Celebrities get on their bikes…and get off at Hopwood Hall College

Celebrities taking part in the Tour de ITV (yellow t-shirts) at Hopwood Hall College with the Deaf Rhinos football team (in grey tops), Sports Arena College staff (in blue tops and bibs) with (in black tops) Dewan Choudhury, Football Development Officer (back row left), Tom Conroy, Football Development Officer (back row right) and Paul Driver, Sports Arena Manager (kneeling

Stars of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Good Morning Britain and pop band 911 got into the Tour de France spirit by cycling 60 miles across the Pennines from the Rovers Return to the Woolpack today and their first pit stop was at Hopwood Hall College’s Middleton campus.

To help celebrate the event local football club, the Deaf Rhinos, played a friendly match against College staff during the celebrity visit, and the team were thrilled to meet the stars involved, including:

• Nicola Wheeler - Nicola King in Emmerdale 
• James Hooton- Sam Dingle in Emmerdale 
• Gaynor Faye - Megan Macey in Emmerdale 
• Jamie Shelton - Robbie Lawson in Emmerdale 
• Calson Smith - Craig Tinker in Coronation Street 
• Laura Tobin - Good Morning Britain 
• Darren Jefferies - Played O.B. in Hollyoaks 
• Matt Littler - Played Max Cunningham in Hollyoaks 
• Lee Brennan - from boy band 911 
• Jimmy Constable - from boy band 911 

The celebrities took part in the Tour de ITV charity bike ride in celebration of the Tour De France which starts in Yorkshire on Saturday and to raise funds for two charities - Join In, an Olympic and Paralympic legacy charity which puts more volunteers into sport, and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The ride began at Coronation Street’s Rovers Return pub and the celebrity cyclists stopped at the College at 10 o clock yesterday morning, welcomed by soap fans lining the College driveway and cheering them on.

John Spindler, Deputy Principal at Hopwood Hall College, commented: “We were really proud to welcome all the celebrities and those involved with Tour de ITV to the College this morning, and we even managed to hold off the rain for their visit. 

"We wholeheartedly support the ethos of Join In and the ITV Local Heroes campaign - we actively encourage local communities to participate and volunteer in sports.”