If he was loved before, the fitness star and all-around nice guy is an icon now.
Joe Wicks was everyone's regular morning buddy during lockdown, providing a free daily workout on YouTube to help families stay active while they were stuck inside. And while he consistently had over a million live viewers, he donated all profits to NHS charities, raising over £500,000. Since then, he's been made an MBE and has just completed a 24-hour workout for charity in aid of Children in Need.
Simon Antrobus, BBC Children in Need's Chief Executive, told HELLO!: "We are so very grateful to our very own kindness superhero, Joe Wicks, for his continued support of BBC Children in Need. In his role as the charity's Schools Ambassador, Joe has inspired kindness and generosity amongst the UK's school children and teachers, encouraging them to get active and to raise money to benefit children and young people facing disadvantage.
"This year, Joe is leading our primary school campaign, which aims to unite children in schools across the UK in a week of activities to enhance their own wellbeing and show kindness to themselves and others.
"Not only that, Joe has also challenged himself to take on a 24-hour work out with Radio 2, to help raise money for BBC Children in Need. What an incredible undertaking, which really goes to show Joe's kindness, generosity and determined character. Joe has made an enormous contribution to the charity and we are thankful to him for everything he has done to help change young lives for the better."
"It's the mark of the man that he still found time to think of others. He asked for nothing in return. He became a national treasure because you can't fake that stuff." - Paul McNamee, UK Editor, The Big Issue
Paul McNamee, UK Editor, The Big Issue, also told HELLO!: "We all know now that Joe Wicks has been tireless, literally, in his incredible work to help the children of Britain during spring lockdown. What may not be known is that, despite the incredible demands on his time, he stepped up to help The Big Issue in a moment of terrible need.
"The spring lockdown meant we had to remove Big Issue vendors from the streets. We had no sales and no means of raising money for the most vulnerable people in the country.
"Amongst the business changes we quickly developed was an app. We asked Joe if he'd front the launch and help spread the word. He didn't hesitate. He recorded promo videos, pushed the message far and wide and was present for The Big Issue and our vendors. He didn't have to do this. He had PLENTY on his plate.
"But it's the mark of the man that he still found time to think of others. He asked for nothing in return. He became a national treasure because you can't fake that stuff. People see through it when it's not true. And Joe is a good, decent and kind man. We at The Big Issue thank him, and we won't forget it."
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