Boxer and reality TV star Tommy Fury swapped gloves for charity gear this week — and ended up literally tied to the cause.
The 25-year-old Love Island favourite joined BBC Radio Manchester’s Joe McGrath for the opening leg of a three-legged charity walk in aid of BBC Children in Need, taking on part of a 25-mile (40km) challenge across Greater Manchester.
The event saw McGrath and fellow presenter Simone Riley each take on a gruelling 12-mile route while strapped to celebrity guests — all in the name of raising money for the annual appeal that supports disadvantaged children across the UK.
Fury linked up with McGrath at Ordsall Hall, before setting off toward the finish line at Old Trafford — home of Manchester United — with Pudsey Bear, the charity’s famous mascot, waiting at the end to greet the team.
“It brought me back to my younger years, I was never really good at three-legged races,” Fury admitted with a laugh, via BBC News. “But hey ho, we are here.”
Despite the smiles, the heavyweight-in-training said the effort wasn’t exactly light work.
“I’ve had boxing training this morning,” he told BBC Radio Manchester mid-walk. “The hard training is with my dad — he just tries to kill you every time. He’s making you jump through tyres, he’s making you do a thousand burpees.”
Even so, Fury powered through, joking that he was “starting to break a sweat” and didn’t have much left for a “sprint finish.”
Away from the jokes, Fury’s motivation for joining the walk came from something deeper — his family and a desire to give back.
He told the station his loved ones were “big fans of Children in Need” and that he’d “love” for his daughter Bambi — who he shares with fiancée and fellow Love Island alum Molly-Mae Hague — to meet Pudsey herself one day.
“So we’ll see if we can make the duo happen,” he said.
Fury also used the moment to call on other high-profile figures to lend their time and platforms to charity work.
“I think people in my position and people with big platforms should be doing as much charity work as possible,” he said. “If it’s charity work I’ll be there — any time, any place, anywhere.”
The pair eventually crossed the Old Trafford finish line side-by-side with Pudsey himself — a fitting moment that wrapped up day one of the challenge.
“Found it good mate, legs are a bit sore,” Fury admitted afterwards, laughing that, “This is how we’re going to walk out to the ring [for my next boxing match].”
It’s not the first time Fury has teamed up with the BBC recently. Earlier this year, the boxer fronted his own documentary series Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury — a six-part BBC Three show giving fans a raw look at his career highs, family life, and personal battles.
Asked how it felt to relive it all on screen, Fury said: “It was good. Obviously, there were some tough times in there. But some great times at the end. It got received really well.”
“I knew what I was getting myself into before I did it, before I signed up for it,” he added. “And you’ve just got to let the cameras in 100% and then there’s no nervy feelings there.”
As for the charity effort, BBC Radio Manchester’s three-legged walk continues across two days, covering a series of iconic sports locations around the city — from the Etihad Stadium to Old Trafford.
And after finishing 12 miles tied to someone else for a good cause, Tommy Fury can add a new title to his résumé: Children in Need’s Strongest Leg.
Featured image credit: Instagram/BBCManchester (screenshots)
