Jamie Laing reveals how 12-year-old’s voice note rescued him during ultra marathon hell

The former MIC star admitted he barely trained for the 150-mile run

Speaking exclusively to JOE, the former Made in Chelsea star recalled hitting a wall with three days to go - saying the pain was unimaginable and the motivation behind why he was doing it had all but disappeared.

But that all changed with a voice note that turned things around.

"I spoke to this girl on the radio, she left me a voice note," Jamie says. "She said, 'I just donated my pocket money, and if you can get through this run, I can get through my chemo.' Hearing that just put everything into perspective."

The gruelling challenge saw Jamie run over multiple marathons across five days in aid of Red Nose Day. Yet his preparation was far from textbook. "Before the race, I had done absolutely nothing," he admits. "A 5K here, a 7K there, and one horrible 25K. I went into it totally naive - and honestly, that was my best weapon."

The naivety might have helped in the early stages, but by midweek, things went sideways.

"On Wednesday, I kind of lost the motivation. The pain was so bad and I had three more days to go," Jamie explains. “But that voice note brought me back to my ‘why’. That’s when everything shifted.”

That mindset is something Jamie’s leaned on beyond just endurance running. It’s the same energy he’s applied to Candy Kittens, the confectionery brand he co-founded 13 years ago. Like an ultramarathon, it’s been a slog: blurry packaging, dodgy recipes, plenty of setbacks.

“Running a business is really hard,” he says. “You get knocked down constantly, but you just have to keep going. If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Laing has leaned on that resilience in his latest surprising pivot: the release of “Morning People”, a motivational spoken word track recorded in partnership with Samsung Health. Part wellness rallying cry, part high-energy self-help session, it’s designed to get people out of bed and into the day, with help from Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Ring.

In his words: “If you can beat the morning, you can win the day. That’s why I love what Samsung Health is doing - helping people understand the body and the mind, and how tech can empower you to live your best day.”

Recording the track meant stepping into the booth for the first time - an experience Jamie describes as “hilarious,” but also deeply fun. “I felt like a pop star,” he laughs. “I’m not good at singing or rapping, but it was just such a fun way to do something positive.”

Tech, he says, plays a big part in how he stays on track day-to-day. “Self-motivation can be hard, but tech can really help. My Samsung watch tracks everything - sleep, calories, fitness - and seeing that data keeps me motivated. It’s like getting a mark on a test. You know where you stand, and that drives you.”

It helps, of course, to have people in your corner too. Daily affirmations, exercise, and a strong support system - led by wife Sophie - are all part of the toolkit.

“She gives me sh*t,” Jamie grins. “But she’s the best. Hugging her at the finish line - that moment was everything.”

From reality TV to running brands, to literal ultramarathons and now motivational tracks, Jamie Laing’s approach to life is pretty simple: keep going. Even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one voice note to remind you why you started.

Jamie's track 'Morning People' made in collaboration with Samsung Health is available on Spotify as the campaign calls on the nation to seize the day and achieve their wellness goals with the help of AI-powered wearable tech including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Series & Galaxy Ring.