800K GET ON THE HOME STRETCH WITH WICKS
FITNESS guru Joe Wicks was ‘blown away’ after more than 800,000 households took part in his live online workout yesterday.
Wicks, 33, launched PE With Joe – a 30-minute workout class for children – in the wake of school closures. ‘That’s it, we’ve completed day one of PE with Joe,’ he said after the 9am session on YouTube, which he will run on weekdays for the foreseeable future.
‘I’ve been blown away. I cannot believe the numbers. There were 806,000 households on individual TVs or laptops streaming,’ he added. ‘You can only imagine the millions of people who took part in that.
‘This is so important, I’m a man on a mission.’
Wicks also gained 30,000 new subscribers, while his video received 1.7million playbacks, meaning it had been watched for a total time of 51 years.
Soccer star Wayne Rooney’s family were among those who took part. His wife Coleen shared a video of their sons Kit, Kai, Klay and Cass following the workout on their huge TV.
Singer Stacey Solomon’s sons Leighton and Zachary also took part with her partner, Dancing On Ice champ Joe Swash.
Announcing his plans on Instagram, Wicks added: ‘Parents are going to be under pressure next week and for 30 minutes a day, I can take over and inspire and energise the kids to get active and have fun.’
Wicks – who has a 20-monthold daughter, Indie, and threemonth-old son, Marley, with wife Rosie Jones – has also recorded easy ten-minute workout videos for the elderly.
Known as the Body Coach, he found fame with his Lean In 15 cookbooks and 90-day plan of recipes and workouts to get fit.
Several other fitness coaches have also turned to YouTube to help keep people fit during the coronavirus crisis.
They include former GMTV regular Mr Motivator, who hosted a live workout on Monday on the Truck Festival’s Facebook page. Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse has also been streaming dance classes for children, beginners, intermediates and advanced dancers, so everyone can have a ‘good old boogie’.