Race Across the World is back! The BAFTA-award winning series, produced by Studio Lambert returns to iPlayer and BBC One for a fifth series from 23 April 2025.
The Great Wall of China is the starting point of this year's epic race. Five teams must navigate three of Asia’s most diverse nations, China, Nepal and India, in a race of over 14,000km to reach the finish line, Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India.
The teams include: sisters, Elizabeth and Letitia; former married couple, Yin and Gaz, brothers, Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple, Fin and Sioned and mother and son, Caroline and Tom.
Racing across vast distances without smartphones or bank cards, and armed only with cash equating to the cost of flying the route, our teams will be pushed to their absolute limits. Only one team can claim victory over the others and win the cash prize of £20,000...
- Watch Race Across the World on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
- Watch Celebrity Race Across the World on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist
VHW
Meet The Teams
Gaz and Yin
Head-strong Yin and pragmatic Gaz are an unlikely duo who will use their unique, dynamic and combined skills to win. Supporting each other through highs and lows, this pair expect to embark on journeys of self-discovery throughout the race.
Why did you want to take part in the series?
Yin: I think it came from me. I saw the advert, and in that moment thought, you know what? I really want to do that. The last year has been quite a personal journey for me. Gaz and I, although we used to be married, we've been separated for about three years. And then when we split up, I found another partner, but he passed away suddenly in September. The last year has been tough, but one of the things that Chris gave me was a real sense of adventure, and he really liked traveling. We talked a lot about traveling and so when this came along i thought why not, something inside me made me fill out the application form.
I said to Gaz when he got home because I was living with Gaz at the time, because he was looking after me during my grieving period, and I just said ‘do you fancy going on Race Across the World with me’. He was like yeah, whatever. He probably just said it more to amuse me, because he obviously knew what I was going through at that moment. But before we knew it, he’d filled out the application and the journey had begun!
Gaz: Personally for me, I did some travel in my early 20’s, but when all my friends when to university to get degrees, I just went out and got a job. I'd seen little bits of Race on Gogglebox. When we were together, we never went on holidays off the beaten track. I’d taken 9/10months out of my life to go traveling when i was younger, and Yin had never had that.
Why did you decide to do this together?
Gaz: I wouldn't probably do this with anyone other than Yin. I know that sounds weird, because we're not together, we're not husband and wife but we're still best mates. And I think even now, could i do this with my brother? No. Could I do this with any other mates? No. And Yin was pretty much the same.
Yin: I definitely see it like a gift from Chris, I know he's gone, but I do think that he has had a meddling hat in this. He would be laughing hysterically but also cheering us on, wishing he was there, seeing all the different things and getting the new experiences. This whole process so far has also been a vehicle for us to talk about when we were married, but in a really nice way.
Have you got a strategy going into the race?
Yin: Our main strategy is to stay to the end and do the whole experience.
Gaz: We’ve set ourselves mini goals, in the sense that we know someone gets eliminated in one of the legs, so if we can get through that bit, that's a win. And then if we can get to the end, that's another win. And if we're in sight of winning it, that would be great. But in regards to strategies, it’s hard as we've never done it before. There is a will to win. And as much as we do think there's a strategy, I think because anything can happen...
Yin: I think Lady Luck plays a part, whether your strategy works or not.
Gaz: I think I'm very good at spending money, and Yin’s very good at saving money, so from that point of view, there is a slight strategy as we’ll be quite cautious in what Yin will let me spend.
Have you picked up any tips from the previous series?
Gaz: Don't lose your passport!
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Yin: Gaz is really great as the initiator of an idea and I'm the kind of person that takes a step back and looks at the plan and sees if its going to work. So I think we do compliment each other in the way that we work. Having known each other for well over 30 years, we know intrinsically where our strengths and weaknesses lie.
Gaz: I would rush in 100 miles an hour and get it wrong every time you whereas Yin would reign me back in.
Yin: I can sometime be too cautious, and Gaz will push me to stop that dilly dallying which is his strength.
What will your roles will be in the race?
Gaz: I think we're both very good at striking up conversation. We're only ever going to do this once. So we need to take full advantage. So rather than be a shrinking violet and back off and not say things, we’ll be asking people and if it's the wrong person, we’ll go on to the next person. With regards to the money, we will split the money up and each of us hold on to our own passports.
Have you done anything to prepare for the trip before coming out?
Gaz: We went to the Lake District. We quite like out of bounds holidays anyway. It was chucking it down with rain, we went on hikes, and we took the bags. We’ve also been going out for walks just to get some exercise, but also with our backpacks and all our gear on. We’ve been going to the gym and generally keeping fit and getting used to the weight on our backs. We've also cut down our intake of food!
Would you say you're both quite adventurous?
Yin: Yes, we're quite curious and inquisitive and I like museums, art galleries, that sort of thing. Gaz really like sports, so we always go on a stadium tour, or we get tickets for a game. We're not very good at sitting in one place at one time.
How competitive are you?
Gaz: We always say we're not competitive, and then as soon as you put us in a competitive situation, we become very competitive.
Yin: I think we might be slow burners to start, but I think once we get a few checkpoints under our belt, I think that competitive side will definitely come out.
Gaz: As soon as soon as we see the other contestants we'll be eying up their strengths and weaknesses!
What do you imagine your biggest challenges might be on the trip?
Yin: Forgetfulness, I think we're at the age where we’ll forget something, also tiredness for me.
Gaz: I’m not very good with heights!
And would you say that you cope well during a crisis? Are you calm under pressure?
