George Clarke's much-talked-about all-walrus rowing team, the Sudbury Fab 4, hit the waters - and the public hasn’t stopped talking about it since.
The wild stunt, which began as a fun challenge from Virgin Media, saw the daredevil presenter scrambling to form a team of walruses for the 21.6-mile race.
The challenge was a direct nod to “Walrus Whizzer”, the campaign Virgin Media launched (which tells the unexpected story of a maverick walrus discovering how smooth life can be with a helping hand) to celebrate the fact that they’ve been awarded Best Broadband Experience*.
Decked out in incredibly realistic walrus costumes, George’s Virgin Media team, along with around 300 other boat crews from around the world, battled their way across the Thames.
The day wasn't without a few obstacles, with one rower almost losing a "tusk" halfway through the race but the recovery was smooth and the team managed to get their heads back in the game.
And the walruses had a massive amount of support, with a tidal wave of walrus fans in Virgin Media bibs cheering them on from the riverbanks as they managed to triumphantly cross the finish line.
Grinning from ear to ear after the race, George said:
"Look, I was this close to getting actual walruses."
"But after realising I couldn’t teach them to hold a paddle, I had to adapt. So, I did what any sane person would do - I got a bunch of expert rowers in walrus suits and a crowd of walrus fans to make it a day to remember!"
Not too long ago, George asked for anyone with knowledge of rivers, rowing, or walruses leading him to connect with an eccentric mix of experts: a veteran rowing team from Sudbury, a professional costume designer, and a passionate community of walrus enthusiasts who created an entire herd of walrus supporters.
Many doubted they could pull off this crazy stunt, but the team completed the race in 3 hours and 15 mins - faster than their time competing last year! So being dressed as a walrus definitely helped their performance!
And the Sudbury Fab 4 certainly took home the unofficial prize for the most unique and unforgettable crew in the race. Well - nobody else was dressed as walruses!
The team took a hard challenge and managed to turn it into something that entertained people along the way. But George may not be done just yet.
"This was just the beginning," he teased. "Next year, I’m thinking flamingos…”
*Best Broadband Experience Award: GWS network award based on national tests Dec 2023 to May 2024 comparing major UK providers’ average scores in respect of speed, reliability, latency, packet loss and video streaming. To verify, see virginmedia.com/legal/awards. User speed depends on broadband package choice.
Featured Image Credit: LADbible
The LADbible Team