TV presenter Dan Walker will be part of a star-studded line-up of celebrities that will head to the sunshine island of Mauritius at the end of next month to take part in an international golf event for charity.
BBC Breakfast host Walker, one of the stars of the 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing, will be one of eight leading personalities from the worlds of sport, entertainment and media who will travel to Mauritius to compete for a prize fund of £100,000 for their chosen charities, with the winner receiving £25,000.
Joining the broadcaster in the field for the Celebrity Series Grand Final at the MCB Tour Championship – part of The Legends Tour– will be former England footballers Teddy Sheringham and Robbie Fowler, Scottish sporting legends Gordon Strachan and Gavin Hastings, ex-Boyzone singer Keith Duffy, former Irish Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin and television sports presenter Georgie Bingham, who is the current host for the Legends Tour and notably known for her time with ESPN and Sky.
Ex-Liverpool striker Fowler, who qualified for the final after winning the Celebrity Series event at Formby Golf Club last year, said: “I can’t wait for the Celebrity Series Grand Final in Mauritius; it is going to be a brilliant event.
“I have great memories of playing at Formby last year with the Legends Tour and I am looking forward to competing in the Indian Ocean this time round – and most importantly it is for a great cause with all prize fund winnings going to charity!”
Duffy said: “I am delighted to be playing in such a prestigious event, especially with it being in Mauritius. My ‘Old School Tour’ with Boyzlife starts in September so it was perfect timing for me to play alongside other celebrities and watch the legends in action.”
The inaugural Celebrity Series Grand Final will take place on March 29 at Constance Belle Mare Plage, teeing off an exhilarating week of golf, followed by the MCB & Constance Pro-Am from March 30-31 and the MCB Tour Championship, which will be staged from April 1-3.
Ex-Scotland and British Lions captain Hastings, who booked his place in the line-up after winning the Scottish Senior Open Celebrity Series at Royal Aberdeen last September said: “I managed to play on the Constance Belle Mare Plage course in December. It is simply stunning and it has made me even more excited to compete in the grand final.
“Winning the Scottish Senior Open Celebrity Series last year earned me a spot to play in Mauritius and here’s hoping I can play as well again.”
Phil Harrison, chief executive officer of the Legends Tour, said: “The field of celebrities is terrific, and having people from media, business and sport get involved with the chance to win huge prizes for their chosen charities is amazing to see. The Celebrity Series has been an overwhelming success, not only for our celebrities but for our members too, giving them a once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing alongside a vast range of well-known personalities that are involved with the Legends Tour.
“MCB, Constance and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority have done an amazing job in ensuring that it will be an unforgettable event in the Indian Ocean, and I can speak on behalf of the Legends Tour in saying that we cannot wait to arrive at The Legends Course at Constance Belle Mare Plage. It is the perfect way to end the official 2021 season.”
The eight celebrities will be playing for the following chosen charities in Mauritius:
Dan Walker – The Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Georgie Bingham – The Golf Foundation (and) Cancer Research
Keith Duffy – ASIAM.ie
Robbie Fowler – Zoe’s Place
Jim Gavin – deterMND Tackling Motor Neurone Disease
Gavin Hastings – Cure Parkinsons
Teddy Sheringham – Macmillan Cancer
Gordon Strachan – Muirhouse LIFT Community Centre