A TAVISTOCK man is to lead a bunch of famous faces on a gruelling trek which will form a major part of this year's Red Nose Day charity bonanza.

Jeremy Gane, director of the Charity Challenge company, is project managing the event, which will see a group of Red Nose climbers led by Take That star Gary Barlow attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Joining Gary are Cheryl Cole, Ronan Keating, Denise Van Outen, Chris Moyles, Alesha Dixon, Ben Shepherd, Kimberly Walsh and Ferne Cotton, who are all hoping to raise substantial sums of cash for Comic Relief.

The project will be covered by a full BBC documentary team, Radio One and a multi-media team — 180 personnel in total!

Jeremy left for Tanzania last Saturday — part of an advance expedition before the celebrities arrive this coming weekend.

He said: 'We are doing an advance climb to acclimatise the BBC crew to the altitude, so they don't have problems with all their heavy equipment.

'The celebrities arrive on February 28 and they start the climb on March 1.'

Jeremy said he was asked to organise the event after completing a similar challenge with Janet Street-Porter.

The BT Red Nose Day Climb will take the climbers through every eco-system on the planet — from savannah plains, through rainforest, and across the high altitude desert of Kilimanjaro to the arctic summit.

Jeremy said: 'The temperature can range from minus twenty to plus forty, so there are huge differences, but it's the altitude that's the hardest thing, coping with the thin air. There's no two ways about it, it affects every human being, even the Tanzanians. You feel sick, generally everyone gets headaches and it can develop into water on the brain or on the lungs.'

Jeremy said the celebrities taking part have already been getting fit for their challenging trek.

'They all have personal trainers anyway, but they are taking it seriously, they all seem well grounded and are training hard so I think they've got a pretty good chance of doing it.

'When I first heard who was going I thought "Oh Gosh" but actually they are all very keen.'

The trekking lifestyle may also prove a challenge for the group.

'They will be moving right away from their comfortable lives to deal with a bowl of water at night to wash with and sleeping on the ground in a damp tent — I think it's going to be quite a shock for some of them, but you balance that with the amazing scenery and that hot sun in the morning — it's wonderful. You are also with these incredible people who are so helpful, so friendly — the whole thing will be a roller-coaster of emotions,' said Jeremy, who set up the Charity Challenges company ten years ago.

He and his team have raised more than £18 million for some 900 charities through a variety of trips, from trekking the Great Wall of China to climbing the mountains of Peru.

Jeremy is also a director of Gane and Marshall, that operates high class safaris and beach holidays in East Africa from its base in Tavistock.

The BT Red Nose Day Climb will be covered by a one-hour documentary to be broadcast at 8pm on March 12 — the day before Red Nose Day itself.