ITV to switch off its seven channels for an hour for Olympics event

Long jumper Greg Rutherford is among those taking part

ITV is switching off all seven of its channels for an hour to encourage people to get off their sofas and take part in sport following Team GB's Olympics success.

ITV will stop broadcasting from 09:30 on 27 August as part of the I Am Team GB campaign.

The move, organised with the National Lottery, will also see thousands of sports clubs open to let people try new sports for free.

Olympic medallists, including long jumper Greg Rutherford, will take part.

The Bank Holiday weekend event is part of the celebrations to welcome home Team GB from the Rio Olympics.

The Coronation Street and Emmerdale sets will be hosting events, along with the Copper Box Arena in London, Glasgow National Hockey Centre and Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.

Rutherford, who won a bronze medal in Rio, urged people to get involved, adding: "You don't have to be an Olympian to be part of Team GB."

ITV would usually show Murder, She Wrote at the time of the blackout, with the Coronation Street omnibus on ITV2.

A statement from I Am Team GB described the day as "a homecoming for our lottery-funded Olympic athletes when they return from Rio, inspiring everyone, no matter what their level of fitness, to come together with Olympic heroes and famous faces from ITV in the biggest ever UK-wide sports day".