BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host, Greg James, rolled into Abergavenny at the end of the second day of his ‘Longest Ride’ for Comic Relief last Saturday.

The challenge sees the radio star cycle 1000 kilometres across the UK from Weymouth to Edinburgh, stopping at various points along the way to raise money for Comic Relief before finishing on Red Nose Day in the Scottish capital.

Hundreds lined Cross Street to cheer him on as he finished outside the town hall, and after a live broadcast from Abergavenny he spoke to the Chronicle about how his day had unfolded.

“That was surreal,” he said perched on a barrier outside the King’s Head Hotel.

“After a long day of what’s been quite lonely cycling to see a street lined with people chanting and shouting and waving is very special. It’s one of those things I will never ever forget even when I’m old and irrelevant.”

“Radio is such an amazing tool to bring people together and when you literally see it you realise this is a good thing we are doing.”

After his 2018 challenge, a ‘Gregathon’ which included climbing the UK’s highest peaks, the DJ said he would never take on such a challenge again.

Eight years on, this challenge, is helping to raise funds for projects that help people eat, sleep and feel safe, offering local, fast support when and where it’s needed most.

Even the most ardent cyclist will know the notorious climb over the Keepers road is gruelling. Professional athletes took on the challenge last year when the Tour of Britain rumbled through Monmouthshire in Geraint Thomas’ final professional race.

Greg completed the climb on a tandem without the support of a second pair of legs on the back. He said he had no idea the climb was upcoming and, while he was relieved to have finished it, the journey to Abergavenny was beautiful.

“If I had known that hill was coming today I’d have been dreading it all night,” he said.

“I think you have to get in the zone of knowing it will be the last time you take on another crazy challenge if that is ever going to be the case.”

“But I love what these challenges do to bring people together. People love a story, they love a daft challenge but most importantly, it helps loads of people with all the money that we hopefully raise.”

“It’s a little inconvenience compared to what we could get out of this.”

Speaking on Saturday afternoon, nobody knew how much had been raised so far as a result of the bizarre race from the bottom of the country to the top. Having started the day in Bristol and finished in Abergavenny, Greg was hoping it would amount to something.

As of Monday morning, almost £200,000 had been raised for Comic Relief as a result of the breakfast radio royalty’s effort. The total amount raised as a result of the challenge will be revealed on Red Nose Day itself, the same day the challenge is scheduled to be completed, on Friday March 20 as part of the Comic Relief Programme.