Gaz: Yes, unless someone's lost a limb or something dramatic like that.
Yin: I think crisis wise, we probably would have a bit of a mad moment where we'd panic, but we are quite quick to settle down and go right, okay, what is it that needs to get done? We're quite good at formulating a plan and figuring it out.
How do you feel about traveling without a mobile phone or credit cards?
Gaz: It's weird, because years and years ago, when we first started courting, we had a home in Spain, so whenever we went on holidays we never had a mobile phone. It's going to be difficult with just a generic, big map, but we were that generation that didn't use our phone as a Sat Nav and googling stuff to see how to get from A to B.
What's the most unusual thing you've brought with you?
Gaz: Years ago we went to New York and we went to the 9/11 Memorial, and we bought this little soft search and rescue dog, so we’ve brought him with us.
Yin: I went on the trip to Norway. And then there's the teeniest, tiniest baby doll that I found just laying there. And it was clearly a doll that needed looking after. So it has come with me. The dolls bed is a little cross in the pocket. And this is from when we went on a trip to Kendall. We visited a church and they had this hope tree and i chose a cross in a pocket, it has this little prayer inside – I'm not religious but it just felt right.
Name the top three creature comforts you'll struggle to live without?
Gaz: I love peanut butter, I'm hoping Yin lets me spend some of the budget to get some. Tea and coffee as well...
Yin: I think it's quite a hard question to ask me right now, because I've been living in an under the stairs cupboard at Gaz’s for the last year. So all my belongings are in a different house and all of the things that I would normally consider my creature comforts aren't with me.
What's the one reason you've chosen to undertake the kind of challenge with each other?
Gaz: I think, for me it's because it’s so unique, and we're getting to that stage in our lives where in 10/15 years we might not be able to do this, so doing something that takes you completely out your comfort zone. And I think for me, that's really why I wanted to do it.
Yin: I think there’s something quite nice about testing your resilience, and the older you get, you obviously get used to a more comfortable lifestyle, and I suppose it's that kind of ‘do I still have that in me’? And ultimately, I just think it's going to be quite a laugh. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm doing it with my best mate. I know I'm going to have a real laugh and a really good time.
Gaz: Also we're away from work because we've both got quite stressful jobs, and to be able to switch off and not be contacted is also a really big thing.
And what do the rest of your family make of you two doing this trip together?
Gaz: Our daughter is really proud, she’s been there from day one, when Yin applied. I was a bit nervous about telling my mum, only because she's on her own apart from my brother, but she said ‘go for it’.
Yin: I think they're probably more nervous for us than we are ourselves. The most important person is our daughter and she just thinks it's an amazing opportunity. She said go out, have the best time and just look after each other.
Gaz: I don't want to sound too brutal, but I'm actually quite happy not seeing my family for a while!
If there's one thing that you hope this race will change about you or your relationship, what would that be?
Yin: I've been staying with Gaz for coming up to a year now so I know that at some stage in the future, I need to move out. We're not married. And I think, what I'm hoping is that I'll gain in confidence, and that race will show that we can always rely on each other and that Gaz is always going to be there as a safety net and a support.
Gaz: We have been through a lot of good experiences in our life and our marriage but also a lot of bad experiences. I don’t think anything that the Race throws at us can be as good or as bad as potentially what's happened in the past. I hope it will give us a zest for life as we are getting on a little bit.
What other skills do you think you'll bring to the race?
Gaz: We're very confident, we're outgoing...
Yin: We pick things up really quickly, we're fast learners. We're also very good at analyzing our situation and in a selfish way, getting the best out of it to suit our needs.
What will be the most surprising things viewers will learn about you?
Gaz: I’d like to think people see us as nice down to earth grounded people who’ve been through some ups and downs and come out the other side with no animosity.
Yin: I’d like to think people can relate to us, and that it might give people hope that actually if you’re going through what we went through – and don’t get me wrong, when you’re in the midst of a marriage break-up its really really painful and you say some horrible things, but there can be a relationship afterwards, particularly if you have children.
Name the most annoying habit of your partner that you are going to struggle with on the trip?
Yin: Impulsiveness and he doesn’t shut up. They are also some of the best things about him though.
Gaz: She won’t let me spend money.
What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Yin: I think one of the biggest things that we want to get out of this is the experience and working because we're both grafters, and taking jobs on for the experience is really, really attractive. I think that's one of the main things for me.
Also, it's not just a race. It's an exploration of yourself, and particularly, like I said, the year that I've had, I think for me, it will allow me the room to sit in other cultures, or see other people, to genuinely know that however bad my experiences have been, there is a positive to come out of that. And that can be from meeting people that you genuinely don't know or the kindness of strangers.
Its also a great memory for our daughter, she’ll see us as us, and not as mum and dad. She’ll see how we interact in the wider community and she can show her children and their children, long after we’ve gone.
Gaz: We’ll always look back on it as we’ve done it together, as best friends, its so unique and will be such a wonderful story.
Its not lost on us that were very lucky. Its a memory that will stay with us forever.
Elizabeth and Letitia
Extroverted Elizabeth and introverted Letitia are ready to spend some quality time together after almost a decade of living in different countries. The sisters tackle life very differently and are keen to learn from each other’s strengths.
Why did you want to take part in the series?
Letitia: I think I signed up for this mostly for the challenge. I think I just wanted to push myself to finish something, to accomplish something big. I think on this race, it's a good opportunity to grow as a person. I always strive to push myself to grow and see where my strengths lie or just to know myself. Also doing this with my sister will be fun. I don't know if I could do it with anyone else.
