NO FLIGHTS, no fancy hotels, no luxury transport, no bank cards, and absolutely no mobile phones: on Race Across the World, it’s all about forgoing creature comforts and modern conveniences for the ultimate test of travel.
As the Bafta-winning show returns to BBC One for a second series of its celebrity-based spin-off, four new familiar faces will be braving an epic 12,500km, or 7,677-mile journey across the length of South America.
When they arrive in Belem, northern Brazil – the gateway to the Amazon – broadcaster Jeff Brazier and his son, Freddy, actor Kola Bokinni and his cousin, Mary Ellen, broadcaster Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy, and Radio 2 host Scott Mills and his husband (then fiance), Sam must relinquish their wallets and mobile phones and accept a map, GPS device and allowance of cash for their journey.
They must then pass through five checkpoints across the length of South America as they head towards the finish line in the Andes, Frutillar in southern Chile, before they run out of money.
“I wanted to take part because firstly, the travel element is an absolute privilege,” says presenter Brazier (45).
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“The last celeb lot went through 24 countries apparently – what’s not to love about that experience? But also to share it with my son and to be able to make those memories. He’s not a child anymore, he’s a young adult – I feel like at some point he’s going to move out and I’ll lose him. So, I guess I’m just trying to squeeze every last bit out of him that I can.”
“It’ll be nice to spend that time with Dad, just me and my dad,” agrees Brazier’s 19-year-old son Freddy.
“Dad’s got a busy life, he works a lot, and there aren’t loads of times where we’ve done stuff just the two of us. But when we do I’m really lucky – whether it’s going to the cinema, going to the driving range, it’s all good.”
“I’m hoping to see parts of the world that I would never get to see,” says model and presenter Brook (44), who is taking on the challenge with her husband, Jeremy.
“Parts of the world that are so off the beaten track. I think seeing the authentic place will be fantastic.
“I think just us being a couple together, creating new memories together will be amazing and spending that quality time. We haven’t had a honeymoon so this is like our honeymoon. What a crazy honeymoon this will be.”
Of course, a key facet of the Race Across the World challenge is getting around a foreign place with limited cash and no phone – which has far more of an impact than not being able to post on Instagram.
“That would be bare easy if you had a phone. It’s going to take some adjusting,” says Ted Lasso star Bokinni (31).
“I actually feel really excited about being disconnected from the world. Just the pressure of social media and having to respond to people, knowing that I can separate from that is great,” notes his cousin Mary Ellen, who is coming along for the journey.
“But it’s just how dependent I’ve become on Google Maps, for example. Using my phone for navigating, like ‘Oh my god, if we could just Google this’. That’s going to be the biggest adjustment.”
For Bokinni, being without his phone is the least of his worries. Asked about his dream race destination before the route was revealed, he said: “There are loads of places that would be amazing… as long as there’s no flying dragons.”
“You know, I’ve seen some stuff on TikTok. Like spiders in the sky, just a sky of spiders, stuff out of your nightmares. Like dragonflies as big as this table,” he squirms.
For Radio 2 DJ Mills, being without family is going to be the biggest challenge. Although he’s travelling with his fiance – now husband – Sam, he says it’ll be strange not being able to chat to his mum every day.
“We’re both close to our families, I’m close to his family and my family – I mean, I speak to his dad more than I speak to most people actually. So, it’s weird not having the contact,” says Mills (51).
“And also, I speak to my mum every day, so I think she’s going to find this quite hard.”
Sam agrees, adding that it’ll be “our dog, talking to friends and family and EastEnders” that he’ll find it hard to be without.
“We watch (EastEnders) every night, so that’s going to be a struggle, not knowing what’s going on,” he laughs.
When it comes to goals, many of the celebrities and their partners are hoping the adventure leads to some self-improvement and a strengthening of their bond.
“Firstly, I’m going to lose some weight,” says Brazier.
“Secondly, I want to learn about my son. Third, I want to have an incredible experience, I want to make friends. I want to be absolutely overblown with the joys of seeing how kind strangers can be and how wonderful humanity is. And I want to see my son grow.
“That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?”
“I’d say, for me, just spending that quality time with my Dad and making memories that I’ll hold with me for the rest of my life and that I can tell my kids in the future,” adds son Freddy.
“And making new friends there, finding myself. Well, I’m not lost. But figuring out more about myself and who I am.”
It might be argued that on the celebrity version of Race Across the World, the racers have the advantage of having familiar faces. However, while the celebs might be household names at home, that might not make a bit of difference in the depths of the Amazon rainforest.
“I very much doubt it matters,” says Mills.
“No, I don’t think it will at all. I think that things like this are a good leveller as well, for people to just go: ‘Do you know what, a few people know you in the UK, (but) the world’s massive’.
“Unless you’re an international film or pop star it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
