Race Across the World: the final, review: emotional, thrilling and far more than just a contest

Telegraph

a day ago

Our critic, Michael Hogan, will be joining you in the comments below just after 10pm to talk about the highlights of this year's series
Globetrotting contest Race Across the World (BBC One) climaxed with thrills, spills and worthy winners. It was impossible not to cheer as mother-and-son duo Caroline and Tom triumphed in a tense dash to the finish line. It made for a fitting end to their Asian adventure and testament to the joys of multi-generational travel.
After seven weeks and 13,000km (8,000 miles in old money), the four remaining teams embarked on the last leg. Travelling to the southernmost tip of India at Kanyakumari was a frenetic trek, cunningly edited for maximum jeopardy. Viewers could be forgiven for nibbling their fingernails or squealing at their screens.
This final began with Caroline and Tom in pole position, having opened up a seven-hour lead. Sisters Elizabeth and Letitia were their closest rivals, a mere 54 minutes ahead of Welsh childhood sweethearts Fin and Sioned. Canny brothers Brian and Melvyn had led until a disastrous penultimate leg left them way back in last place. Could they claw back the 19-hour gap?
Crunch time meant a choice between sticking to the scenic coastal route or heading inland in the hope of better transport connections. Caroline and Tom blew their advantage with an overnight delay. Brian and Melvyn gambled on expensive taxis to kickstart their comeback. Fuelled by 'beer and biryani', they were closing in.
Race Across the World is far more than just a contest. It's also an immersive travelogue and intimate reality show. Viewers got a Michael Palin-esque, ground-level view of India's southern states, from the cantilevered fishing nets to the vibrant flower markets. Our cockles were warmed by the helpful, friendly locals – including the sweet young man who bought Fin and Sioned a bagful of provisions and a couple who cheerfully invited Elizabeth and Letitia to their wedding. A welcome reminder of the kindness of strangers.
Cynics might scoff at 'sob stories'. I'd call it reflectiveness at the end of an epic journey. Producers ramp up the emotional stakes, of course, but such are the ebbs and flows of human relationships. Brian and Melvyn had drifted apart but bonded again in their 60s. Naturally, the wry Northerners refused to say they loved each other. Tom helped Caroline rediscover her sense of purpose. Elizabeth and Letitia's strained relationship was now repaired. Teenage couple Fin and Sioned, the youngest ever contestants, had gone from bickering to buying matching flower garlands, maturing before our very eyes. You don't get such a variety of human stories on Love Island. Especially when Tom admitted he was 'too hot' to propose.
The show's magic formula has seen it grow from a BBC Two experiment to a primetime BBC One hit with a celebrity spin-off and multiple Bafta wins. In six years, Race Across the World has become a flagship format and staple of the schedules. It not only provides escapism but makes a persuasive advertisement for smartphone-free, slower-paced travel. An exhortation to venture out of one's comfort zone and embrace new experiences.
As the land mass of India narrowed towards its tip, so did the race. All four pairs were in close proximity and blew their remaining budget on taxis. They sped in fishing boats across a sapphire blue bay, then abandoned their backpacks and sprinted to sign their names in the hallowed checkpoint book. After 51 days, incredibly, there was just 19 minutes in it. Caroline and Tom pipped the sisters to the post, with the lovebirds in third and the 'pale old codgers' three hours behind. They'd caught up, but not enough. 'Beer?' asked Melvyn, true to form. 'Desperately and definitely,' gasped Brian. When everyone sportingly toasted the winners, it made for a typically wholesome sign-off.
As always, this was more about the journey than the destination. Like Tom told his tearful mother, the experience they'd shared meant they'd already won. 'While I'm standing here sweaty, smelly and exhausted, I feel on top of the world,' beamed Caroline. 'I felt like such a failure to begin with. We must never doubt ourselves again.' A lesson for us all. Ever-competitive Caroline wanted to race home again. The rest preferred to travel in comfort. They'd earned it.