Latest news with #CarolineTom
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Race Across The World copycat show launching this year promising 'high stakes' and 'spectacular gameplay'
A Race Across The World copycat show is launching later this year, promising 'high stakes' and 'spectacular gameplay'. Destination X, presented by Gavin and Stacey's Rob Brydon, sees contestants dropped off at a random location - and they have to work out where. Set to air on the BBC, it is strikingly similar to the broadcaster's beloved programme Race Across The World, which has run to five series so far since it started in 2019. The competition sees pairs of travellers compete to traverse a cross-continental route without smartphones, air travel, the internet or credit cards - and on a limited budget. The latest series ended last week, with mother and son duo Caroline and Tom narrowly claiming victory and taking home the £20,000 cash prize. But with the trailer for Destination X airing after the finale episode, as filming has already taken place, Race Across The World fans will soon get their next fix of travel contests. Set to air on the BBC, it is strikingly similar to the broadcaster's beloved programme Race Across The World (pictured, the contestants on the latest series), which has run to five series so far since it started in 2019 Based on a Belgian series, after a US version also came out earlier this year, the new programme will see participants travel on a blacked-out bus to an unknown location. They will take on challenges and games during their journey, which will provide clues as to where they are - and a couple of red herrings to keep them guessing. But at the end of each episode, the contestant who places an X on the map the furthest away from their actual destination will be kicked off the bus and sent home. The first player to reach the final mystery place, the titular Destination X, will be crowned the winner. It is not known exactly yet what their prize will be - but the recent American version offered an eye-watering jackpot of $250,000 (around £184,000). The BBC's synopsis for Destination X reads: 'Merging fantasy with reality in this larger-than-life adventure competition series, viewers will follow contestants as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime but have no idea where they are... 'With high stakes and mind-blowing spectacular gameplay, the series will continuously keep viewers engaged and take them along for the ride.' Host Rob, 59, best known as Bryn West on Gavin and Stacey, leapt straight into filming in October last year, just a week after wrapping on filming for the Christmas special of the classic BBC sitcom. A TV source told The Sun at the time: 'Destination X is going to be massive for the BBC and they wanted a familiar face to take it on. 'Rob is very well liked and is incredibly funny, so he seemed the ideal candidate to present the show. 'Filming begins in the mystery location this week.' The BBC has reportedly invested £20million on the travel show and is hoping the series will be 'better than The Traitors'. Involving similar strategy and scheming, it is sure to be a hit with fans of the beloved BBC reality show, which started in 2022 and has since spawned multiple international versions. In fact, Destination X was quietly commissioned back in April 2023, as a joint effort between the BBC and American channel NBC after both hit the jackpot with their respective Traitors programmes. BBC director of unscripted Kate Phillips said in 2023: 'Following the must-see success of The Traitors, I'm delighted that once again we're partnering with NBCUniversal on another very smart, very addictive and very innovative competition show. 'With countless red herrings and brain-teasing clues, we were gripped from the start. 'It promises to be a hugely challenging adventure for our ten brave contestants, with plenty of play along for all BBC viewers, as everyone hopes they've got the "X" that marks the spot!' The broadcaster has thrown all its might behind the new programme, by appointing well-liked Rob as host. The presenter of BBC comedy panel show Would I Lie To You? said: 'How could I turn down the opportunity to become the mastermind of Destination X, the thrilling new travel adventure series coming to the BBC next year? 'It's a show that turns the whole of Europe into a board game - manipulating the players and the audience at home along the way. 'I can't wait to be the puppet master orchestrating every twist and turn as our contestants are taken on a journey where everything is not as it seems. 'It's going to be a wild ride!' It comes after mother and son Caroline, 61, and Tom, 21, took the crown on the latest series of Race Across The World. The fifth series saw the travellers take on an almost 9,000-mile route from the Great Wall Of China, through Nepal, to the southern tip of India, with a budget of just over £1,000 per person. The pair narrowly claimed victory, taking home the £20,000 prize, with sisters Elizabeth and Letitia only 19 minutes behind them. And after the programme aired, Caroline spoke out about the secret battles their epic 51-day journey helped her overcome. Caroline and Tom spoke extensively on the show about the mother claiming - and her son accepting - her identity beyond being a housewife and parent. But she told Metro she had been facing another challenge behind the scenes too: 'We'd just downsized the house which I really struggled with. 'I didn't have a horse anymore and we had our dog put down. 'Tom was becoming more independent and I thought, "I don't know what life is going to offer me now". 'Luckily, Race Across The World came at the right time.' She took the loss of her horse so hard because it has emerged since her time on the show that Caroline is a successful eventer. The Race Across The World winner loves to take part in the equestrian event, which sees competitors take on dressage, cross-country and show jumping. And since finishing the BBC competition show, she got her horse back and made a successful return to the sport: 'I have a much more positive attitude now. 'I still spend a lot of time outside with my animals but I'm not as frightened of being lonely.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Race Across the World locations: Where was the 2025 series filmed?
