen and Lee. This time, the Essex duo navigate the Earth-shattering revelation that their dad might still be alive, sending the pair into a meltdown over how to locate him. Meanwhile, secrets threaten to tear the family apart. Expect a host of new characters, including Rula Lenska as the eccentric Rita, and Shaun Williamson playing a surprisingly angry children's entertainer. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters - ITV, July 14 WHAT better way to mark the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws than to challenge a group of ocean-phobic celebrities to dive alongside sharks? Filmed off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas, this new reality format sees the group coming face to face with increasingly larger and more dangerous sharks. The high-stakes, five-part show will feature Sir Lenny Henry, Rachel Riley, Ross Noble, Ade Adepitan, Helen George, Dougie Poynter and Lucy Punch. From panic attacks to near-miss encounters with the apex predators, the celebrities will be pushed to their personal limits in what is sure to make fun viewing. Wednesday - Netflix, August 6 14 HIT series Wednesday became Netflix's most-watched English-language series of all time, in large part thanks to Jenna Ortega's deadpan performance of the iconic Addams Family character. And after solidifying itself in pop culture with the help of a viral dance, there's little surprise the series is back, this time with a darker mystery. Wednesday returns to boarding school Nevermore only to discover there is a serial killer on the loose. Series two brings back fan favourites Morticia, Gomez and Pugsley, while fresh faces on the cast list include Steve Buscemi and Joanna Lumley. Uefa Women's Euros - ITV & BBC, from July 2 THE BBC and ITV are sharing coverage of the Women's Euros in Switzerland as the Lionesses, captained by Leah Williamson try to retain their crown. BBC Sport will air half of the group-stage matches, including both England and Wales' games against the Netherlands, as well as three of the tense quarter-finals. Commentary and analysis will come from Gabby Logan, Jeanette Kwakye, Alex Scott, Ellen White, Jill Scott and Steph Houghton. The England v Wales clash on July 13 will be a big live draw for ITV. Both channels will simultaneously broadcast the final on July 27. Thursday Murder Club - Netflix, August 28 14 RICHARD Osman's best-selling first book is hitting the box with a star-studded cast. The series follows sharp-witted retirees – ex-spy Elizabeth, former union activist Ron, retired psychiatrist Ibrahim and nurse Joyce – in a fancy village for old folks who meet to solve cold cases. But then they find themselves caught up in a current murder that happens on their doorstep – and like the nosy old folk they are, they get to work trying to solve it. With a cast list that includes Dame Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, above, plus Sir Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Sir Jonathan Pryce and Tom Ellis, this one is not to be missed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store