St Mary’s Academic Coaches Celebrities for new BBC Show

An Academic from St Mary’s University, Twickenham is to feature in a new fast paced BBC television series, Tumble, which is a collaboration between the BBC, British Gymnastics and the National Centre of Circus Arts. The first episode of the Saturday night show will air on BBC One this Saturday 9^th August at 6.30pm and involves 10 celebrities who are put through their paces by professional coaches who will work together to create a new gymnastics routine each week. St Mary’s Sport Coaching lecturer Katie Richards, who is also a Level 4 Artistic and Aerobic Gymnastics Coach, was selected earlier this year to coach Lucy Mecklenburgh from ITV’s The Only Way is Essex. She said, “These celebrities have been put through their paces with high intensity training programmes over the last eight weeks. Team Lucy, or ‘Team Pink’, as we like to call ourselves has been through blood, sweat and tears for this week’s opening performance. “It was such an exciting moment when I found out that I had been selected as a Team Coach and if audiences have ever wondered what it might be like to start gymnastics later in life, then this show is not to be missed!” Other celebrities selected for the programme include world boxing champion Carl Froch and former Sugababe popstar Amelle Barrabah. Alex Jones will be presenting the show, accompanied by a panel of judges who will be scoring the performances on the nigh