Elizabeth: The reasons why I wanted to do it are similar in terms of wanting to push myself. I feel like I haven't been challenged in a very long time. I've been quite mundane with my life and just going with the flow of things. But also getting back into travelling because I haven't travelled for a while as well. I haven’t been free in my travelling, its mainly been for a purpose, maybe to visit someone or for a wedding. I’m looking forward to just going with the flow of travelling, backpacking and pushing myself. As I've got older, I’ve felt more reluctant to put myself in different positions, so this is me throwing myself out there.
Have you guys got a strategy going into the race?
Elizabeth: I think we're really relying on the kindness of strangers. I think what I would love for our trip is to get the balance of both of us, because we're pretty different. We work well together, a lot of our differences I think could work well in terms of moving us forward. So I think I'm quite analytical. Letitia can be more direct sometimes. I think working together and trying not to spend too much money.
Letitia: I think also to have fun, have an experience to see as much as possible. We will focus on the race but I'd like there to be enjoyment to.
Have you picked up any tips from previous series?
Elizabeth: Being really careful with your belongings and not leaving things. That's something I'm a bit worried about. I think it's good to save but on the last two legs, it's when money just needs to be spent on the essentials - spending it to go as fast as possible.
And how have you prepared for the trip?
Letitia: I’ve just done a 100k walk on the South Downs, we walked for 27 hours. That was a big challenge but i feel like this is going to top it. It helped me to prepare for this because it was like an endurance test. And in Race you have to endure a lot. So I think mentally it's kind of prepared me to keep on going. I’ve also started to fast a little bit because I can be very hangry sometimes.
Would you say that you're both quite adventurous?
Elizabeth: I think were both adventurous in terms of we’ll try new places, new food, new transport. Maybe not in terms of activities.
Letitia: I'll give everything a go. I would like my feet to be on the ground at all times. I just mentally have to prepare myself so it just takes me a bit longer. But I'll give it a go.
Elizabeth: I would say more adventurous than Letitia in terms of putting myself out physically in physical situations. Even maybe social situations as well.
And how competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?
Elizabeth: I think we can win it. We're not normally competitive people. I think normally when I'm in something, when I've started something, I definitely want to see it through. I'm not aggressive with the competitiveness.
Letitia: I feel like since we've been here, we're like, we can actually make it. We've come so far already. It's amazing.
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Elizabeth: I think I'm quite social, so I think there will be a strength in the race. I'm not afraid to ask people for help or try and talk in a different language or things like that. So I think that can help me be able to get some help and get some advice of things. I think my weakness could probably be my indecisiveness. So I might get loads of information and be like, I don't know what to do with all this information. Which way? What's the best thing to do? So sometimes it takes me a while to actually make a decision.
Letitia: I think for me my strengths, I think I can be logical in the decisions that I make. I can see the bigger picture and plan for that. I like to plan things. I like to have a step by step plan, process. That can come in handy. Weaknesses, I think, maybe I can shy away from things or get overwhelmed.
What are you imagining your biggest challenges might be during the trip?
Elizabeth: I think maybe just pushing each other. I feel like we've both been quite resilient individually. But were working as a team now and it's pushing each other to keep on going. Being with each other 24-7 as well. Maybe deciding together on things. Like thinking about which choice is the best thing out of both of our choices. And which one do we decide on when we're indecisive, both of us. That might be a bit challenging.
What roles do you think you'll take in the race?
Elizabeth: I think Letitia is going to be good at planning and map reading. I do like maps and I like looking at them and just exploring them. But not where to go. I don't like them for my route. I just like the look of them.
Would you say that you cope well during a crisis? are you calm under pressure?
Letitia: I would say I'm pretty calm under pressure. Recently I've discovered that when I'm under pressure I'll take the leadership role. I can get things done.
Elizabeth: Normally I am the one that takes that leadership role on. Maybe because you don't normally do it. I haven't actually seen that side of you. Letitia is good under pressure but not with my pressure. If I'm pressuring her, it’ll annoy her so much.
How do you feel about travelling without mobile phones or credit cards?
Letitia: I rely on my phone quite a bit because I do like to research a place beforehand and I do like to know the customs and know how to be respectful and how to act.
Elizabeth: I think because I'm a bit of a follower, I never research anything, I'll be fine! It'll just be annoying in terms of timings and if we arrive somewhere to find it's closed, thats something that we would have researched in advance.
What's the most unusual thing you've brought with you if indeed you've brought anything unusual with you?
Elizabeth: I've got my essential oils for calming me down. I've got my journal as I like journalling and drawing and doodling.
Letitia: I've got my gua sha, face massager. I’ve also got face masks and those under eye masks too!
What are the top three creature comforts that you'll struggle to live without?
Letitia: I feel like having the ability to rest fully or relax and sleep comfortably. That’s my top thing that I'm worried about because I function on sleep and good rest. So I don't know how I'm going to function without it. Also TV for me, i love to watch my K-dramas – especially when travelling on long journey’s, i just have it on in the background.
Elizabeth: This is a new thing for me, I've recently moved and I've got my own room and personal space so i love that and my bed. And also friends and family - this is probably my first trip where already i would like to message or speak to them. In the past when I've travelled, I've been quite independent, sometimes people don't even know that I'm going. I don't think I'm too attached to material things.
What's the one reason that you've chosen to do this challenge together?
Elizabeth: I think we both love travelling but we've never actually travelled together. So this is definitely a reason for us to do something that we both love but do it together, and also bond as well. There's been quite a bit of time that we've been apart from each other when I lived abroad.
