Walliams sets off on Channel swim

'Little Britain' / BBC

David Walliams embarked on his cross-Channel swim today, leaving Dover at 5.31am.

The Little Britain star left from Shakespeare Beach after the conditions were given the all-clear. The swim is 21 miles long, and Walliams is expected to take up to 16 hours to complete the challenge.

Walliams commented, before leaving: “I’ve been training for months now and to be honest I just want to get in there now and give it my best shot.”

The comedian hopes to raise £500,000 from the event, with all the money going to Sport Relief.