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Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The biggest complaint about Race Across The World misses the point completely
I'm a recent Race Across The World convert… and I'm not sure what took me so long. I only started watching the BBC series last year. I was immediately swept up with wanderlust and awe for the competitors as they jumped into the unknown feet first. But it wasn't just the travel inspiration that sucked me into the show. It was the beautiful vulnerability of the contestants, the way that their unique journeys helped some of them work through tensions that have fractured relationships with their teammates for years. Yet this is apparently the biggest complaint viewers currently have with Race Across The World: Too many sob stories. I couldn't disagree more, and I think the programme would fail without them. This year's cast includes former married couple Yin and Gaz, who were eliminated at the end of the third leg; sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, brothers Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple Fin and Sioned; and mother and son duo Caroline and Tom. It's been over a month since viewers were introduced to the teams, and in that time, we've been able to get to know them all on a personal level. Despite a big difference in age, the two sets of siblings have been on similar paths. Sisters Letitia, 26, and Elizabeth, 33, explained how they've had a very surface-level relationship. The sisters clearly care for each other, but there is a lot unsaid, hovering in the air between them. Brian, 62, and Melvyn, 65, also spent a great deal of their childhood apart. They also recalled growing up in a household that wasn't particularly loving, which made it even more emotional when they celebrated taking their first photo together in years, and vowed to go on more joint holidays. One of the most motivational people on this year's series has been Caroline, 60, who shocked her 21-year-old son Tom when she revealed how being a housewife made her feel as though her value only lay in being 'useful at home'. She's thrown herself into the race with vigour and determination, finding a sense of purpose that she's been missing for a long time. Knowing her backstory has made me cheer her on all the more. I hope that by sharing her story, she'll help to instill that same confidence she's found in other womenwho are questioning their value. Without the 'sob stories', Race Across The World would still be entertaining to watch, but this extra layer serves as an important reminder that every single person you cross paths with in life has struggles that you might not know about. For me, the moment that cemented how incredibly special Race Across The World is took place on last year's series, when Betty spoke to her brother James about being diagnosed with MRKH, a rare congenital condition that left her 'without a womb' and unable to have biological children. It was the first time that the siblings had discussed it, and when James later spoke directly to the camera about it, he broke down in tears and asked the camera operator to give him a hug. In a rare moment for a reality TV series, the crew member didn't hesitate to come on screen and console the 21-year-old. Just thinking about that moment over a year later still gives me chills. It made me wonder how I'd fare if I went on Race Across The World with my older brother. How we'd face obstacles together, whether being on the road would prompt us to open up about things we've never spoken about. Would it change our relationship forever? The emotional bits of the show are thought-inspiring. Without them I doubt I'd consider my own life in this way. Whether I'd stop to think about my goals, my relationships, and whether there's anything deep-rooted in my psyche that's been holding me back from achieving my aspirations in life. Contestant's openness has made me realise that it's OK if you don't have everything figured out, no matter your age. That you can be thrown into a situation that you are completely unprepared for, and not only make it through, but thrive. It's certainly made me want to see more of the world, but also reminded me that I need to appreciate all of the wondrous moments of everyday life at home. More Trending So before you complain, I'd urge you to consider – if the sob stories were removed from the show, what would distinguish it from all of the other travel shows out there? Would you come away from each episode feeling inspired or moved, or would you simply have a new destination to add to your travel wish list? To say that Race Across The World would be better if it were focused more on travelling and less on the personal stories of the contestants is missing the point entirely. View More » Race Across The World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, with the finale due to air next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Donald Trump's travel ban isn't actually about protecting Americans MORE: The Virgin Island hate is atrocious – season 2 will prove me right MORE: Doctor Who fans fume that character was 'butchered' as actor speaks out on exit
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Race Across the World's Letitia and Elizabeth reveal 'pressures' of language 'advantage'
