Additional reporting by KMTV’s Abby Hook

Internet sensation and fitness coach Joe Wicks led pupils at a Kent primary on a whole school workout this morning.

The YouTuber, also known as The Body Coach, attended Charlton Church of England Primary School in Dover at 9am to perform exercises with the children.

Wicks, who was awarded an MBE in 2020 after holding virtual PE lessons during lockdown, also carried out a Q&A session.

Excited pupils asked Wicks how he stays motivated, to which he replied: “Every day I feel like I don't want to exercise, but I get up and I get going.

“If you have a cold shower it gives you more energy, and exercising gives you more energy for the rest of the day too.”

His top tips for kids are to get plenty of sleep, so that they are ready for school in the morning, and to get active.

He added: “Move more, get up and be active.

“Start cooking with your mum and dad.

“Ask your parents to get involved in cooking, and if you can help make them dinner.

“Make sure you're doing those three things and combined, you'll have a much healthier and happier life.

“Being physical and keeping up your fitness is really good for your mind and it makes you feel happier on gloomy days.”

The influencer stayed at The Pig at Bridge Place near Canterbury last night ahead of his visit to Dover.

This morning, he did a 15-minute session at his accommodation, thought to be one of the hotel’s Hot Pickers’ Huts.

He praised the room as “beautiful”, and also raved about his breakfast of eggs Benedict.

Headteacher Sally-Anne Pettersen applied to The Body Coach Schools Tour after it was announced on April 4.

She said ahead of Joe’s arrival: “We are very excited.

“As a school, we are passionate about the health and future of our children and of the community.

“The children have been preparing questions to ask Joe and doing a few workouts to warm up.

“We have also had a focus on healthy eating.

“We already have an enriched sports curriculum, with a variety of competitions and events available to all and we run inclusive sports clubs for children of all abilities and needs.

“We sit in an area of high deprivation with 43% of our pupils on free school meals and 25% of our children speaking English as an additional language.

“We have 20% of our children with an identified special educational need. Studies show that these groups of children find it harder to access sport and physical activity on a regular basis, outside of school.”

She added that one of the reasons they really wanted Joe to come was the closure and relocation of Dover Leisure Centre to Whitfield, making access harder for some children.

The visit to Dover is part of Wicks’s second tour of UK schools.

Announcing the scheme on his Facebook page, he said: “I’m continuing on my mission to get more kids moving and learning about the incredible benefits of movement and exercise, and I’m taking my Schools Tour back on the road.

“I’m going to visit as many schools as I can over five days between May 15th and 21st, and my goal is to meet and exercise with over 10,000 kids.

“I can’t wait to meet some of you.”

It’s not the first time the fitness fanatic has visited Kent.

In 2022, he was spotted at Bluewater for a signing of his book Feel Good Food.

Joe Wicks first rose to fame in about 2014 for his fitness and nutrition-related content on social media.

His videos, spread across various platforms, include workouts and advice on healthy eating.

He has 4.7 million followers on Instagram, and 2.81 million subscribers on YouTube - as well as several cooking and exercise books to his name.

In March 2020, he launched his first PE with Joe video, aimed at helping kids stay active through the pandemic.

The series ran for one year and was watched by more than one million users worldwide.