What do the rest of your family make of the two of you doing this trip together?
Letitia: They're excited. They're happy for us. I feel like they also can't believe it but also, you have to win it! Don't come back unless you win.
And if there's one thing that you hope this race will change about you or your relationship, what is it?
Elizabeth: For me, I think it's to expand my openness and be more open and more allowing, letting go, not overthinking too much or just going with my instincts and trusting that and just being okay with what happens and not living in the fear of regret. Also just bringing us closer together as well and allowing us to be comfortable with sharing things as well with each other.
Letitia: I think to be more confident just in general to try new things to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
What other skills do you think you'll bring to the race?
Eilzabeth: I speak Italian, I can understand a little bit of Spanish and Swahili as well. But more like the openness of being able to know another language.
Letitia: I speak a little Chinese, emphasis there on a little! so I think that would be helpful. Some Korean. I think language is an important skill and advantage that we might have, so we’ll lean into that a lot.
What will be the most surprising things that viewers will learn about you?
Elizabeth: Hopefully they’ll see that we just really want to try new things, and hopefully encourage other people to try new things. Even just in terms of in the black community and women, especially, seeing two sisters, putting ourselves out there.
Name the most annoying habit you might struggle with with your partner?
Elizabeth: I think the hangriness - when she's quite hungry and tired, she gets in a mood. And that is very difficult to communicate with. Also, do you know what? It's also just communicating this as well. Because sometimes I feel like I get the communication of that too late. If there was at least a warning, this is about to happen. It'd be fine.
Letitia: Her trying to push me to do things when she knows that I don't want to do it. She assumes i want to do it, she assumes things, she loves to control situations.
What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Elizabeth: This is such a once in a lifetime opportunity. Anything that we get out of this experience, I'll be so grateful for. But I think just exploring the world and really pushing ourselves to the best of our ability. Sometimes i think we play it too safe, so pushing ourselves to the best of our ability whilst also staying present, exploring the world and having fun.
Letitia: Stepping out of reality and the everyday mundane life and just experiencing the world, experiencing something new, being present and challenging ourselves as well.
Fin and Sioned
Young couple Fin and Sioned want to swap their small-town life in Wales for an adventure across the world; learning more about themselves and each other along the way.
Why did you want to take part in the series?
Sioned: I wanted to travel anyway, so it's a great start for that, but along with discovering more about myself and Fin, just strengthening that bond in a very real and authentic way. Weve not really been together just the two of us before so this is something where we will have to rely and depend on each other, we don’t have another choice. A lot about self-discovery I think as well as seeing more of the world in the process.
Fin: It’s a way to see if me and her can be together basically, if it can work forever. A challenge to see if it will make or break us.
Have you got a strategy going into the race?
Sioned: We’ve spoken about this – not really! Its more of a go with the flow thing for us.
Fin: We do want to win but more just see how it goes, see what we see and experience new things.
Sioned: Its hard to have a strategy when you don’t know whats ahead. Its hard to plan. Deal with what comes our way when it comes our way.
Have you picked up any tips from previous series?
Sioned: I’ve got travel cards that have pictures of transport on them, because we’ve seen on previous series, other parts of the world, being able to communicate is hard, especially where we are.
How have you prepared for the trip?
Fin: I've been going on a lot of hikes. We’ve been on some walks together. Sioned was trying to learn a bit of Spanish, although thats totally out of the window here!
Sioned: It's been mainly fitness preparations. We did try to do stuff without our phones - try to direct ourselves, but it was hard as our phone was always in our pocket so I'd always reach for it but now we don't have a choice.
Would you say you’re quite adventurous?
Sioned: Yeah, I'd say so. Travelling has been something that both of us have wanted to do anyway, so it would have been the start of next year that we would have wanted to go. It would have been this style of travelling as well, back packing, sightseeing, a lot of walking and new activities.
How competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?
Fin: We're very competitive with each other. But I feel like as a team, we are also very competitive. But there's also a part of us that doesn’t want to just go straight and not see anything and just win, you've got to experience it as well.
Sioned: I want to say we're in it to win it because we are, but we're not going to let that stop us from enjoying the whole experience of it.
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Fin: I think we balance each other out. When Sioned gets stressed, if she misses a train - I'm quite good at helping her to get through that, calming her down.
Sioned: My strength is map reading. Were good together because anything that Fin can’t do, I can, and vice versa.
What are you imagining your biggest challenges might be during the trip?
Fin: Before, I would have said communication, but now I'm thinking about food.
Sioned: I was going to say mine is trying hard not to take my stress out on you, because I know that i can get angry at you, even though its not your fault. I think Fin will struggle with budgeting, he does like to splurge!
What roles do you think you'll take on the race?
Fin: I think it'll be Sioned with the passports and the money and me probably doing the haggling, trying to get the best deals.
Sioned: Normally it's me that speaks to strangers more, but Fin has really grown in confidence, so I think he might take over that role now.
Would you say you cope well during a crisis, are you calm under pressure?
Fin: I definitely am, but Sioned, definitely no.
Sioned: It depends on the crisis. If I see a way out... maybe! I’ll have a five-minute meltdown and then I'll be fine and say lets go!
How do you feel about travelling without a mobile phone or credit card?
Sioned: I don’t feel very comfortable at the minute! It's so out of the norm for us as its literally in your pocket the whole time.
Fin: I think it’ll get easier as we go along, but the first few days are going to be hard.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve brought with you?
Fin: I was going to bring my back scratcher as Sioned won’t do it, but I didn’t end up packing it!
