Famous Rich and Homeless, BBC1: Willie Thorne, Neil Hancock, Julia Bradbury, and Kim Woodburn sleep rough for Sport Relief

Four celebrities experience a taste of what it means to be homeless in Britain
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9 March 2016

Four celebrities give up their home comforts for a special Sport Relief social experiment.

In Famous, Rich and Homeless, comedian Nick Hancock, TV presenter Julia Bradbury, snooker legend Willie Thorne and Kim Woodburn (of TV cleaning duo Kim & Aggie), take to the streets for a week.

The initiative comes from Big Issue founder John Bird, giving the participants – and the viewers – just a taste of what it means to be homeless in the UK.

As you’d expect, each day proves gruelling thanks to the weather, safety worries, and feelings of isolation, and some of the celebs cope better than others.

While Kim reveals that she had troubles at home as a young girl which eventually caused her to leave home, Willie almost calls the whole thing off after two days.

Thorne’s excuses fall on deaf ears with homeless man Steps, who has offered to help him find safety and shelter.

“I’ve had to walk three miles last night to get to where I’m going,” Thorne says.

“I’ve had to walk 10, 15, 20 miles yeah?” comes Steps’ reply.

Despite almost throwing in the towel, Thorne continues, now calling the experience “the toughest thing I’ve ever done”.

It’s all in aid of Sport Relief, which raises money for a variety of causes across the UK and internationally. After watching this, it’s impossible not to feel lucky for the things we often take for granted.

BBC One, 9pm

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