Today, Sky 1 HD announces an original, new three part factual series with actor, comedian and satin lover Eddie Izzard. The programme will follow Izzard as he takes on the incredible challenge of running 27 marathons across South Africa in 27 days - each marathon marking one year that Nelson Mandela spent incarcerated in prison.
Whilst completing each marathon Izzard will also be telling Mandela’s story and the turbulent history of South Africa, something that he’s incredibly passionate about and a subject that is close to his heart. This will be an epic journey that traces the life of one of the world’s most celebrated figures. During the expedition he will be visiting the sites linked to Mandela’s personal history - retracing the life of the 93 year old.
Viewers can also expect his natural humour and unique perspective on the country’s most famous South African in this intimate personal journey. Izzard will provide his signature style, with humorous interpretations of this time in history.
Izzard will be running over 700 miles in total and as he travels across the country he will be visiting the places that mattered most to Mandela and meeting the people whose lives he touched. His journey will begin in the Eastern Cape, where the former president was born. From there he will travel to Cape Town, where one of the marathons will take place on Robben Island - where he spent the majority of his 27 year long prison sentence. The last few marathons will be in the Johannesburg area finishing in Pretoria, where he was on trial.