Sioned: I’ve got quite a lot of sentimental stuff with me as my mums quite sad about me leaving. I have a few bracelet charms that have welsh words from my mum on. Fin’s mum gave me a bracelet and he’s got a matching one – I've got a few badges pinned to my bag from my grandparents and my mum. And i have my Wales towel – a reminder of home!
Name the top 3 creature comforts you’ll struggle to live without?
Sioned: Pets. Big time. I've got two dogs and a hamster.
Fin: I've got Oscar, my dog, and Winston, my cat. Just food as well. Nothing fancy, just plain and boring food, so Chicken and rice and tuna with sweetcorn. Also driving, I'm going to miss driving to the gym or just going for a drive.
What's the one reason you've chosen to undertake this challenge with each other?
Sioned: More self-discovery. We've been together a long, long time, and it's been very samey for the past four and a half years.
Fin: We’ve never had a proper challenge. This will push us and we have a lot of learning to do.
What do the rest of your family make if you're doing this together?
Sioned: So my mum actually mentioned it and thought it was a good idea for me to do it. She initially said I should do it with my brother, but I didn't think that was a good idea, so I went for it with Fin. So my family are actually very supportive. They love the show themselves and they're very sad to see me go, but they know it's an insane opportunity and want me to really go for it.
Fin: I think my mum's quite proud. My brother is very jealous, because he'd love to do this as well.
What other skills do you think you'll bring to the race?
Sioned: I think we're a bit lacking in skills! We're just us! Our fitness is good, my organisation could come in handy. Our communication is good and we can depend on each other for different things. So we do have skills, I underestimate us.
Will there be anything surprising that viewers might learn about you when they watch it?
Sioned: Probably me getting annoyed, because I feel like I come across as such a smiley little girl, because I'm only little as well. But then when I get annoyed, I'm just a bit like...
Fin: a monster!
Sioned: People might think ooh she gets really stressed out. I don't know if people would expect that.
Name the most annoying habit that you're going to struggle with?
Sioned: He takes all my stuff. Like my food and water. I'm happy to share it, but it's when I'm really rationing it and I'm like, okay, that's annoying. Also snoring. That is annoying, but I can sleep through it so all good.
Fin: Talking. It gets to a point where i just want to be quiet and chill and she’ll not stop. She'll only be quiet after she gets offended, and then I have to say sorry because she was offended, because I've told her to be quiet!
What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Sioned: A stronger bond. We've got such a strong bond anyway, but to know 100% that we can fully depend on each other and just see more of the world.
Fin: I hope it’ll make me step out of my comfort zone, experience new things that I haven’t experienced before and share some amazing times with Sioned.
Brian and Melvyn
Brothers Melvyn and Brian were given very different opportunities in life. Despite their ‘have and have not’ differences, they have always looked out for one another. They would love the chance to reconnect and have fun together, like they did when they were children.
Why did you want to take part of the series?
Melvyn: I saw the first series and thought I could do that, and it was as simple as that, and then I thought who would I want to do it with? And that was Brian. We want to create some new memories.
Brian: I watched the first series and thought this will be fun, exciting, and an adventure with an opportunity for us both to meet up, because we don't meet up that regularly at home, and spend a bit of quality time with each other, as we used to do when we were kids. It was an excuse to get together, and relive some of our old adventures when we were teenagers and young children.
Have you got a strategy?
Brian: I suppose when we were looking at it, we thought we would plan this and plan that, and plan the other, but our strategies have basically gone out of the window, because we can't plan for anything any longer. We didn't know we would be going to China. I wanted to go to the Amazon but I think it's a long way to get there from China! The strategy is that we don't want to be kicked out first, because my children wouldn't let me live it down.
Melvyn: The other worry from our families at home is that we shouldn't embarrass them. So we're going to go all out to embarrass them.
Brian: We get on but we'll have a few arguments and a few discussions on the way. I've never spent eight, nine weeks with Melvyn.
Melvyn: We've never spent that amount of time together. We used to spend two or three weeks together, fishing and that kind of stuff. But not only have we not spent this amount of time together as adults, we've never spent this much time away from our partners either. I’ve been married 44 years, Brian's been married 38 years, so thats a big wrench for us.
Have you picked up any tips from previous series?
Brian: A couple of things that we're taking with us are a white board and some coloured pens. We have got a calculator because we think a calculator is needed, a little mini one. A compass because neither of us have any sense of direction. Neither of us own a watch, so we bought one because we thought we'd need to know the time.
We bought a couple of iPods, I've got a classic iPod that I've had to download songs on from CDs.
Melvyn: Also a magnifying glass, because my eyes are not very good at the minute.
Would you say you're quite adventurous or are you going to really miss those creature comforts?
Brian: We're both adventurous by nature, but my creature comforts differs from Melvyn’s quite a lot. I tend to stay in very nice hotels, travel first class. And I'm not particularly worried about what I buy, I'll eat at good restaurants, I'll drink good wine, eat good food and get where I want to get without a problem. Melv lives life a little bit differently.
Melvyn: I love the cheap seats and the pub! But it might well all be out of my comfort zone as well. we don't know and I think this is the advantage. If i end up sitting on a wooden seated bus for 200 miles, it's not going to be the most comfortable place in the world - I've got a blow-up cushion with me and I hope it helps my piles a bit.
Are you in it to win it?
Brian: We are winners by nature. We're very competitive. We'll be disappointed if we don't come first.
Melvyn: We’ll be disappointed if we don’t win it, but we’ll be even more disappointed if we don’t make it to the end.
