An incongruous cast of celebrities – from the host of Million Pound Drop to an outdoor adventurer – have been signed up by the British Olympic Association to whip up public enthusiasm for Team GB before London 2012.
Davina McCall, Bear Grylls and the singer Katherine Jenkins are the first three ambassadors unveiled by the BOA to help ensure mass popular support for the 550-strong British Olympic team and maximise home advantage.
The trio, who will be joined by other celebrities as the Games draw closer, have each been asked to nominate sports for which they will act as cheerleaders. Grylls will film with the tennis player Andy Murray next week and has also chosen to work with the table tennis squad.
"This sort of thing is special and the difference between winning and second place is . Our job is to galvanise the country's support to give them that little bit extra that will make a difference," Grylls said.
"I've never met an athlete who doesn't love encouragement. To feel 60 million people behind you is definitely going to make a difference."
McCall, who co-hosted a fundraising dinner attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for sponsors and members of the public at the Royal Albert Hall last month, said she hoped her involvement would help guard against flag-waving fatigue.
"We've got so much going on in this country this year. It's all about trying to focus the nation's energy. We've almost got too much going on," she said.
"The Olympics just don't happen in this country very often. The last time was 1948. It's definitely the last time in my lifetime and this is a very special thing. My main thought behind getting involved is that children watching might be inspired to become sportsmen and women themselves."
Asked what she planned to do to help the team, she said: "I'm going to be waving my scarf frantically, going to as many events as they'll let me and tweeting obsessively."
Research suggests that home advantage has a significant impact on medal hopes: a report from Sheffield Hallam University suggested it would equate to 15 more medals. But performance experts admit that it is the biggest imponderable facing British athletes, with some expected to wilt under the spotlight and others to thrive.
There is also a fiscal motive behind the BOA's rabble-rousing. It will spend £13m sending the biggest ever British team of athletes, 450 staff and 300 volunteers to the Games, and wants to maximise public fundraising in order to avoid dipping into its reserves.
It hopes to sell at least 1m "supporters' scarves" that are being retailed through Next and is guaranteed at least £2m from a deal with BP to sell a collection of medals of British Olympic champions on garage forecourts.