Race Across the World has wrapped up for another year, with Wednesday's final episode concluding with four teams competing to be the first to reach the southernmost tip of India. Over the past eight weeks, the teams navigated themselves through a line-up of destinations from China to India, trekking across the foothills of the Himalayas, stopping in bustling cities like Shangri-La, Delhi and Mumbai, as well as ticking off two wonders of the modern world at the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. The first episode, which aired on 23 April, introduced us to five intrepid duos who set off on the 14,000km race that took 51 days to complete. Among the teams are brothers Brian and Melvin, mother and son Caroline and Tom, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, young Welsh couple Fin and Sioned and the unlikely duo of previously married couple-turned-friends Yin and Gaz. This year, the teams trekked across China, Nepal and India. The pairs travelled through towns, cities and rural areas with a limited budget and resources carried in backpacks, making decisions as to what transport they would use, which route to take, where they would sleep and how much to spend. After launching the race at the Great Wall of China, the teams ticked off seven checkpoints, before setting their sights on being the first to reach the final destination at Kanniyakumari in India. While we will have to wait another year for the next season of Race Across the World, here's a summary of the locations our teams navigated as we look back on the colossal journey undertaken. The start The Great Wall of China The race began at the Great Wall of China, overlooking the village of Huanghuacheng, around 80km north of China's capital, Beijing. A fitting start for such a long trek, the walk across the entire Great Wall would certainly compete for an extensive journey in itself, stretching over 21,000km. One of the new seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China, is the largest manmade project that represents over two thousand years of Chinese history. The series of fortifications starts in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Checkpoint one Huangling, China Around 2,000km to the south of the Great Wall is the first checkpoint, Huangling in the Jiangxi province, which has nestled on the slopes of Huayi Mountains for over 500 years. This community is famous for its Hui-style architecture and drying chillies on rooftops, creating a colourful bird's-eye view. This picturesque village, dotted with historical buildings and ancient sites, is surrounded by a scenic spread of lush greenery across the mountain slopes. The town is six centuries old, but lay in a dilapidated state until 16 years ago, when it transformed into a rural tourist hotspot. The teams were told to reach Huangling via cable car, then alight to cross the Leixin Suspension Bridge before finally checking into the Huangling Shaiqiu Hotel. Checkpoint two Sanya, China In the second episode, the five teams prepare to leave Huangling for a 2,700km journey to the city of Sanya, on the southern tip of Hainan Island. Along the way, the teams stopped at different places from glitzy cities to deep rural gems, including the cosmopolitan city of Xiamen on the coast, the Longji Rice Terraces near Guilin, and the ancient town of Fenghuang. After traversing much of southeastern China, the leg ends with Sanya, one of China's most southerly cities. Sanya attracts much of the wealthy elite in China due to its tropical climate, but as a result of this weather, it is also prone to monsoon storms. The city has several beaches along its coastal areas, including Dadonghai Bay and Yalong Bay, while one of its most impressive cultural landmarks is the Nanshan Temple. The temple is dominated by a statue of Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion and stands taller than the Statue of Liberty, as its three connected portraits look out while standing on an artificial islet. The Yazhou Ancient City, Yalong Tropical Paradise Forest Park and Wuzhizhou are also among other popular places to visit in Sanya. Checkpoint three Shangri-La, China Departing Sanya, the teams this week travelled through southwest China, stopping in key transport hubs such as Kunming and Nanning, spotting monkeys in Guizhou, and visiting the world's largest musical fountain in the sustainability-driven city of Liuzhou. The goal is to reach Shangri-La, a city on the edge of the Tibetan plateau in the heart of the Hengduan mountain range. The city was known for centuries as Zhongdian, but in 2001 it was renamed after the fictional utopia described in James Hilton's Lost Horizon in an effort to entice more tourists. The city has a cultural heritage that blends Chinese and Tibetan, as seen through its architecture, such as Yunnan's largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Songzanlin Monastery, and its mix of vibrant courtyard-style homes and temples. Shangri-La also attracts visitors each year to its annual horse racing festival, usually held in June. Checkpoint four Varanasi, India As the Himalayas separating Shangri-La from India present a gargantuan challenge capable of humbling even the world's most fearless adventurers, the remaining four teams were flown to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu to restart their race. Set in a valley surrounded by mountains, this bustling city is home to traffic-jammed alleyways, historic cultural sites, seven Unesco World Heritage Sites and the picturesque and peaceful Garden of Dreams. Checkpoint four is Varanasi, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities and a site of profound spiritual importance. Situated on the banks of the Ganges River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, it's