Star to send runners on their way (From Oxford Mail)

Star to send runners on their way

10:08pm Saturday 3rd March 2007 in News By Phil Vinter

I'm a Celebrity star and former Neighbours hearthrob Jason Donovan said it was an "honour" to be asked to start this year's OX5 Run.

The Aussie actor/singer turned jungle survivor will be firing the starting pistol at this month's run and is also considering taking part.

He said: "It's an honour to be asked to start the race. The OX5 is a fantastic event and I'm delighted to do whatever I can for such a good cause."

And the 38-year-old feels he has the right credentials to send hundreds of runners on their way around the five-mile Blenheim Palace course after his gruelling spell in the jungle for the reality show last year.

The million- single selling pop singer, who lives in Oxfordshire, has already agreed to give a chunk of the money raised from text votes in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to the Oxford Children's Hospital.

"We felt that the children's hospital was the right place for the money to go," he said.

"The NSPCC and big organisations tend to get the main drag of people's money so I thought it would be nice to keep it local."

The star and his partner Angela Malloch, who have two children - Zac, five, and Jemma, six, - said having kids had brought the importance of having a children's hospital closer to home.

He said: "My partner is from Oxfordshire and it's definitely fair to say that having children brings it closer to our hearts. The John Radcliffe has a big catchment area and in the time I have spent in this country I have heard it's name come up many times."

The man who ate bugs in jungle is also considering donning a pair of trainers himself to take part in the run on Sunday, March 25.

He said: "It is certainly a nice course. I try to keep pretty fit and there is definitely a part of me that thinks five miles would be quite a good thing to do at this point in my life.

"If I decide to do the run that would be fun. I really don't think five miles is unreachable.

"I suffered a knee injury a while back which stopped me running for a bit but I have completely recovered from that and my jungle experience now.

"The smell keeps wafting back into my life. I have no regrets about doing it, but those things are better left now."

The singer, who reached number one in the UK charts with the song Too Many Broken Hearts and the duet with Kylie Minogue Especially For You - will be performing at the New Theatre in May as part of his All the Hits and More tour.

He added: "It's an opportunity to go out there and play entirely my own songs. The old hits sprinkled with a bit of the new stuff.

"The idea of the tour is to build up the fanbase again and then if it goes well, hopefully I can release some new songs in the summer time.

"It's exciting to be part of your own production as opposed to working in musicals where you tend to be working for other people."