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Wiggo comes to Ambridge: Sir Bradley Wiggins to guest-star in The Archers for Sport Relief

Tour de France winner joins long list of guests in world's longest-running soap opera...

Sir Bradley Wiggins will be a guest star on Radio Four’s long-running rural soap The Archers on March 21 as the fictional village of Ambridge gets behind Sport Relief.

Wiggins will play himself as the village puts on the Ambridge Rough and Tumble Sport Relief event.

Sir Bradley will be the event’s guest of honour, handing out the gong to the winner, but will also encounter Lynda Snell’s rusty old bike, and, according to reports, hilarity will ensue.

“When I was asked to record a Sport Relief special for The Archers, there was no way I could turn it down,” Wiggins said in a statement. “I grew up with it on the radio in the house, and it’s not every day you get to star in the world’s longest running soap opera.

“Meeting the cast, the writer and the director was an honour and I really hope the storyline will raise awareness about Sport Relief’s amazing work, and that it shows people that everyone can get involved in Sport Relief this year.”

The Archers has played host to a vast range of guest stars over the years. Terry Wogan, Judi Dench, John Peel, Richard Griffiths, Mike Gatting, Griff Rhys Jones, and Dame Edna have all appeared in The Archers as themselves.

Reactions among Archers fans on the show’s Facebook page were generally positive. Sally Budd posted: “Absolutely Brilliant! Bradders in the Archers I am sooo excited!!!!” and Nick Poole agreed: “To have my sporting hero in my beloved Archers would be simply amazing!”

But Mary Hoffman said: “I am glad you are all so happy. It’s just yawnsville for me but - you know - horses for courses. Or bikes, I suppose.”

We doubt Wiggins has the time to follow up Susannah Weeks’ idea, though, as he’d have to become a show regular. “Could someone fall in love with him?” she said.

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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9 comments

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paulrbarnard | 10 years ago
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Probably be some BBC propaganda for helmet use. Wiggins has already been there done that...

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WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
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Can Sir Brad ask them to move the omnibus to Sunday afternoon as I always miss it on the club run?

Can he slap Tom Archer too. Annoying little b**stard.

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Edgeley replied to WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
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More likely, Tom would persuade BW to invest in his delicious new range of Brook Farm Sausage flavoured gels.

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felixcat | 10 years ago
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Are there no sportive rides in Borsetshire, p-ing off the Ambridge NIMBYs?
Maybe Linda Snell could organise a petition against the lycra invaders.

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SteppenHerring replied to felixcat | 10 years ago
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felixcat wrote:

Are there no sportive rides in Borsetshire, p-ing off the Ambridge NIMBYs?
Maybe Linda Snell could organise a petition against the lycra invaders.

I have visions of Eddy and Joe selling "Ambridge Organic EPO".

A couple of years back, there was a bike race between Rhys and thingy whose name escapes me but Fallon fancied although he turned out to bat for the other team. It ended in one of them being knocked off by a car. Gritty realism - that's what it's all about.

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paulrbarnard replied to SteppenHerring | 10 years ago
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felixcat wrote:

Are there no sportive rides in Borsetshire, p-ing off the Ambridge NIMBYs? Gritty realism - that's what it's all about.

I'm hoping that was irony

Unfortunately it's gone all Eastenders recently, way too much focus on outlandish relationships and wildly unlikely senarios. Might have been more suitable to have Joey Essex make a cameo. The way the story lines are going it would make more sense.
I've been listening since I was a kid in the 60's and the Archers aired before Listen with Mother, but it's getting way to pappy now so it's more habit than anything that keeps me listening.

Badger Badger - to those in the know  3

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felixcat replied to paulrbarnard | 10 years ago
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paulrbarnard wrote:
felixcat wrote:

Are there no sportive rides in Borsetshire, p-ing off the Ambridge NIMBYs? Gritty realism - that's what it's all about.

I'm hoping that was irony

Not irony, just a feeble attempt at a joke.

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SteppenHerring | 10 years ago
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Sadly, I don't think we can expect one of his trademark sweary rants at Shula for being a sanctimonious cow.

Also isn't stage 3 of the tour starting in Ambridge?

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antonio | 10 years ago
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Sir Brad, more in touch with the common man than any politician!

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