Race Across The World winners revealed as they share what they'll do with huge cash prize
BBC's Race Across The World winners have been crowned an intense sprint to the finish line...
The winners of Race Across The World has been announced. The final episode of the popular BBC show was screened on Wednesday, after an epic 8,000-mile journey that saw five pairs travel from the Great Wall of China in the north of Beijing to Kanniyakumari at the southern tip of India.
In the last leg, the competition came down to four teams - Brian and Melvyn, Elizabeth and Letitia, Caroline and Tom, and Fin and Sioned — all hoping to reach the last checkpoint first.
Throughout the race, contestants navigated their way across countries using any form of transport except airplanes, and without access to smartphones or bank cards.
Teams had been racing across the continent of Asia, passing seven checkpoints in China, Nepal and India on their route to the finish line, but it was one team who landed on top. Caroline and Tom were crowned the winners of the BBC show, despite having their ups and downs along the way, the mother and son pairing were victorious.
After 51-days racing across the continent, it was Caroline and Tom who took home the £20,000 prize after crossing the finish line in Kanyakumari, India.
It was an emotional win for the family duo, as mum Caroline broke down in tears after opening the all-important guest book and realised it was empty on their arrival. Seeing that they had won, Caroline was emotional in a heartfelt scene as she told her son: "We must never doubt ourselves, ever, ever, ever again."
Tom broke down while saying: "I'm lost for words, I can't believe it. Fifty one days racing through countries I never thought I'd go to.
"I never thought we'd come this far, I never thought we'd achieve so much, and I've never been prouder of my mum - she got me through it."
Caroline and Tom were closely trailed by sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, who crossed the finish line just under 20 minutes later. Fin and Sioned secured third place, arriving 45 minutes after the winners, while brothers Brian and Melvyn took an additional three hours to complete the journey.
As Caroline and Tom made their way back to the UK after filming the series, the pair admitted that although they had promised to keep their big win a secret, they couldn't keep it under wraps for long.
Caroline revealed: "[We told] my husband, in the car on the way home - we couldn't hide it!"
Tom joked: "We had made a pact on the plane not to tell anybody, but within minutes of seeing him we let that one go, it was so hard to keep it in."
Although they won the grand prize of £20,000, the duo aren't planning to spend the cash on just anything, and are going to be wise with their winnings.
Tom said: "I don't want to be stupid and waste it. Mum and I want to go backpacking again so some of it will be used for that."
Caroline added: "Thomas is starting up a business and it's been inspired by India and I'd like to help him with that."
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