Race Across the World sisters Letitia and Elizabeth tell Yahoo UK that the younger sister was "under pressure" to "perform" because she could speak Mandarin. Some viewers claimed Letitia, 26, and Elizabeth, 33, had an "unfair advantage" on the race but the siblings reveal this is far from the truth. On-screen, Letitia's Mandarin skills came across well but she admits behind the scenes she was struggling with the language she hadn't spoken in years. Talking to Yahoo UK, Letitia says: "To be honest, when we first found out where we're going [to China], I was like, 'Oh my goodness, this is crazy' because I've not spoken Mandarin in like... how many years? "Maybe three or five years. I thought it was a lot of pressure because I knew a little bit of the language but I'm not fluent at all." After starting the race at the Great Wall of China, the sisters took the lead for the first two legs. Navigating their way through China for the first three episodes wasn't as easy as it seemed for the siblings though. Of speaking the language, Letitia further explains: "Honestly, it's very broken Mandarin and the fact [was] that sometimes I wouldn't understand what they were saying, and the clip you see on TV is very short. "I'll be talking to someone for a good 20 minutes trying to understand what they'll say and trying to put my point across. Yeah, it was difficult with the language — or even without anyway. There was pressure I felt I had to perform well." Her older sister Elizabeth also acknowledges the downside of Letitia knowing some of the language. She says: "And it's confusing because if you know just a little bit, you can get sidetracked because you think that you've understood something [and you didn't]." Whether the language was an advantage or not, the sisters didn't know each other as well as some of their other competitors knew their travel companions on the race. They tell Yahoo UK how the race shaped their bond and influenced their future adventures. When Elizabeth moved to live in Italy for 10 years, the sisters drifted apart. Race Across the World gave them the chance to rediscover their sisterly bond again. "Yes definitely [it brought us closer]," Letitia says. "Considering we're travelling 24 hours together, making big decisions, being in each other's presence. You just cope. You're put in a situation where sometimes you are upset and you have to deal with it or give each other space." "You really learn a lot about each other, so it definitely progressed our relationship and we've got a lot more comfortable with each other now and we're able to communicate better." Elizabeth says: "[On RATW] you learn a lot about yourself as well and then when you learn about yourself, then it's easier to then like integrate with other people, so I think we were learning about ourselves as well in a way." She adds: "For me, I learned that I'm not as decisive as I would like to be. It was quite difficult to make decisions under pressure. It was gonna be a difficult thing anyway. So I definitely learned that about myself and then I learned how Letitia was actually quite more relaxed than me at some times, which makes me feel like, 'OK, I don't have to be the big older sister all the time'." Letitia says: "Similar to what you [Elizabeth] said, I was surprised, when we're put in situations making difficult decisions, you really wanted to think it out and make sure you know it was the right decision and things like that. Because for me I thought... older sister — you know exactly what you exactly what to do. "But there's a little more that goes into your thought process and I was like, 'Oh, that's quite surprising', but it helped me communicate better with you. We gave each other that time to go through the process of decision making. "And what did I learn about myself? I was just mixed emotions where I didn't think I would be able to do it. It's chaos everywhere! Being on buses for so long. It was so noisy. I thought I would complain a lot more." Elizabeth adds her thoughts: "I feel like you gained so much more confidence." Once filming was over, the sisters caught a plane on their next trip together to Kenya. As the race continues to influence their travel choices, their adventures together are only just beginning. "Straight after [Race] we actually went to Kenya," Elizabeth says. "We really wanted to spend time with family and things, but also just trying to connect more. Our parents are from Kenya. It was a nice way to reconnect, have a family reunion." Letitia says: "And honestly after the race, after the stress, we needed that relaxation! We needed a holiday to unwind and relax. I don't think the adventures will stop now. Definitely trying other things with travelling, got the travel bug!" She adds: "The race definitely made me embrace everything and not look at my phone too much or don't take so many pictures, just embrace and live in a moment. When I travel now and I definitely still use my card. I still need to use Google Maps. "But definitely appreciating and embracing and living in the moment when travelling has definitely come from Race, so yeah, I'm really grateful for that." Elizabeth agrees: "Same with me as well. I don't really use my phone too much anyway, so I was actually OK without using my phone. I'm a bit of a follower when I travel, so Letitia is normally the one that's like checking reviews and things like that. "So for me I actually really enjoyed not having a phone when I was going around but it's just, yeah, the freedom. Just embracing everything and just going slowly. It definitely encouraged me to speak a lot more to people. I like speaking to people but this is definitely encouraged that." Race Across the World continues at 9pm on Wednesday on BBC One.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Race Across the World's Letitia and Elizabeth reveal 'pressures' of language 'advantage'