a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, as well as Buddhists and Jains. Home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the most sacred Hindu sites in India and the Manikarnika Ghat, one of the holiest cremation grounds among the sacred riverfront ghats, Varanasi is a frenetic and unforgettable city that marks our intrepid travellers' fourth checkpoint. Checkpoint five McLeod Ganj, India After reaching Varanasi, India's spiritual capital, the racers discovered their next checkpoint would be McCleod Ganj, a journey that would take them 1,500km northwest. The highly elevated town, known as a hill station, is home to the 14th Dalai Lama and has a large Tibetan community after he and many others sought refuge here in 1959 after an uprising against the Chinese in Tibet. This story is told in the Tibet Museum in McLeod Ganj, which puts on exhibitions showcasing Tibet's history, culture and situation in the present in exile. The town also draws thousands of visitors coming in search of blessings and Buddhist wisdom, as well as domestic travellers looking to avoid soaring temperatures. To get there, the Race Across the World teams needed to traverse one of the most populated areas on Earth, before climbing nearly 7,000 feet into the foothills of the Himalayas within the district of Himachal Pradesh. The area was named after Donald Friell McLeod, who was a Lieutenant Governor during British colonial rule in India. The Himalayan town has lots of scenic viewpoints over the foothills, including areas such as Triund and the Naddi View Point, while colourful houses, monasteries and temples are dotted across the hillside. Checkpoint six Sasan Gir, India The sixth checkpoint saw teams travelling a colossal 1,900km to the south of India, heading through the country's largest state, Rajasthan, the Great Indian Desert and colourful cities such as Amritsar, Jodhpur and Pushkar. The teams were aiming for Sasan Gir, gateway to the Gir National Park, a wildlife destination with large stretches of grassland and the last remaining natural habitat of the endangered Asiatic lion. The park is also home to 40 species of mammals and 425 bird species, with crocodiles, jackals, eagles and owls often seen roaming. However, the park mainly attracts visitors from all over the world to spot the lions on their safari and tour packages. This is due to Gir National Park in Gujarat being the only place in the world, aside from Africa, where you can spot lions roaming free in the wild. The small Sasan Gir village, home to the Maldhari and Siddi communities, also has plenty of hotels and resorts to stay in near the national park. The park has 1,412 square metres of dry deciduous forest, and stays very hot all year round, with its lowest temperature 28C in the winter, and highs of 39C in the summer. Checkpoint seven Panaji For the penultimate checkpoint, the teams trekked 1,500km south of Sasan Gir to Panaji, the capital of India's smallest state, Goa. After passing through destinations such as Vadodara, vineyards in Igatpuri and the country's largest city, Mumbai, the pairs reached the coastal city made up of palm-fringed beaches and colourful streets. Until 1961, the city was under Portuguese colonial rule, with echoes of this heritage still woven through its red-tiled roof buildings, baroque architecture and Goan-Portuguese bakeries selling custard tarts. One notable baroque construction is the towering Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception church, with its bright white facade standing out in a sea of bold buildings and vibrant street art. The city now attracts millions of tourists each year, drawing a young crowd to Goa's relaxed beach scene and creatives to its public art, collectives, art festivals and galleries. Panaji also sits on the banks of the Mandovi River, which flows out into the Arabian Sea and has coastal hotspots such as Bamolim Bay and Miramar, attracting beachgoers. The small Olive Ridley sea turtle has been seen nesting at Panaji's beaches, and Galgibaga, further down the coast, has a protected area to help the nesting turtles. The end Kanniyakumari, India To become Race Across the World champions and win a prize of £20,000, the teams had to reach the town of Kanniyakumari first. Located on the southernmost tip of India and a popular pilgrimage point, Kanniyakumari sits at the converging point of three major bodies of water, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Alongside its sublime coastal views, the town is filled with historic monuments, such as the 95-foot-tall Thiruvalluvar Statue, as well as temples, churches and waterfalls. However, one of its major pulls is being the location for some of the best sunrise and sunset spectacles in the country, as its geography allows for witnessing both, appearing as if the Sun rises and then drops back below the horizon line.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Race Across The World 2025 winners revealed
