29 Mar 2020
YouTube star Joe Wicks 'in talks' with national channels
BY Tom Walker
Joe Wicks, the personal trainer who has become a global star thanks to his daily exercise sessions for families, is understood to be in talks with at least two major UK TV channels.
Broadcasting 30-minute exercise sessions each morning through his BodyCoach TV YouTube channel, Wicks is getting families – stuck at home due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) lockdown – physically active in a fun and engaging way.
His "P.E with Joe" sessions have reached a worldwide audience – racking up 16.3 million views in the first week.
Wicks was already a popular fitness presence on social media prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, with around 840,000 YouTube subscribers at the end of February 2020.
Following his free, daily sessions, however, the number of followers on his channel has more than doubled to 1.8 million.
It is believed that as a result, both the BBC and Channel 4 have now contacted Wicks with the aim of utilising his popularity in their wellness programming – and possibly starring in a regular, stay-at-home fitness show.
"What a week it’s been and I've been blown away by the support," Wicks said in a post on Twitter.
"It’s been absolutely incredible. I’ve had so much fun and I couldn’t have had this impact without you."
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