Make Joe Wicks Jamie Oliver of PE
LOCKDOWN workout king Joe Wicks is being lined up to become the Jamie Oliver of kids’ fitness.
It is hoped he could lead the fight to tackle the obesity crisis threatening Britain’s children.
Body Coach Joe, who has 3.7million followers on Instagram, has become a household name during lockdown, thanks to his daily high-intensity workouts streamed on Youtube.
And now a source says that Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, hopes Joe will inspire the next generation to get fit.
Officials want the 33-year-old to lead a review of the physical education curriculum and follow in the footsteps of Naked Chef Jamie, who famously campaigned to ditch unhealthy school meals.
As the NHS spends £5.1billion a year treating illnesses fuelled by obesity, Government chiefs think Joe could be the perfect person to persuade schoolchildren that sport can be really fun.
A source said: “Having seen firsthand the impact Joe has had and his online reach and influence – especially to the younger generation – they feel bagging Joe to help them on their mission to combat obesity could be very successful at reaching the Government’s targets over the next two to five years.
“Joe’s positive impact has put him on the radar of thousands of teachers and senior figures within education.
“Gavin Williamson has been leading the dialogue around how Joe is able to carry the message of the importance of physical education.”
Britain has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe, with a fifth of children aged 10 and 11 considered to be overweight.
Health provider Bupa recommends that children over five should do at least an hour of exercise a day, while under-fives should be active for at least 180 minutes.