George Bush delivers possibly the best ALS ice bucket challenge yet

The former President is the latest high-profile name to join the charitable campaign

In what could well be our favourite ALS ice bucket challenge video so far, George W Bush has gamely been drenched in freezing water for charity.

Perhaps he had run out of paint for those nude self-portraits he so loves to create and needed another diversion, but regardless the video results are pretty spectacular.

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Nominated by his daughter, NBC news correspondent Jenna Bush Hager, and golfer Rory McIlroy, the former President first declines the offer and begins writing out a cheque for charity.

“I do not think it’s presidential for me to be splashed with ice water, so I’m simply going to write you a cheque,” he says in the film, before his wife, Lauren Bush, gleefully ‘surprises’ him by empting a bucket of ice water over his head.

“That cheque is for me,” she says, in an unnervingly sinister tone. “I don’t want to ruin my hairstyle.”

The whole thing is almost definitely a pre-organised stunt, but Bush’s ‘willingness’ to be embarrassed for charity is indeed commendable. As is his nomination choice – Bill Clinton.

“It’s my privilege to challenge my friend, Bill Clinton, to the ALS challenge,” said Bush. “Yesterday (19 August) was Bill’s birthday, so my gift to Bill is a bucket of cold water.”

Bush joins a plethora of high-profile names to have accepted the challenge, including Oprah, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber (who had to do it twice because he got it wrong the first time, obviously), and Charlie Sheen.

Not many have publicly declined participating, with exceptions of Barack Obama (who has a bit more to lose than game Bush) and Vladimir Putin, who was expectedly unenthusiastic, despite his alleged fondness of cold baths.

His spokesperson said yesterday (19 August) that: “We've had other things on our agenda.”