Race Across the World sisters Letitia and Elizabeth tell Yahoo UK that the younger sister was "under pressure" to "perform" because she could speak Mandarin. Some viewers claimed Letitia, 26, and Elizabeth, 33, had an "unfair advantage" on the race but the siblings reveal this is far from the truth. On-screen, Letitia's Mandarin skills came across well but she admits behind the scenes she was struggling with the language she hadn't spoken in years. Talking to Yahoo UK, Letitia says: "To be honest, when we first found out where we're going [to China], I was like, 'Oh my goodness, this is crazy' because I've not spoken Mandarin in like... how many years? "Maybe three or five years. I thought it was a lot of pressure because I knew a little bit of the language but I'm not fluent at all." After starting the race at the Great Wall of China, the sisters took the lead for the first two legs. Navigating their way through China for the first three episodes wasn't as easy as it seemed for the siblings though. Of speaking the language, Letitia further explains: "Honestly, it's very broken Mandarin and the fact [was] that sometimes I wouldn't understand what they were saying, and the clip you see on TV is very short. "I'll be talking to someone for a good 20 minutes trying to understand what they'll say and trying to put my point across. Yeah, it was difficult with the language — or even without anyway. There was pressure I felt I had to perform well." Her older sister Elizabeth also acknowledges the downside of Letitia knowing some of the language. She says: "And it's confusing because if you know just a little bit, you can get sidetracked because you think that you've understood something [and you didn't]." Whether the language was an advantage or not, the sisters didn't know each other as well as some of their other competitors knew their travel companions on the race. They tell Yahoo UK how the race shaped their bond and influenced their future adventures. When Elizabeth moved to live in Italy for 10 years, the sisters drifted apart. Race Across the World gave them the chance to rediscover their sisterly bond again. "Yes definitely [it brought us closer]," Letitia says. "Considering we're travelling 24 hours together, making big decisions, being in each other's presence. You just cope. You're put in a situation where sometimes you are upset and you have to deal with it or give each other space." "You really learn a lot about each other, so it definitely progressed our relationship and we've got a lot more comfortable with each other now and we're able to communicate better." Elizabeth says: "[On RATW] you learn a lot about yourself as well and then when you learn about yourself, then it's easier to then like integrate with other people, so I think we were learning about ourselves as well in a way." She adds: "For me, I learned that I'm not as decisive as I would like to be. It was quite difficult to make decisions under pressure. It was gonna be a difficult thing anyway. So I definitely learned that about myself and then I learned how Letitia was actually quite more relaxed than me at some times, which makes me feel like, 'OK, I don't have to be the big older sister all the time'." Letitia says: "Similar to what you [Elizabeth] said, I was surprised, when we're put in situations making difficult decisions, you really wanted to think it out and make sure you know it was the right decision and things like that. Because for me I thought... older sister — you know exactly what you exactly what to do. "But there's a little more that goes into your thought process and I was like, 'Oh, that's quite surprising', but it helped me communicate better with you. We gave each other that time to go through the process of decision making. "And what did I learn about myself? I was just mixed emotions where I didn't think I would be able to do it. It's chaos everywhere! Being on buses for so long. It was so noisy. I thought I would complain a lot more." Elizabeth adds her thoughts: "I feel like you gained so much more confidence." Once filming was over, the sisters caught a plane on their next trip together to Kenya. As the race continues to influence their travel choices, their adventures together are only just beginning. "Straight after [Race] we actually went to Kenya," Elizabeth says. "We really wanted to spend time with family and things, but also just trying to connect more. Our parents are from Kenya. It was a nice way to reconnect, have a family reunion." Letitia says: "And honestly after the race, after the stress, we needed that relaxation! We needed a holiday to unwind and relax. I don't think the adventures will stop now. Definitely trying other things with travelling, got the travel bug!" She adds: "The race definitely made me embrace everything and not look at my phone too much or don't take so many pictures, just embrace and live in a moment. When I travel now and I definitely still use my card. I still need to use Google Maps. "But definitely appreciating and embracing and living in the moment when travelling has definitely come from Race, so yeah, I'm really grateful for that." Elizabeth agrees: "Same with me as well. I don't really use my phone too much anyway, so I was actually OK without using my phone. I'm a bit of a follower when I travel, so Letitia is normally the one that's like checking reviews and things like that. "So for me I actually really enjoyed not having a phone when I was going around but it's just, yeah, the freedom. Just embracing everything and just going slowly. It definitely encouraged me to speak a lot more to people. I like speaking to people but this is definitely encouraged that." Race Across the World continues at 9pm on Wednesday on BBC One.
