Comedy line-up announced for celebrity football match

Date: Wednesday 15th April 2009 
Contact: Claire Duncan  
Phone: +44 (0)20 8394 8345
Email: Out of hours press phone: +44 (0)7943 809162 

Comedian and Actor Omid Djalili has announced he will be leading an all-star comedy team at Samaritans’ Celebrity Soccer Six tournament, taking place at Chelsea Football Club’s home ground on Sunday 24^th May.

Award-winning stand-up comedians Milton Jones and Russell Howard, Lee Mack, star of BBC One’s sitcom ‘Not Going Out’,  and former professional footballer Maff Brown will be joining Omid to battle it out against celebrities including JLS, The Hoosiers, The View, Babyshambles, Ben Adams, X Factor’s Austin Drage and NDUBZ.

Omid said:

We have got the best football team in the country – unbeaten, with no goals scored against us. Our first game will be on Sunday 24th May at Chelsea FC.”

Samaritans’ Claire Duncan said:

We are thrilled that Omid Djalili and his all-star comedy team will be supporting Samaritans at this year’s Celebrity Soccer Six and they will, undoubtedly, bring a lot of fun to the event. More celebrities taking part in the charity football match will be announced in the coming weeks and funds raised from the tournament will enable Samaritans’ to continue its vital 24 hour emotional support service. "

For your chance to visit Chelsea FC at the historic Stamford Bridge Football Stadium and to see who will triumph as 2009’s Celebrity Soccer Six champion log on to Ticketmaster or call 0870 534 4444.

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Notes to editors

Ticket prices for Celebrity Soccer Six:

Adult: £12

Under 12 years: £10

It is the aim of Samaritans to make emotional health a mainstream issue.  Samaritans' vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide because people are able to share feelings of emotional distress openly without fear of being judged.  Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.

Samaritans is a registered charity, founded in 1953, which offers 24-hour confidential emotional support to anyone in emotional distress.  The service is offered by 16,534 trained volunteers and is entirely dependent on voluntary support.  Across the UK, you can call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (1850 60 90 90 in the Republic of Ireland) email jo@samaritans.org, write to Samaritans at Chris, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing use the single national minicom number 08457 90 91 92. Log on to www.samaritans.org for more information. Calls from BT will be charged at up to 2 pence per minute at all times. A call set-up fee of 7 pence applies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.