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Christine completes channel challenge

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Christine Bleakley celebrates after completeing her challenge to water ski across The Channel for Sport Relief with fellow One Show presenter Adrian Chiles
Northern Irish TV host Christine Bleakley has completed her challenge to water-ski across the English Channel.

The One Show presenter finished her feat in a time of around one hour and 40 minutes - with a few bumps, bruises and splashes as she fell in the sea en route.

Her arrival on the French side was announced on Twitter from the support team, who said: "She has made it."

The journey, in which she battled against choppy waters and dodged tankers in the world's busiest shipping lane, raised thousands of pounds for Sport Relief.

TV favourite Bleakley, who was supported by co-host Adrian Chiles, encouraging her by loudhailer from the support boat, had to brave miserable temperatures of just 5C, with a wind chill below freezing.

Bleakley was moved to undertake the challenge following a trip to Uganda with Sport Relief in 2008, where she met young people struggling with tough lives.

As she set off from the beach at Dover on Friday morning, she declared: "I've talked about it, I've trained for it. Now I've got to do it."

She fell several times at the start of the crossing and at one point had to wait for a huge tanker to cross her path.

The Newry-born presenter, who managed to raise a smile during the challenge, was put through months of gruelling training by Professor Greg Whyte but struggled to stay upright in the choppy waters.

The arm-aching journey saw her hanging on to the rope while she was dragged at around 20mph.

Just nine miles after setting off, the team were able to see France.

Bleakley said after her arrival that the effort of hauling herself out of the water was "exhausting".

She said: "I can't believe I've actually done it.

"It took me 100 minutes to waterski the Channel and I only fell in eight times.

"It was really tough though the water was freezing and having to get up after every fall was exhausting.

"Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me along the way, it really kept me going out there.

"The work Sport Relief does helps changes lives both in the UK and the world's poorest countries and I've seen firsthand the difference it can make," she added.

© Press Association

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