ITV announces supersized Soccer Aid with new Lee Mack show and celebrity specials

ITV has announced a supersized Soccer Aid for 2021 including a brand new show with Lee Mack.

The 10th anniversary match of Soccer Aid for UNICEF will broadcast live and exclusive on ITV and STV, and the ITV Hub, on 4 September 2021.

Players this year include Usain Bolt, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Sir Mo Farah, Ore Oduba, Joel Dommett, Liv Cooke, Roman Kemp and Chunkz. Longstanding host and UNICEF UK Ambassador Dermot O’Leary returns and will be joined by new touchline reporter Alex Scott and pundit Maya Jama.

The line-up is further strengthened by whole host of football stars including Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Kelly Smith, Roberto Carlos, Patrice Evra, David James, Emile Heskey and Jamie Redknapp.

Harry Redknapp returns as Manager of the Soccer Aid World XI FC, while Micah Richards and David Seaman join the England coaching team with the Sven-Goran Eriksson as England Manager.

Alongside the main match, ITV has announced a week of special programming.

It will include one-off special Lee Mack’s Road to Soccer Aid (1 September at 9PM) which will follow the comic as he attempts to get match fit, improve his technique and banish his footballing demons in the hope that he will score at Manchester City’s Eithad Stadium.

After three penalty misses in three consecutive Soccer Aid matches, Lee has his work cut out and has decided to pull up his socks and pull out all the stops to make Soccer Aid 2021 his year. Along the way Lee meets some famous friends, experts and sporting legends to help him achieve his dream.

The show will also explore how children around the world have benefited from the generosity of the Soccer Aid audience as Lee finds out more about the lives that have been changed by the extraordinary work of UNICEF.

The new show joins the previously announced On Yer Bike for Soccer Aid (29 August at 6:30PM), hosted by presenter and cricketing icon Freddie Flintoff.

He will be joined on screen by cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins as the eight celebrities take to the saddle for this epic cycling challenge. Split into two teams of four, England versus the World, they will go head to head over three epic cycling legs, all set in the gorgeous and dramatic backdrop of rural Yorkshire

Alongside the new shows, ITV has announced special celebrity versions of The Cube, Tenable, Tipping Point, The Chase and Catchphrase, all in aid of raising life-saving funds for Soccer Aid for UNICEF.

As well as all that ITV’s This Morning, Loose Women, Martin and Roman Weekend Best and James Martin’s Saturday Morning will all be supporting this years campaign with special programming and guests to raise awareness for the fantastic cause.