Channel 4 has confirmed that Britain’s most decorated Olympian, cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins, is the fourteenth and final celebrity who will take part in The Jump 2017.
The Tour De France winner and eight-time Olympic medallist will join a raft of famous faces taking part in the fourth series of the perilous winter sport contest, held in Austria.
This year’s competition could be the toughest yet, as a large number of sports personalities are due to take to the slopes.
They include former England Rugby Captain Jason Robinson OBE, former England footballer Robbie Fowler, Olympic medallists Louis Smith and Jade Jones and Paralympic medallist Kadeena Cox.
Also set to don their skis are comedian Mark Dolan (Balls of Steel), Irish presenter and DJ Vogue Williams and the Duchess of Cornwall’s niece – journalist Emma Parker-Bowles.
Bradley Wiggins said: “Skiing is a big passion of mine, it was a mix of that and the other committed names this year that made me want to sign up.
“From Jason Robinson and Robbie Fowler to Olympians Louis Smith and Jade Jones, these guys have excelled in the sporting arena and I have a lot of respect for them.”
“Major retiring Olympians such as Sir Steve Redgrave have also trod this path, I see this as a sporting challenge and want to go out there and win it.”
The Jump will air in early 2017 and last for 6 weeks, with Davina McCall returning as host.
The show has courted controversy in the past, as large numbers of celebrities have been injured while taking part in its demanding obstacle courses.
The last series alone saw seven celebrities suffer injuries of different severity. Rebecca Adlington and Tina Hobley were forced to pull out of the competition, while Beth Tweddle had to be airlifted to hospital following a back injury.