Category: Sport;
TV
Ent
Date: 09.09.2004
Printable version
Olympic boxing sensation
Amir Khan and Olympic gold-medallist Denise Lewis have
confirmed they will take part in Superstars, the sports entertainment
show to be shown on Â鶹Éç ONE.
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At just 17 years old, Amir is the youngest competitor
in the programme, which will again be presented by Johnny Vaughan
and Suzi Perry and will be filmed in September at the La Manga
resort in Spain.
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For the first time, the programme will feature a Masters
heat which includes footballing legends Bryan Robson and John
Barnes alongside Jonathan Davies, Ellery Hanley and
Martin Offiah from rugby, boxer Barry McGuigan, athlete
John Regis, and rower Tim Foster.
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The men's line-up includes Olympic gold medallists Bradley
Wiggins and Chris Hoy from cycling, Marlon Devonish
from the 4x100m relay, and Ed Coode and Steve Williams
from rowing's coxless four.
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Other medallists include Nathan Robertson from
badminton; diver Leon Taylor and swimmer Stephen Parry.
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Last year's winner, Du'aine Ladejo, is back to
defend his title, along with athletes Jamie Baulch and Iwan
Thomas and skier Alain Baxter who also took part last year.
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Denise Lewis will compete against last yearÂ’s joint
winners, swimmer Zoe Baker and world champion snowboarder Lesley
McKenna.
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Olympic medallists Gail Emms from badminton,
Katherine Granger from rowing, modern pentathlete Georgina
Harland and Helen Reeves from kayak also appear, alongside
Irish athlete Sonia O'Sullivan who also competed in Athens.
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Denise Lewis said: "I can't wait to be part of
Superstars – any sporty child of the Eighties would have grown
up with the show and wondered how they would fare, and now I have that
opportunity, I'm really excited and nervous at the same time.
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"Hopefully, I'll be able to inspire budding stars
for the future, just as I was inspired as a child!"
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Amir Khan said: "I'm really looking forward to
taking part in Superstars.
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"I want to do better than the boxers who appeared
last time, and I'm confident that I can do well – I'd really like
to make it through to the final.
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"I'm also delighted that so many of my Olympic
team mates will be there – it'll be great to catch up with them."
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John Barnes said: "I always wanted to do Superstars
but I was hoping to get a call when I was still an athlete and was fit!
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"I could've done extremely well, but it now gives
us all an opportunity to do other sports. We all feel we can, and now
we have to put our money where our mouth is!"
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Cathy Jones, Producer for TWI who are making Superstars
for the Â鶹Éç, said: "We've been working flat out to persuade the
best of Britain's Olympic talent appear in the show.
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"Competition for them post-Olympics has been immense.
We're delighted that they're committed to Superstars and we're very
excited that viewers at home will see them in action in a very different
environment.
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"One development from last
year is that we've created a Masters heat featuring some of the all-time
greats of British sport.
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"By containing them in one stand-alone show, competition
will be even greater in the other men's heats. Everyone is competing
against athletes of a similar age and sporting stature."
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Competitors take part in six out of eight events –
the Â鶹Éç makes them pull out of one event that is their sport or similar
to it and they choose another one to drop.
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Events for the heats are kayak, sprint, shot put, swim,
football, cross country, gym tests and mountain bike.
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For the final, shot put, football and cross country
are replaced by tennis, golf and basketball.
Notes to Editors
TWI is the television arm of the IMG, the world's premier sports marketing
agency. It is the world's largest independent producer, packager and
distributor of sports programming, distributing nearly 9,000 hours of
live events and original programming each year, across 200 countries.
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TWI's non sports-programming includes I'd Do Anything,
for the Â鶹Éç, and the Colour of War documentary series.
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