The Cold Feet and The Hobbit star will captain the Irish team in the new-look four nations format of Doddie Aid 2025

Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Nesbitt has been unveiled amongst a star-studded line up of captains for Doddie Aid 2025 – one of the world’s biggest mass participation fundraising events for motor neuron disease research.

The Cold Feet and The Hobbit star, 59, will captain the Irish team in the new-look four nations format alongside Ireland and Exeter Chiefs rugby star Edel McMahon. Nesbitt has become a prominent member of the MND community, supporting major fundraising efforts including Kenny Logan’s Rugby World Cup Challenge in 2023 – which raised more than £850,000 for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

The Portrush-based actor was honoured as a Doddie Champion at the 2024 My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Annual Awards Dinner – the event held by the charity funded by late rugby star and MND campaigner Doddie Weir. Weir died in November 2022 after living with MND for almost six years.

Now in its fifth year, Doddie Aid 2025 – the main fundraiser for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – promises to be the biggest yet. Each home Union – England, Ireland, Wales, and Doddie’s native Scotland – will be led by two celebrity star captains. Ally McCoist and Lorraine Kelly will lead Scotland, Anton Du Beke and Gabby Logan will fly the flag for England, while Sam Warburton and Laura-Jane Jones will lead in Wales. Doddie Aid, founded by former Scotland captain and Weir’s 1997 British & Irish Lions teammate Rob Wainwright in 2021, has so far raised more than £5 million for research into the disease.

Urging the Northern Ireland community to join him on the fundraiser, Jimmy said: “I’ll be pounding the streets of Belfast to get my Doddy Aid miles in helping to raise vital funds for motor neuron disease research. What about you? Go on sign up today.”

The campaign also marks Doddie Aid’s new expanded four-nations format – England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland meaning participants will for the first time compete against each other amongst friends, family, colleagues, communities, sports clubs, and beyond as they rack up miles to raise vital funds for MND research.

Thousands of people across the four nations have already signed up for the 2025 event – one of the biggest mass participation fundraising events in the world. Participants will rack up miles walking, running, swimming, cycling and more on the Doddie Aid app, all raising money to help fund the search for effective treatments and one day a cure for MND.

The 2025 event will also feature a new and improved app to enable participants to log miles in their chosen sport or activity.

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has committed more than £18 million to vital motor neuron disease (MND) research – two years on from the rugby legend’s death from the neurodegenerative disorder.

To sign up to Doddie Aid 2025, download the app or visit here.