Well, that’s that. After weeks of gruelling travel, arguments, moments of sheer euphoria and crushing lows, Race Across the World is over once more. This latest series — the celeb edition — saw Kelly Brooks, Scott Mills, Jeff Brazier and Kola Bokinni and their chosen race mates pit their wits against a continent spanning journey from Belém in Brazil to Frutillar in Chile.
But celebs or not, this remains one of the most-watched TV programmes on right now, and for good reason. Execs must have known they were onto a good thing from the moment it began in 2019. It was a travel show with a twist: instead of watching an immaculately-dressed celebrity taking us to visit luxury hotels in Marrakesh, we got to see people muddling their way through the train timetables in Istanbul station.
What’s not to love about watching five hapless pairs of Brits (most of them unseasoned travellers) try to negotiate things like the language barrier, or indulging in cultural activities like sweet making and chicken killing on a farm in the middle of the rainforest. It felt unvarnished, and crucially, authentic, appealing both to parents in need of a little light relief and youngsters looking for backpacking travel inspiration. The second season launched right at the start of the pandemic — right when many of us were yearning to indulge in a bit of old-fashioned escapism from the comfort of our own homes.
And it delivered: that Mexico to Argentina route served up gorgeous vistas, drama —.