Strictly Come Dancing star Steve Backshall said training for the Devizes to Westminster canoe race has been a completely different experience to the endurance he had to go through for the massively popular Saturday night TV series.

Speaking as he set off with teammate George Barnicoat from Devizes Wharf this morning, he said: "Training for this has been very different. Strictly was all about bouncing up and down to the music whereas the DW race requires a lot of upper body strength."

This is the second time Mr Backshall has taken part and said he is hoping to beat his previous time of 24 hours.

"The weather has come on a lot since the start of the week, wind is terrible for a canoeist but today conditions seem a lot better." he said.

Mr Backshall has been training with teammate George Barnicoat since filming for Strictly ended.

"When I stopped dancing we started paddling," he said.

The adventurer has known his teammate for about six years through Longridge Canoe Club on the Thames and two plan to bird watch throughout the race to pass the time.

He said:" It is a game we play, shouting out the birds we spot. The rarer the bird the more points you get."

The pair are taking part in the race to raise money to buy a piece of the Columbian rainforest and through match funding have raised almost £44k so far.

"It would be really great to get to £50k which would allow us to buy a piece of rainforest approximately the size of Monaco.

"Raising money for this will allow us to look back and say we did that, no one can cut this down now."

His fundraising page is at www.justgiving.com/steve-backshall/