Reality TV to pick rowing team

New challenge for Sir Steve

Survival shows, extreme makeovers, marrying a millionaire, facing your fears – reality TV has done them all. But wait. The latest idea to hit British reality television is all to do with eight men in a boat.

Take a group of novice rowers/wannabe TV stars from the inner city, add a competitive element, get Great Britain’s greatest Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave to run the programme, add his wife and give them a short space of time to get ready ? all under the scrutiny of the cameras.

Five-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve has found a new challenge. He will select eight young men, aged 17 ? 25, from Great Britain’s city of Liverpool who have never even touched an oar and get them ready to race against seasoned rowers at next year’s Henley Royal Regatta. He has seven months to do it.

Sir Steve told the Liverpool Echo: “If we get eight to 12 people through to competing at Henley next year, I can’t in my wildest imagination see them winning. But then your mind thinks, what happens if they do??

Provisionally named “Liverpool 8”, Sir Steve is currently putting more than 200 potentials through a number of balance and endurance tests to narrow down to 12 by the new year.

A group of trainers, coaches and nutritionists including Sir Steve’s wife, Dr Lady Ann Redgrave, a former medical advisor to the British Olympic rowing team, will help turn the men into rowers.
Secured for a primetime spot on ITV the show will be screened next autumn. 

This is not the first time that Sir Steve has been followed by the camera. Since retiring from rowing he has regularly done rowing commentating for British television. Sir Steve was also part of a documentary, Gold Fever, that follow his men’s four through the 2000 Olympics.

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