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are going to be?
Melvyn: Communication. We know how to communicate, even though my Mandarin is a little bit suspect.
Brian: We're amiable. Neither of us has an issue going up to speak to people. We're not shy. We're very open. So that's a strength. Our weaknesses, we can't speak any languages whatsoever.
Melvyn: We're both very controlling, we think. We organise our lives. We like to be in control of what we do. We both need to be in control of where we're going, what we're doing. So that might cause a bit of a problem.
All we have promised each other is if we make a bad decision, then we go with it. We're not going to get on at one another because we’ll have discussed it anyway. We go with it and then we get out of it. We're here to enjoy and do our best and were going to feed off the experience and learn from it.
Would you say you cope well during a crisis? Are you going to be calm under pressure?
Melvyn: I'm pretty chilled during something like that. Let the crisis go, let it take its course. Then stop, stand back, look.
Brian: I don't mind managing crisis. I'm used to that in my working life. When situations develop, you've got to manage it, but I don't think I'll be able to manage it and control it and move it on this race. You can’t just buy your way out of it. If you've got a crisis, you pick up the phone and sort it out.
How are you going to cope without credit cards, phones?
Melvyn: We've got tolls in our heads and we can draw buses. There's always a way around something, isn't there? And I do think that between us, we can figure out a way around it.
Brian: One of our negatives that we both suffer from is lack of direction and our abilities to go left or right. If we left a particular hotel and somebody had told us there's a bus station down the road, neither of us would know which way to turn.
Melvyn: Even if we passed it earlier, we'd forget which way we're going. And if they said, go out the hotel and turn west, well, the only go west I know is the Village People song. We can both read a map and we can both read a compass. If you gave me a silver compass and an ordinance survey map, I could set that and we could get exactly to where we wanted to go. But sense of direction is absolutely awful.
What do your families make of you doing this together?
Melvyn: My wife is glad to get rid of me for a bit. Although she did shed a tear when I left.
Brian: It was a tear of happiness, Melvyn.
Melvyn: No, she's looking forward to the break herself, I think. But she's really willing us to do well. I think I said before, she just said, "don't embarrass us". But that's just like a red rag to a bull.
Brian: My wife had a few tears when I left. I've got two boys, two grown-up boys and two grandsons, who are only four and one. Obviously the grandkids don't understand what's going on. But Alfie, the four year old loves race - he’s just been told that I'm going on an adventure. Both my boys and my daughter-in-law and my other son's partner are really keen and wished us well. The last text message i had was from them.
Melvyn: I think the thing is we just don't want to let anybody down. We don't want to embarrass anybody, our family. We want them to think that we've given it 100% and we've done the best we could.
Brian: It's going to be odd for them, certainly for our wives, because they'll be on their own for eight or nine weeks and they haven't been on their own for that length of time. We've both got dogs, so I’ll miss my dog and my wife of course.
Have either of you got any annoying habits?
Brian: Melvyn has. He talks very loudly and non-stop. I think he's getting to know when I've had enough because I'll just wander off. I also have to repeat myself four or five times which is annoying.
What are you hoping to get out of the whole experience?
Melvyn: A brand new experience. Neither or us have been to China. I think the nearest I've ever been to was Hong Kong many, many years ago. It's to build new experiences, have new adventures and share the time with this fellow.
Brian: We shared our younger days together, but we missed our working days and our growing up days. So that's what I'm hoping to get out of it. As well as the culture, that's going to be brilliant. Meeting different types of people with different customs. Seeing things that you've only seen on the telly. I’m looking forward to working again. I haven't worked for a few years. And doing jobs would be great for me to get my hands dirty.
Melvyn: The other thing is, we didn't find out until quite recently that the pair of us still actually like similar things like architecture and history. So we're looking to share those kind of experiences as well. If we get a chance to visit the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, if it means missing a bus to go and see something like that, then I think we miss the bus.
Brian: We need to grasp this experience because we haven't got time to do it again. If you're 18, 20, 30 years of age, you've got time to do it. We haven't got time left to do it. So we've got this one experience.
Melvyn: The experiences that we're about to share are really important. I really think that we have got a sense of appreciation because our life experiences are better.
Brian: We're really going to grasp it. We're extremely grateful. We never thought we'd have a cat in hell's chance. It’s still quite unreal and surreal now.
Caroline and Tom
This mother/son duo are unlikely travel companions – Tom has travelled, whereas Caroline has never had the opportunity. Caroline wants to prove that she’s more than just ‘mum’, and Tom wants to show her the world through his eyes.
Why did you want to take part in the series?
Caroline: I saw the South American series and absolutely knew that that was the programme i wanted to do with Thomas. I’ve never applied for anything like this before, I've never done anything like this, I've never done anything out of my comfort zone or ever arranged any travel and i just knew it was made for me and the perfect person was Thomas. Thomas felt the same. We were made for it, or the programme was made for us.
Tom: Exactly the same as mum, I love travelling – I never thought I'd travel with my mum, but the fact that i get to travel and see the world, and do it with her is just perfect.
Have you got a strategy?
Caroline: We know we are going to struggle with the budget because Thomas needs to eat a lot - a huge amount! So to make up for that we were thinking, perhaps we could ask for favours with people, or work extra hard, or offer to do something in return for an apple at the side of the road. We are determined to race and Thomas is the one who wants to immerse himself and see the experiences and now i totally agree with him, so our strategy is we’ll always keep an eye on the race but while we can, were going to make the best of every opportunity. It’ll make it more exciting as we’ll have to race harder as were not putting the race at the forefront. Were also hoping to take overnight accommodation whilst travelling so save on accommodation.
