David Walliams' charity swim

07-03-2008 13:00

David Walliams has embarked on a charity swim to Africa.

The 'Little Britain' star has taken to the seas with Olympic rower James Cracknell for the 12-mile haul from Spain to Morocco in aid of the BBC'S Sport Relief.

TV presenter Beverley Turner, James' wife, said: "I'm nervous about the swim because it's a dangerous stretch of water. I will be watching from a support vessel with one eye on shark's fins and tankers."

After completing the swim, which is expected to take five hours, the pair will be picked up by 'Dragon's Den' millionaire Theo Paphitis on his yacht, before flying back to the UK.

Cracknell has already rowed the English Channel from Britain to France and cycled to the swim's starting point in Spain as part of the Sport Relief challenge.

His cycling efforts have reportedly left him with a nasty blister on his buttock, which is expected to cause him more trouble as he enters the salt water.

In 2006 Walliams swam the Channel, completing it in 10 hours and 34 minutes and raising more than £1 million for Sport Relief.