Race Across the World friends reunite to film but one couple seems to be missing

Yahoo

09-06-2025

The contestants of Race Across the World 2025 – who told Yahoo UK that they're in touch daily – have been reunited to film together.
Brothers Brian and Melvyn, as well as Sioned, shared a group selfie on their Instagram accounts on Monday but former married couple Yin and Gaz were notably missing from the photograph. The four final teams were recording with BBC Breakfast host and Celebrity Race Across the World winner Scott Mills to discuss the upcoming final.
Sioned explained why only four teams were there on Instagram: "So this is why we were all together again?! Obviously we just had to chat to Scott Mills before the Race Across the World final, he knows all too well about our experiences! If you missed it catch up on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 2 to listen to all of us chit chat more about heading into the last leg."
There is also a reunion episode — which airs on Wednesday 18 June — that typically filmed about six months or so after the show has ended where the contestants have the chance to reflect on their journeys together. All the Race Across the World stars usually film the reunion, including the eliminated couple.
Already the contestants had staggered arrival times, with Melvyn being the first to get to the breakfast room before filming.
Melvyn, teenage couple Sioned and Fin as well as mother and son Caroline and Tom all were around the night before. They enjoyed an early get together before Brian, Letitia and Elizabeth arrived the following day for filming.
All of the Race Across the World contestants have all remained good friends via WhatsApp. Behind the scenes, Brian explained to Yahoo UK that they speak everyday.
Before filming the reunion, Brian told Yahoo UK: "Yeah [we have a] big WhatsApp group, we speak daily. We are trying to meet up if we can but it's quite difficult to get everybody together. It is tough."
He added: "We'll keep trying and hopefully maybe by the end of June, maybe July once it's all finished, we'll try meet up somewhere."
Although Race Across the World focuses on the bonds of those in each individual teams, they leave the experience with a new set of friends.
The teams have the chance to get to know each other at the checkpoint hotels where they can stay between 36-48 hours before starting the next leg. There they can chat about the experiences they've had along the way and spend time together.
In a separate conversation, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia also told Yahoo UK about how "well" everyone got on from series five.
Elizabeth told Yahoo UK: "We're obviously trying to to do the best that we can in the race, but we all got on so well and sharing experience like this [bonds you].
"You're only sharing it with such a small group and they understand exactly how it feels when you miss the train. You reach the checkpoint and can relax. We really, really get on and you know, that's so nice. We've got a group chat, we're still talking."
The reunion filming comes just one week after the youngest contestants from this year met up at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool. Teenage couple Sioned and Fin loved meeting up with sisters Elizabeth and Letitia as well as Tom.
Reality worlds collided at the festival as the Race Across the World competitors joined forces with Traitors winner Jake and banished Freddie. Of the meet up, Sioned wrote on Instagram: "Big Weekend was definitely BIG. Life is mad. Honestly loved every minute and couldn't have asked for a more positive and amazing experience."
Although they are all competing in the race, Race Across the World often sees the rival contestants forming close bonds. Last year, winner Owen Wood revealed they had a WhatsApp group but had become particularly close to Betty and James who were close in age to him and Alfie Watts.
He told Yahoo UK: "So we were in a group chat with all of them together. And me and Alfie keep in contact pretty well with James and Betty, obviously because of similar ages. So we speak to all of them.
"We've met up with Betty and James a couple of times but, yeah, we all get on really well. We've all been in it together, even though we were racing separate races. But we can just respect what each other's been through. And, yeah, we just understand each other very well."
Race Across the World continues at 9pm on Wednesday on BBC One, and streams on BBC iPlayer.