Newcastle United, England and Match of the Day stalwart Alan Shearer and the buxom beauty Kelly Brook have teamed up to back the bid for England to host the 2018 World Cup.

With a week to go until FIFA announce who will be the host nation, the odd couple delivered over 1.6 million signatures of support from Morrisons customers to the England 2018 Bid offices at Wembley.

The giant petition was the result of an eight-month campaign by the supermarket, an official partner of the England 2018 bid, encouraging the public to back the bid by signing in-store.

Signed, sealed, delivered: Alan Shearer and Kelly Brook give the England 2018 World Cup bid a boost by handing over 1,6m signatures collected in Morrisons stores across the country in support of the bid

Bid ambassador Alan Shearer will be in Zurich to take part in the England 2018 bid team’s final presentation to the FIFA executive committee. He said:

“It is really important for the bid to demonstrate to FIFA that the World Cup is something that people in England really want and this is a great way of doing just that.

“It’s now down to that all important vote in Zurich next week but there’s no doubt in my mind that Morrisons and its customers have more than played their part in showing just what a World Cup in England would mean to us all”.

Model and actress Kelly Brook, of recent Piranha 3D fame, said:

“People always get really excited when major sporting events come here, which shows how important sport is to people across England.

“With so many Morrisons customers backing our 2018 bid, it looks like a World Cup taking place here would be an even bigger occasion. I’m pleased to say I’ve signed up to back the bid!”

FIFA are also considering rival bids from Russia, a joint bid between Portugal and Spain and a joint bid by Belgium and Netherlands.