Tom: We still don’t know exactly where were going, or how things work in the country were in i think our strategy will depend on how we do in the first leg and it will adapt as we go along.
Have you picked up any tips from previous series?
Caroline: We’ve bought an alarm clock, because of course you rely on your phone to wake you up. Thomas has bought a journal. He likes to keep a journal along the way and I think that will be fantastic for a reference as well. I bought a little white board because if we can't speak the language, perhaps we can draw something and for hitchhiking and signs of where we want to go possibly.
Also, just because you might not be so good in one leg or two doesn't mean you can't get there in the end. So you don't have to be first all the time. So I think it's a little more about the journey. But now I don't think I'll be quite as bad if we're not at the forefront because there's still a really good chance. Because sometimes things are taken out of your control and you just have to accept that.
Tom: Another thing is we bought sleeping bags more for the buses because we've seen on previous series, they look like on some of the buses they will wrap up and it looks like they could do with having a blanket of some sort.
Caroline: Thomas very cleverly bought an MP3 player and downloaded songs. Because we think there might be a long time of getting bored and I think the songs will really help.
How have you prepared for the trip?
Caroline: I started walking and walking really quite seriously, timed walking. Then I joined a gym and got myself really fit and that really helped me mentally. That's helped me prepare a lot more. Thomas already is in a very good place mentally and he's travelled before. He actually stayed with me before this and it's made us closer because we have more of an understanding of our preparation together. So we’ve got ourselves fitter and in doing so I think it's calmed us down mentally as well.
Would you say that you're both quite adventurous?
Caroline: Yes, I think so. Thomas is more able to cope with perhaps a little hardship I would say. I'm not used to that but I'm prepared to experience it, hence the sleeping bags, and we're prepared to sleep in bus stations and everything to save money. It's only for a few hours and I've come to terms with the fact that it's only finite. It will only be a few hours or maybe a few days before we can sleep properly, get clean and eat. So I think that will always keep us going.
Tom: I've backpacked around Europe with my mates. We did inter-railing. But that was not quite backpacking in this sense. Last year I went six months around South America which was very much like this - roughing it and that was brilliant. I had a great time.
How competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?
Tom: There is an element of wanting to win the race. That would be an amazing feeling. To get to the last checkpoint and see the book empty. That would probably be one of the best feelings you’ll ever have. I keep on saying to mum and it sounds quite corny but I think it's true that just doing the race and sharing the experience in itself is somewhat winning I think. Because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and a very small amount of people get to do it. So the fact that we've even been chosen and we get to do it together is a big win I think in our eyes.
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Caroline: I am very competitive and I am very determined. Other people would call me pig-headed but I am sure it's determination. Thomas is very easy going and very adaptable.
Tom: I think my weakness is going to be getting overtired and then probably taking it out on mum which I'm quite worried about. Just because sometimes if I get overtired and a bit hungry and a bit grumpy I can take it out on mum which isn't nice to do. So I'm a little bit worried about that. But I think both of our strengths is just being able to push on and push through. I think however bad it gets we'll just be able to carry on and just get to that check point and then we can sort of set ourselves out.
Caroline: It sounds probably a silly thing to say but our love for each other will mean that we will just encourage each other no matter what.
What are you imagining your biggest challenges might be during the trip?
Tom: Lack of sleep. Lack of food will be tough. I think just lack of comfort as well. When I've been travelling previously it wasn't on a race format so if you get overtired and you get hungry you can stop where you are, recover for a couple of days, go see some nice sites, meet some new people and then carry along your journey. But this until you get from one checkpoint to the other you kind of can't or don't really want to stop. So I think that will be quite tough.
Caroline: I'm a little worried about lack of hygiene. I'm used to home comforts, nice hygiene. I like to feel fresh even if it's just brushing your teeth properly and I wear contact lenses and of course you need a hygienic situation to put those in. I'm worried about letting Thomas down. I'm going to work hard at not doing that, and he's going to make sure I don't.
What roles do you think you'll take in the race?
Tom: We've thought about this but again I think it's one of the things until we start the race we’re not really sure. I thought it would be me who would be happy to talk to strangers but I think mum's actually just as capable as I am, if not more.
Caroline: With the money, we thought maybe we'd split it. Thomas came up with this idea that if it was just one person who had it, then it's just one person who has to remember. But if both of us have part of the budget we both have to remember so were more likely to remind the other person as were both responsible for it. I'm quite chatty but Thomas is so easy going and everybody likes Thomas so the role might be I'm also prepared to chat. But people get on with Thomas and they all want to help him. So we're just hoping that by being smiley and asking for help people will do so.
Tom: I think that's the plan just to be as nice as possible to people and hope they put out a hand to help you.
Would you say you cope well during a crisis are you calm under pressure?
Caroline: I think I am. I think I go very calm under pressure if there's a panic with animals at home or something. And once we got stuck in Europe, 10 or 12 years ago when I had to come back for a competition because there was an eruption of a volcano and everything was grounded. I absolutely just got us home at all costs. We even stopped people in cars and made them give us a lift to get on the ferry which was fully booked. And somehow something takes over, I think it's mothers protective instinct or something. And you just do it and I surprised myself. So I'm hoping that will come to the fore again.
How do you feel about travelling without mobile phones or credit cards?
