Beefy on Piers Morgan's Life Stories

A YEOVIL schoolboy who went on to become a sporting icon for a generation is to be the focus of Piers Morgan’s Life Stories on ITV next month.

Sir Ian Botham, who grew up as a lad in Yeovil before going on to become one of the greatest cricketers in the world, will be the special guest on the programme hosted by Piers Morgan on February 14, 2014.

Beefy, as he is popularly known, is now a regular cricket match commentator on TV and has expert views on the game in which he became a feared all-rounder during his playing days with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket for England from 1977 to 1992.

He went to Milford Junior School and Bucklers Mead Comprehensive School in Yeovil where his love affair with cricket first began and he soon caught the eye of Somerset CCC.

Botham played for Somerset from 1974 to 1986 before spells at Worcestershire and Durham – as well as a season in Australia playing for Queensland Bulls in 1987-88 - until his retirement in 1993. During his first-class cricket career he smashed 19,399 runs, took 1,172 wickets and claimed 354 catches.

He was given a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2007 in recognition of his cricket achievements and his fantastic efforts in raising money for charity - most notably Leukaemia Research.

Beefy has taken part in a number of long distance walks for charity – his first being in 1985 and the 900-mile trek from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

His enthusiasm to support Leukaemia Research came during a visit to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton while receiving treatment for a broken toe. He took a wrong turn and ended up in the children’s ward where he was deeply moved when told that some of the young patients only had weeks to live.

Since then his efforts have helped to raise millions of pounds for charity.

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Sir Ian Botham will be aired on ITV on Friday, February 14, at 9pm.

PHOTOS: Sir Ian Botham - a true sporting legend who has helped to raise millions for charity.

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