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Radio 1 DJ Mollie King has swapped her microphone for a bike as she embarks on an epic 500km cycle ride across the UK to raise money for Comic Relief.
The former The Saturdays star, 36, is taking part in the Pedal Power challenge, which takes her across England in just five days.
The singer leaves London on Monday and hopes to arrive in her late father Stephen’s hometown of Hull on Red Nose Day (Friday).
The mother-of-one has said that her father, who died in November 2022 after a brain tumor diagnosis, has been her inspiration to keep pedaling along the arduous path.
But what cycle route will Mollie take when she heads up to Hull on her arduous journey? MailOnline takes a look at the Radio 1 presenter’s admirable fundraising challenge.
Radio 1 DJ Mollie King has swapped her microphone for a bike as she embarks on an epic bike ride across the UK to raise money for Comic Relief
The 36-year-old former The Saturdays star is taking part in the Pedal Power challenge, where she will trek across England in just five days
What cycle route does Mollie King take for the challenge?
Mollie began her goliath fundraising task on March 11, starting from Radio 1 headquarters in London.
En route so far she has managed to pass Towcester and Burton-upon-Trent as she made her 500km journey north to Manchester and Leeds.
On day two, after setting off from Towcester, she managed to pedal to Northampton in impressive fashion.
However, she had another 11 grueling hours of cycling before she would eventually reach Burton-On-Trent.
On day three, Mollie’s aim was to reach Manchester, but she admitted she found the challenge difficult.
She is currently on day four of her fundraising mission and hopes to reach Leeds.
She is set to cross the finish line in Hull on the fifth and final day of the challenge, which lands on Red Nose Day on Friday, March 15.
Explaining why she was so quick to take up the challenge, the Radio 1 host said: ‘It’s still really hard to talk about – I hate talking about him in the past tense. But when I was asked to do this, I thought I should do it.
‘I want to help people who are struggling and that’s exactly what Comic Relief does. They are incredible.
‘They help people who are homeless, struggling with poverty and struggling with grief – among so many other things.’
The mum-of-one has said her father Stephen (pictured), who died in November 2022 after a brain tumor diagnosis, has been her inspiration to keep pedaling
On day three, Mollie admitted she found the challenge difficult as she traveled to Manchester
How can I track Mollie King’s cycling progress?
Those who wish to follow Mollie on her journey can keep up to date via her tracker which is posted across her social media channels.
Her colleagues at Radio 1 and 2 have been hyping up the former singer during her fundraising challenge and reading out messages of support from listeners.
Pop star Craig David, who is also a Radio 2 presenter, told the songwriter to keep her father in her thoughts.
He said: ‘Be in the moment enough to be aware and aware of moments, this is Steve saying he is with you on the way.’
As of March 14th, Mollie had managed to raise a staggering amount for Comic Relief, raising over £400,000.
Chatting to Radio 1 host Greg James, Mollie revealed she was scared she wouldn’t be able to complete the task.
She said: ‘It’s hard, it’s really hard. I’m drained. I feel like I haven’t had any kind of recovery since I got off the bike.
“My muscles are like, ‘oh, we’re doing this again?’ It’s pretty brutal. I think initially there was so much excitement and adrenaline that kept me going and now I’m drained.
‘It feels like every push of that janitor feels like more of a struggle.’
She added: ‘Salford. The thought of getting there tonight, is it going to happen? It’s just so tiring, it’s so hard’.
Greg jokingly replied: ‘There are terrible lows in these things, but there will be incredible highs. Think about other things, don’t think about Salford.
‘The money raised is extraordinary, it can give you the boost you need for the next half hour.’
Her colleagues have been keeping her upbeat, with Craig David and Greg James (pictured) sharing their words of encouragement for the former singer
Who is Mollie King?
Mollie King is a radio host, songwriter and pop singer.
Before her stint at Radio 1, she was best known for being part of girl band The Saturdays with Rochelle Humes, Una Healy, Frankie Bridge and Vanessa White.
The group disbanded in 2014 after seven years together and four albums and tours.
After the band ended, Mollie continued to present concerts on Radio 1 and This Morning.
Outside of show business, Mollie has a daughter named Annabella, 16 months, with sportsman partner Stuart Broad, 37.
Tragedy struck the singer’s life when her father, Stephen, died just days after she gave birth to her daughter in 2022.
Her father, who received his tumor diagnosis during Mollie’s pregnancy, met his great-grandson before he died.
When her father died, Mollie took to Instagram to announce the news, sharing a series of photos of her and Stephen.
She wrote: ‘Heartbroken beyond words. In August, my family’s world was shattered when my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
‘Last week we had to face the day we hoped would never come and say goodbye. Dad, we love you with all our hearts and we will miss you every single day.
“You have been our hero and it is impossible to think about our life without you.”
Mollie was a former member of girl group The Saturdays (pictured left to right in 2011: Frankie Bridge Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Vanessa White and Mollie)
Outside of showbiz, Mollie has a daughter called Annabella, 16 months, with sportsman partner Stuart Broad, 37 (pictured together this week)
Her daughter Annabella was born just days before her father tragically died in 2022