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Mercury reporter gears up for next big stunt

A Sunday Mercury reporter who styles himself Jonny Dangerous is building up his courage for a second spectacular stunt.

Trainee Jonny, whose real surname is Greatrex, has already flown an aerobatic plane in a bid to raise cash for two children’s charities.

This Saturday he will be white-water rafting in Northamptonshire accompanying a reader who won a Mercury competition run in conjunction with Birmingham fashion store Pallasades.

Future planned exploits for Jonny include swimming with sharks and making a skydive.

Sponsorship money raised by the daredevil reporter and readers goes to two charities – the Society of Parents of Children with Cancer and the Mercury’s Give a Child Health Fund.

Said Jonny: “One of the reasons I went into journalism was because I wanted a job with a bit of variation and excitement.

“I agreed to do the Jonny Dangerous stuff over a lunch pint with the deputy editor.

“One of the senior reporters, Adam Aspinall, had been down for it, but he raised the idea of ‘Jonny Dangerous’. If you ask me he was trying to get out of it.

“There are four stunts in the series. A top gun challenge in an aerobatic plane, swimming with sharks, white water rafting and a skydive.

“They are part of a competition run by the Mercury and the Pallasades Shopping Centre. Readers win the chance to do a daredevil stunt, all they had to do was raise £250 for charity.

“For the first three I am going along as a reporter to do the activity and write a colour piece on the day and the competition winners.

“For some reason the sky dive was the only one there was not room for a reporter but the person who won it decided they did not want to jump out of plane from a great height so it was offered to me.

“I have never done anything as remotely scary as this so it I am excited but also midly terrified.

“As a trainee you think you might have to wait before you get the chance to do fun stuff but on the Mercury I got chucked straight in.

“I have had to do videos for all the activities which is great fun but I still cringe when I hear my voiceovers. My news editor and my mum both think I sound like Alan Whicker.

“The paper are also sending me to Spain for a two day watersports trip where I will do jet skiing, scuba diving and sailing.

“Shame I have not got a splash yet otherwise I could not have asked for a better start to my career.”

If you would like to sponsor Jonny, visit www.justgiving.com/jonnygreatrex