'Race Across the World a huge culture shock'
A young couple from Carmarthenshire have swapped small-village life for a global adventure.Fin Gough and Sioned Cray, from Nantgaredig, are the youngest of five pairs competing in the fifth series of BBC One's Race Across the World, which starts on Wednesday night. "It was a really good challenge to push ourselves into the deep end," Ms Cray told Radio Wales Breakfast. The show will begin at the Great Wall of China, and will see teams racing 8,700 miles (14,000km) through China, Nepal, and India using only the cash equivalent of airfare, without flights or smartphones, for a £20,000 prize.
Despite being together for five years, Ms Cray said they had "never really done anything outside of this little relationship in Wales".She initially applied for Race Across the World after her mum suggested doing it with her brother, but she did not think that was a good idea - so she asked Fin instead.Mr Gough, who had never watched the show before, found out they had been selected while in the shower."I ran downstairs in a towel to answer the call - they said we were in, and I couldn't believe it," he said."You apply for something and just hope for the best but we didn't actually think we'd get on but here we are, we've done it and it was incredible."Ms Cray said the whole experience was "so nerve-racking but also so exciting," and still felt surreal.
The pair were just 18 and 19 when they took on the challenge, which was filmed in October 2024, and Tenerife in the Canary Islands was the furthest they had ever travelled together.Mr Gough said: "We'd never been outside of Europe together."So to then go somewhere like China, where the language and culture are completely different - it was just us, relying on each other for the first time."Ms Cray described the experience as a "huge culture shock", admitting the early days were filled with bickering as they adjusted to the intense demands of the race.She said it was an opportunity to learn more about each other, and learned "Finn needs space while she prefers to talk things through"."We were a bit naive going in - it was so much harder than we imagined, mentally, physically, emotionally," she added.Despite the struggles, Ms Cray called it a "unique experience" and "something special" they now share."Not many people get this kind of opportunity, so we knew we had to take it, hold onto it, and really cherish it," she said.
Series five of Race Across the World begins on BBC One at 21:00 BST on Wednesday 23 April.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
St Denis Medical, review: yet another workplace mockumentary, flatlining on originality
Original ideas are thin on the ground in TV, but a mockumentary workplace comedy set in a US hospital? You've definitely seen this one before, spread across different shows. St Denis Medical (BBC One) is The Office meets Scrubs with a dash of St Elsewhere and Parks and Recreation, while unfortunately not being as good as any of them. It's not so bad, though, even if the BBC has bought it in from NBC and dumped it in a graveyard slot. They're hoping you'll pick it up on iPlayer, where the half-hour episodes are available as a boxset. The setting is a small, regional hospital in Oregon. Turns out they have the same problems over there as we have over here: low morale, chaotic A&E departments, intransigent receptionists who would have to see your internal organs fall out before they let you see a doctor. Then there's the endless admin. A consultant is asked how he spends a typical day, and replies: 'Well, I just examined a patient with a heart murmur. That took about two minutes. Now I'm going to spend 40 minutes filling out electronic health records.' That's Dr Leonard (David Alan Grier), a twinkly hospital veteran and the most likeable character here. Some of the others owe a hefty debt to The Office. If David Brent was running a hospital, can't you imagine him saying, as Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey) does here: 'I was an oncologist for 20 years but, now that I'm a hospital administrator, I'm battling different kinds of cancers – like cynicism, pessimism, people questioning my judgment. Those attitudes are the real cancers.'? She performs dance routines as employees wince, and asks them: 'What's the most infectious thing in a hospital?' When they suggest various diseases, she says: 'No, you guys, the most infectious thing in a hospital is a smile. ' Then there's Alex (Fargo's Allison Tolman), a supervising nurse in A&E. She's the one with whom we are supposed to sympathise because she's brimming with goodness and devoted to the job, patiently dealing with difficult patients, difficult colleagues and difficult bosses. Alex gives the show a sentimental side that can verge on the cloying. Her perennially sarcastic colleague, Serena (Kahyun Kim), is more fun. Writer Justin Spitzer previously worked on the US version of The Office, as well as Scrubs and workplace comedy Superstore, and has stayed well within his comfort zone. He's done a competent job, but it all feels too safe. Dr Leonard has been given a quirk, but it's simply that he has a very sweet tooth; the trauma surgeon swaggers around as if he's God's gift, when it would have been more interesting to steer away from that stereotype. The mockumentary touches – all those glances at the camera – feel hackneyed now. Shows like this have been so done to death that we've come full circle, and it's the traditional, canned laughter sitcoms that are starting to look edgy.
