Don’t Look Down for Su2C

Stand Up To Cancer, or Su2C, has been a huge success since launching in the UK in 2012.

Not only has it raised more than £100m for cancer research, but it has also garnered huge viewing figures – which, in turn, leads to a greater awareness of the work being done by Su2C, which is a worldwide movement.

Its success in the UK has much to do with the generous spirit of our public, of course, but it also has a lot to thank Channel 4’s innovative programming for.

For example for its inaugural year the channel, fresh from the success of its “Mash-Up Night” earlier in the year (which originated the format of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown), introduced the cast of Made in Chelsea to the concept of good, honest hard graft by having them work at Tesco; there was another special edition of 8 Out of 10 Cats, and a live celebrity version of The Million Pound Drop featuring, among others, stars of the London 2012 Paralympics companion programme The Last Leg.

Much like The Last Leg, and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Su2C felt very ‘2012’ but proved to have terrific staying power. It quickly became a firm fixture in the Channel 4 calendar, with the celebrity Bake Off series being particularly popular and memorable.

This year we get another celebs-out-of-their-comfort-zones treat, as a team of famous faces train up in an effort to master the highwire.

Host and team leader Paddy McGuinness is joined by soap star Beverley Callard, former footballer Anton Ferdinand, erstwhile Pussycat Doll member Kimberly Wyatt, Love Island star Chris Hughes, French former footballer and I’m a Celeb star David Ginola, adventurer/presenter Charley Boorman, TikTok star GK Barry, comedian Fats Timbo and Olympic champion cyclist-turned-jockey Victoria Pendleton.

The group start their training for this most daredevil and unconventional of pursuits by heading out to the Austrian Alps, where they are tutored by the world’s foremost experts in high-wire walking. The ultimate aim is to achieve something which has never been accomplished before, even by the experts: a huge-scale relay walk on a wire looming high above the ground. And Paddy isn’t just hosting – he will be leading the relay walk himself.

Looking ahead to the daunting feat, Paddy says: “I’ve done all kinds of shows, but this is definitely the most nerve racking! I’m so excited to be hosting Don’t Look Down, which is undoubtedly going to be the challenge of a lifetime for everyone involved. I can’t wait to get cracking and see whether I can lead the team to find the nerve to take on this ridiculously high and very difficult walk. They’re not going to be in for an easy ride, but it’s all for such a brilliant cause and I hope we raise loads of money for Stand Up to Cancer. I’m now off to practice on the washing line…”.