Tom: It's definitely going to be a challenge but I'm just really excited for it. Already it's been so much nicer not having your phone to rely on if a bit of conversation goes quiet or something. I think it really just forces us to spend a bit more time talking, which has been lovely. And I think it'll be something that hopefully when I go home, I'll realize I don't want to rely on my phone so much. And I don't need to as well. I've noticed recently, my screentime is five, six hours a day. And of those five, six hours, I hardly remember any of it. It's pointless. It's there to waste a bit of time.
Whereas if I put that time to writing stuff down or putting it into something else, a bit more productive, it would take you a long way. It would all add up. I can’t wait for it actually. And especially now, we've got music. Music is one thing I was really going to miss. So the fact we've got music, I think, will really help.
Caroline: Well, nowadays, you would never go anywhere without a phone and card. You'd be silly to. So the fact that we've chosen to put ourselves in that situation. But I think I'm a lot happier without my phone. Because again, I find I use it too much and it seems to be a waste of time rather than an actual necessity. So it will do me the world of good to be a bit more resourceful as well. So I'm looking forward to it.
Tom: It gives you a massive sense of freedom as well, because we can't text people at home and see how things are going. And in a really selfish way, I think this trip is about being a bit selfish and doing it for yourself. We just have to focus on ourselves. Yeah, it's a really freeing feeling being disconnected for a bit.
What's the most unusual thing you've brought with you?
Tom: One of my one of my best mates gave me a compass before we left. And I don't really know how useful it's going to be, but it's a really cool compass. It's like an old antique compass. I brought it with me in hopes that at some point I might use it. And even if I don't, it's just nice to have.
Caroline: My husband was asked specifically not to buy me anything and I was meant to be coming out with no jewellery, but he still went out and bought me a beautiful little gold elephant, because I am desperate to meet an elephant and see elephants for real. And it's for luck.
What are the top three creature comforts you'll struggle to live without?
Tom: Our dog, that would be a big one. Do we say father?
Caroline: We have a beautiful big sofa that i like to collapse in. And food - bacon sandwiches - all food, or the smell of food. Lattes. Everything. Already. I mean, just a few hours and already all i can think about is food.
What's the one reason that you've chosen to do this challenge together?
Tom: Purely just the memory that me and Mum will be able to share.
Caroline: We won’t have this time again and it's so precious.
What do the rest of your family make of you doing this trip together?
Tom: Dad was really quite pleased we were doing it. He was really keen for us. But as time got closer and closer to us leaving, you could actually see that he was getting a bit more and more sad. Which for Dad is quite a big thing.
Caroline: They've been supportive. My brothers have been really proud to think that I'm doing something that is really extraordinary for my life.
If there's one thing that you hope the race will change about you or your relationship, what would that be?
Tom: I'd like to answer this in what I'd like it to change for mum. I'd like mum to be able to slow down in life a little bit and just appreciate the smaller things. I'm sure when we're on a bus, if we're able to, if someone gives us a bit of food or an apple, that will make us so happy. Just appreciating nice views and not having to rush past. Mum loves taking photos and then never looking at them again.
Caroline: I'd like to feel more secure because as Thomas said, I'm always rushing at home and I'm always feeling I need to get things done and please people and rush and I don't really do things for myself and it's led to a bit of insecurity as I've got older. So I'd like to feel a little, like I can do something for myself. And for Thomas, I just want him to realise what a wonderful person he is and to do this and be patient enough to take me, I think he's just extraordinary.
Tom: It’s confidence building for me as well. I found that the more travelling I've done, it's made me more of a confident person. It just gives me a bit more knowledge of the world and it makes me realise that things work out. So I just think the more I do it, the more it will make me feel a bit more confident and happy.
What other skills do you think you'll bring to the race?
Tom: I think it just comes down to being determined.
Caroline: We're quite adaptable. We’re prepared to give anything a go. I've got an HGV licence, I don't think I'll be able to use it, that's a shame. We both adore animals, so whether we could perhaps do something with animals, and that's a skill maybe we could put into work.
Tom: We both like manual labour, it’s something that we both like to do. We’re both happy to get our hands dirty and get stuck in.
Caroline: I'd say we're quite kind and caring to other people. If anybody needs help, I think we'd stop and help on the way. I'm not saying that's a skill, but I think it's just something that is part of our nature, and maybe that'll help. It might help somebody else and help their day.
What will be the most surprising things viewers will learn about you?
Caroline: I would like to prove that age doesn't mean you're getting older and slower necessarily, and that you can still have the same opportunities and still grab them. I can still go travelling, even though I'm 60 and maybe a grandmother's age, but I'm still capable and can go out with a rucksack, I can keep up. I can do things, I can want to have the adventure just as much.
I think for Thomas, viewers will see what a mature outlook he has. He doesn’t have anything to prove he's just an easy-going, lovely person, so the whole package in a young man.
Name the most annoying habit you're going to struggle with?
Caroline: Not an annoying habit but having to eat all the time will be something that will slow us down. That’s not really an annoying habit.
Tom: Walking too fast. I get it, it might be good for the race, but the majority of the time mum does that speed walking that you see in the Olympics. I think once we've got off a long bus and we're carrying a lot of stuff, it's just going to get on my nerves.
What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Caroline: Treasured memories. For me, family is the most important thing. I don't think money could buy this experience. I think this will stand Thomas in good stead and I'll be incredibly lucky to be able to watch him go through life and think maybe this has helped set him up and I was part of it.
Tom: Treasured memories and a new understanding of different cultures as well.
Latest from the Media Centre
All newsSearch by Tag:
- Tagged with Factual Factual
- Tagged with Media Pack Media Pack
- Tagged with Latest news Latest news