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Freddy Brazier announces he's going to rehab to 'get clean' after sad fallout with dad
Freddy Brazier, 20, has revealed he's going to rehab in Spain to get clean after battling a smoking addiction since age 12 Freddy Brazier has announced he is heading to rehab in Spain as he battles a long-standing addiction. The 20-year-old, youngest son of Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody, revealed he has been addicted to smoking since the age of 12 and is now taking steps to 'get clean.' The move follows reports of a strained relationship with his father Jeff, leading Freddy to leave the family home and move in with his maternal grandmother, Jackiey Budden, Mirror reports. On Instagram, Freddy opened up about his decision to seek treatment, saying: "I've decided that I will be cutting down and I want to go to Rehab In Marbs as I feel if I'm in England I won't take getting clean seriously." He described smoking as a "bad coping mechanism that turned into an addiction, something I relied on and something that made me feel sane and some what OK." Yet now, Freddy is determined to turn his life around. "I've found a boxing club and a rehabilitation centre. Ive found someone I want to get to know and I'm happy. I got a good bunch of friends and I [want to] get out and enjoy myself." His goal is clear. "I want to be clean so I can live happily and have healthy relationships with people and be there for all of my family rather then feeling like I'm in the middle and have to choose a side." Freddy also reflected on his struggle to feel loved, admitting, "I haven't been able to feel loved properly as I have never loved myself and it starts now." He hopes to embrace a new chapter, sharing: "I want to play football and take up boxing I want to be happy and be in a healthy relationship and have a healthy relationship with my Nana and my father." The young man ended his heartfelt message with a plea for privacy and understanding: "Every day is a new story about me and my Nana and father. It's getting boring now. Mind your business and have a good rest of the week x." Concerns about Freddy's wellbeing have grown this week after news emerged that he had moved out of his father's home to live with Jackiey Budden. Freddy and Jeff had previously been seen sharing a close bond, notably on the BBC series Race Across the World last year. However, their relationship now appears fractured, with Freddy growing closer to his late mother Jade's mother. Reports say Jeff is devastated by the situation and is considering legal action to prevent Freddy and his grandmother from spending time together. Defying his father's wishes, Freddy has continued to share photos with his grandmother on social media. One recent post alarmed fans as he listed the things he hates about himself, including his 'relationship with weed,' 'step parents,' and his inability to love properly. He also mentioned having 'family issues.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The TikTok video was shared just a day before what would have been Jade Goody's 44th birthday. The late Big Brother star died aged 27 in 2009 after a battle with cervical cancer. Supporters flooded Freddy's post with messages of encouragement. One TikTok user wrote, "Ah man this is gonna be sad to watch," while another said, "Go home son, this is not what mum wanted for you sweetheart." A third added, "Sending you love Fred! Watched you in Race Across the World & you're such a decent lad with so much potential." The tension within the family extends beyond his father. Freddy was absent from his older brother Bobby's 22nd birthday party on Monday, an event reportedly marked by a "sadness" due to his absence. Bobby was said to have spent time with Jeff and his stepmother Kate instead. Freddy was just four when Jade passed away. Since then, Jeff has dedicated himself to raising Freddy and Bobby, striving to provide stability after such a traumatic loss.
Edinburgh Live
8 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Lulu wows BBC The One Show viewers with appearance as she says shares career update
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info BBC viewers were captivated by Lulu's candid revelations as she discussed her 'intimate' project and the therapeutic journey it entailed on The One Show. The 76-year-old Scottish songstress graced the episode aired on Friday (May 6) to chat about her forthcoming tour and her revealing new memoir, If Only You Knew. Lulu, whose birth name is Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie and also goes by Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, expressed a sense of liberation akin to 'being let out of jail' following the completion of her book. In conversation with presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, Lulu confessed that penning the memoir was challenging due to the necessity of confronting aspects of her life she had previously 'assumed' about. The celebrated singer acknowledged: "People think they know Lulu but no one knows you. I've always been very careful, very private and chatty but I keep a lot of things to myself. Now I'm talking about everything and this is because the landscape has changed.", reports Bristol Live. She elaborated on the shift in societal attitudes, noting: "When I was younger everything was a secret and there was a lot of shame because you didn't talk about things but today people talk about things and I think it's healthy. I've had an amazing life but there are certain things in my life that I've never discussed." In a heartfelt admission, Lulu revealed: "I had to go to therapy because it was difficult not to unravel the things that I've been told not to say and the things I was assumed of. Once you've spoken about the things you're assumed of." She explained: "I have mental health issues, I've come through a lot, my family and it's things that I didn't want to talk about but I reveal it in the book, which is kind of like being let out of jail." As the singer spoke candidly, viewers at home couldn't help but notice her age-defying appearance, promptly taking to social media to express their amazement. Someone tweeted on X, previously known as Twitter: "Lulu looks great for 76 #TheOneShow." Another viewer expressed: "#TheOneShow Lulu looks amazing! She looks so young. Love her! ." Meanwhile, a third shared: "Lulu looking good but not my fave singer #TheOneShow." The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm
