Celebrity line-up revealed for Channel 4 and Stand up to Cancer's Sink or Swim

With one in five British adults being unable to swim and one in three children leaving school without being able to swim, Channel 4 and Twofour, part of ITV Studios, today reveal the line-up for the new large-scale celebrity series, Sink or Swim (w/t) in support of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C).

Joining the previously announced Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie and Coronation Street star Sair Khan will be Sky News anchor Kay Burley, The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker, TOWIE stars James ‘Arg’ Argent and Georgia Kousoulou, Blue singer Simon Webbe, Love Island’s Wes Nelson, Hollyoaks actress Rachel Adedeji, television presenter Diane Louise Jordan and Linford Christie’s fellow Olympic gold medallists, Tessa Sanderson and Greg Rutherford.

Sink or Swim (4 x 60’) attempts to erase the stigma of being a non-swimmer and follows the progress of our cast  some complete non-swimmers, some who just need to polish up their skills as well as those with a fear of open water or those who have been taught to swim as children but now struggle to do so for health reasons – as they are pushed to their absolute limits.

The celebrities will be teamed with a group of leading figures and professionals from the world of swimming including Olympic silver medallist Keri-anne Payne and adventurer Ross Edgley (best known for being the first person in history to swim around Great Britain).  Keri-anne and Ross will be lead-trainers, with support from Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds. Together, the trainers will offer vital training and support to transform the celebrities into strong swimmers, capable of taking on a series of challenges. Each episode will culminate in a punishing qualification swim and the celebrities left standing (or in this case, swimming) at the end of the gruelling training process will take part in the ultimate open water challenge together as they attempt to swim the English Channel.

SU2C – a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 has to date raised over £62 million for research into cancer which will accelerate new cancer treatments to UK patients and save more lives.

Sink or Swim was commissioned for Channel 4 for by Commissioning Editor for Entertainment, Steven Handley. It will be executive produced by Mel Leach, Andrew Mackenzie and Caroline Davies for Twofour.

Steven Handley, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment at Channel 4 says: “Sink or Swim promises to be one of the most perilous Stand Up To Cancer Celebrity Challenges we have ever attempted. It will push the boundaries of what Celebrities will endure and overcome to raise money and awareness for charity and we are delighted to be working with TwoFour on this ambitious project. I’m thrilled to announce such an incredible and diverse cast for the series.  They all have truly captivating stories behind why they find swimming terrifying and I cannot wait to see them embark upon this epic challenge.”

Mel Leach, Executive Producer for Twofour added, “Swimming the Channel is a monumental feat for even the very best swimmers, let alone those who can’t even swim a length. Our brave celebrities will have to overcome their fears and embark on a huge mental and physical transformation to complete this epic challenge.”