Spoiler Alert: Race Across The World 2025 winners revealed and final episode spoilers ahead! Race Across the World 2025 reached its thrilling conclusion with mother and son, Caroline and Tom, becoming the first pair to reach the final checkpoint in Kanniyakumari and claim the £20,000 prize. After thousands of kilometres raced across China, Nepal, and India, the final leg was the closest all teams had been in 51 days. In a final dash to the finish, Caroline and Tom, the first ever mother and son pairing to win, were declared winners of the 14,100km race across the world's largest continent, Asia. Watch Race Across the World on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Watch Celebrity Race Across the World on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Sprinting to the finish line, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, who have remained consistent throughout the race, came in second place, with just 19 minutes between them and the race winners. They were followed by teenage couple Fin and Sioned, while brothers Brian and Melvyn, came in fourth. It was a race to find a boat towards the fishing village of Arockiapuram and there, find the Vattakottai Fort where the last and final sign in book was waiting. As Caroline and Tom turned to the page to discover they had reached the final checkpoint in first place, they hugged, overcome with emotion. An emotional Caroline cried: 'We must never doubt ourselves again. Ever, ever, ever.' Writing their names in the book, Tom said: 'That's a really good feeling, I'm lost for words, I can't believe it. 51 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.' As sisters Elizabeth and Letitia turned the page to claim second place, Elizabeth said: 'Ah Tom and Caroline, so close, 19 minutes,' with Letitia adding: 'I'm proud of us'. Just 45 minutes behind the winners, Fin and Sioned arrived in third place. Fin said: 'We've done well.' He added: 'it would have been incredible to have come first, but obviously we can't all come first.. we've gone more than 12000km…' Sioned continued: 'it's been more than just the distance, it's been a journey for us.' Brian and Melvyn, who arrived in fourth place, only 3 hours and 5 minutes behind race winners, said: 'We've done very well actually. Really pleased for the guys that have won it. Beer? Desperately, and definitely!' The final episode saw Caroline and Tom begin the last leg in the lead, 6 hours and 54 minutes ahead of Elizabeth and Letitia. They started from the 7th checkpoint, Panaji in Goa with just over 1000km to traverse across the southern Indian states to reach the finish line at the southernmost tip of India in Kanniyakumari. Arriving into Kanniyakumari by taxi, Tom said how nervous he was, and worried more when he exclaimed: 'I've just seen Fin and Sioned, I promise you, I have, oh no'. Getting caught in a traffic jam, Caroline and Tom were visibly despondent. Receiving their first instructions to reach the tip of India, Caroline and Tom raced through huge crowds of people trying to watch the incredible sunrise but with little time to appreciate the stunning views: 'it's a nice sunrise, bit hard to focus on, but it's nice.' Hot on Caroline and Tom's heels, Elizabeth and Letitia received the next instructions to proceed on foot to the front of Our Lady of Ransom Shrine. Not hesitating to ask multiple people for help, the teams made their way and discovered they must then take a boat to Arockiapuram fishing village. Caroline and Tom secured a boat for 1000 rupees, stressing that they were in a race and the need for speed to their driver. Still worried about having seen Fin and Sioned, Tom said; 'I still can't see Fin and Sioned, I don't know if they can see us.' The teams received a message instructing them to head on foot to the Vattakottai Fort. Running through the winding streets, trying to find the beach, Tom said: 'it's so far out of the way'. On reaching the entrance to the Fort, Caroline and Tom ran in with Caroline asking 'Can you see anyone else, Thomas?' and Tom replying; 'I don't see anyone.' The pair reached the book and discovered they had won the race of a lifetime and a prize of £20,000. Over the eight-part series, the four pairs have raced over 14,000km over 51 days. The teams have successfully journeyed across the world's largest continent, Asia, taking in three of its most diverse and fascinating nations – China, Nepal and India. They've had to navigate crowds, congestion and cultural barriers, as well as a multitude of vast ranging landscapes on an epic journey from The Great Wall of China in northeastern China all the way to the southernmost tip of India – Kanniyakumari – all without smartphones, internet access and bank cards, and armed only with the cash equivalent of flying the route. Following the final episode of Race Across the World, the teams will return for a heart-warming reunion celebration on iPlayer and BBC One on Wednesday 18 June from 9pm. The teams will reflect on their race, including behind-the-scenes insights and unseen moments. This one-off special offers an in-depth and intimate look into how the travellers coped with the trials and tribulations of a life-affirming race, and the impact it's had on their lives and relationships. Race Across The World 2025 Winners Q&A How does it feel to have won Race Across the World? Caroline – It feels absolutely amazing, I'm so sad it's come to the end, that is the worst bit about it. We've enjoyed being with everybody but my God this race has meant so much. We've learnt so much we've enjoyed it and to actually win it as well as to have the experience is the best thing that could have happened to us. Tom – Doing the experience in itself is winning but to actually get to that book first and open it and to see that it was empty was something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Can you sum the experience up in just a few words? Tom – Best experience of my life. Caroline – Incredible, amazing, valuable in so many ways and a lifetime achievement. Who did you tell first? Caroline – My husband. In the car on the way home, we couldn't hide it. Tom – We made a pact on the plane journey home not to tell anybody, but within 5 minutes of seeing him we let that one go! It was so hard to keep it in! What do you plan on doing with the money? Tom – I haven't really thought about what I'm doing with the money yet. 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 – Thomas is starting up a business and its been inspired by India and I'd like to help him with that. VHW
