Blue Peter's Helen Skelton in Comic Relief tightrope walk
- Published
The presenter walked the 150m high-wire above Battersea Power Station in 11 minutes
Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton has walked a tightrope between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station for charity.
The 27-year-old BBC children's presenter covered the 150m (492ft) stretch on a high-wire above the south London building in just 11 minutes.
The Red Nose Day challenge, delayed by 40 minutes because of high winds, took her to heights of 66m (216ft).
A safety device worn in case of falls was not put to the test, as she made no slip-ups on the 18mm thick wire.
Ms Skelton completed the task at a steady speed despite her eight-metre long balance pole swaying in front of her.
She had been training in France in recent weeks, which she described as "really intense" and "physically exhausting".
The charity challenge for Comic Relief will be shown on a future episode of Blue Peter.
Ms Skelton was inspired to do the stunt by the documentary Man On Wire, which shows Frenchman Philippe Petit walking on a tightrope between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center in 1974.
She previously went solo kayaking on the Amazon.
- Published20 February 2011