Ryan Reynolds backs Nottinghamshire dad carrying bathtub to Wrexham

John Bell has dressed as Deadpool for his latest charity challenge

A man walking 140 miles dressed as Deadpool while carrying a bathtub has been backed by Marvel star Ryan Reynolds.

John Bell set off from Mansfield Town on Saturday, with the aim of walking to Wales in time for the Stags' away game at Wrexham on Friday.

His son Jake died in 2020, aged 15.

Since then, Mr Bell, of Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, has co-founded charity Walking 4 Hope, and raised money and awareness of mental health issues.

His latest endeavour sees him dressed as Jake's favourite superhero Deadpool - played on screen by Hollywood A-lister and Wrexham co-owner Reynolds.

And after Sunday's leg, which saw him travelling through Derbyshire and Staffordshire, he learned that the movie star had been in touch over X, formerly Twitter, to back his efforts.

Ryan Reynolds has lent his support

He said: "I got back from the challenge the other night and I had got a message from Ryan Reynolds himself.

"Between Ryan and [Wrexham co-owner] Rob McElhenney, they've made a sizeable donation.

"I was shaking messaging back. I thanked them for their kind words, it was absolutely beautiful what Ryan wrote, it means absolutely everything."

As well as his eye-catching costume, Mr Bell is carrying a bathtub as a visual representation of the unseen burden people can carry with them.

On the bath's rim are a number of rubber ducks, each representing a lost loved one of a family now supported by the charity.

Each duck represents a lost loved one

On day one, he carried the bath from Mansfield to Ripley, Derbyshire, before travelling through Derby to Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire on day two.

Further stop-offs this week en route to Wrexham include Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe and Chester.

Walk coordinator Andy Vessey said spirits were lifted by the message and the challenge remained on schedule so far.

He said: "Deadpool was Jake's favourite Marvel character so to get a message from Ryan Reynolds was quite a thing for John.

"We started out at Burton Albion this morning and walked through to St George's Park, and have left for Uttoxeter. Everything is going very, very well so far."