If you’re very lucky, you may be blissfully unaware of ITV1’s Celebrity Fit Club, the Friday night show in which eight ‘larger’ celebrities are put through a strict fitness regime. Obviously when ITV1 say ‘celebrities’ what they mean are people who are so well-known that they have to have the programmes they’ve appeared in put in front of their names – step forward former weatherman Ian McCaskill, Ground Force‘s Tommy Walsh, Emmerdale’s Kay Purcell, Family Affairs’ Nicola Duffett, Pop Idol’s Rik Waller, former This Morning presenter Coleen Nolan, Jono Coleman (whoever he is) and, remarkably, Tory MP Ann Widdecombe.

Even more remarkably, it was Widdecombe who suggested cycling as one of the fitness challenges for the series. Although whether she had mountain biking at Aston Hill in mind when she suggested it is debatable.

Mountain biking? Aston Hill? Oh yes indeedy, for that is where the Fit Club posse found themselves, sat astride Ridgeback bikes and with Giro helmets plonked upon their semi-famous bonces. Firecrest Mountain Biking supremo Ian Warby led the Fitsters around a short loop, taking them through essential skills. And it sounds like they needed all the help they can get.

The show goes out on Friday 1 November…