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Race Across the World's Letitia breaks down as she recalls childhood trauma
BBC Race Across the World's Letitia breaks down as she recalls childhood trauma Race Across the World returned to screens on Wednesday night with four remaining teams. The popular series Race Across the World returned to our screens on Wednesday (14 May), with the remaining four teams setting off on their next adventure. The fourth leg of the journey saw Brian and Melvin, Caroline and Tom, Elizabeth and Letitia, and Fion and Sioned continue their travels, following Gaz and Yin's departure. Upon reaching the third checkpoint, Shangri-La, the teams were directed towards their next destination, Varanasi. This stage of the race took the pairs through China and Nepal, before crossing into India. Their routes were not without challenges, as they had to navigate the impassable Himalayas, necessitating a flight to Kathmandu to resume the competition. As she and her sister Elizabeth embarked on this new leg, Letitia reflected on their experiences in the race and shared some personal insights about their childhood hardships, reports Surrey Live. Letitia on Race Across the World (Image: BBC ) Article continues below In a heartfelt moment, Letitia opened up about what ignited her passion for travel and her struggles with self-confidence. "We did end up losing our family home. Your home, is like your safe space and that being taken away from you is very upsetting," she confessed, visibly moved. Letitia continued: "It really did impact me. I guess I became a different person, basically. I think that's why I go travelling, because I'm trying to find a sense of belonging." Reflecting on the hurdles of participating in Race Across the World, she expressed: "This race is going to be a challenge, because I just want to be the kind of person where you don't have to think about a lot. "That's the confidence I want, just not to care and just be me, and try to embrace myself more." Letitia opened up about her confidence on Race Across the World (Image: BBC ) Article continues below In the episode, teams were faced with the decision to either journey west from Kathmandu into Nepal or head straight south towards India's border. Once entering India, it became a dash for the competitors to reach the fourth checkpoint. Their pursuit saw them navigating the crowded lanes of Varanasi, situated along the Ganges River. Race Across The World airs on Wednesdays on BBC One at 9pm
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Race Across the World is TV's biggest show right now, but why is it so popular?
Race Across the World is the TV show of the moment, breaking its record, with 5.9million people watching the opener. Super TV wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday: "RATINGS! #RaceAcrossTheWorld is officially the biggest show on TV at the moment, with series 5 scoring the highest ever opener for the show with 5.9 MILLION viewers — up almost half a million on last years record breaking series in 7 day data!" With so much choice across streaming platforms as well as traditional broadcast channels, it begs the question why is RATW so fascinating to people? What is it about the show that hooks people in? In a world where TV shows are mostly binge-able, why are people coming back to watch it every Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It has a few big open secrets to success. Beautiful places and inspiring for travel Race Across the World started at The Great Wall of China. (BBC/Studio Lambert) What jumps out first as the most popular reason for tuning into RATW is the stunning scenery. RATW is a wonderful yet gruelling experience where five teams are tasked with making the journey from one checkpoint to the next. In the 2025 series, the teams are making the trip from the Great Wall of China to the southernmost tip of India: Kanniyakumari. Meet this year's adventurers: sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, brothers Melvyn and Brian, young couple Fin and Sioned, mother and son Caroline and Tom as well as former married couple Yin and Gaz. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Of course, there's a catch: no catching a flight, smartphones or credit cards and on a tight budget. The show is beautiful as it takes you to places that you may not have had the chance to travel to yet. It sparks ideas of where you might like to take your next holiday, with travel companies designing routes around RATW and some claiming a spike in interest in places after featuring on the BBC show. Or perhaps you have been there before and it reminds you of the fantastic time you have had in the country. RATW has an educational and cultural element to it too. Where the teams head off to pick up local jobs, they have the chance to explore the route off the beaten path. The tourist elements are covered off too, with the contestants opting to check out an experience. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Take Melvyn and Brian visiting the Longmen Grottoes where there are thousands of Buddhist statues in a series of caves in Luoyang, China. Or when Letitia and Elizabeth were wowed by the dramatic rice fields in Longji, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang region. Incredible casting Race Across the World 2025 Race Across the World's line-up includes:mCaroline, Tom, Elizabeth, Letitia, Fin, Sioned, Yin, Gaz, Brian, Melvin. (BBC/Studio Lambert) In the civilian series, "normal" everyday people are cast to take part in the adventure. What stands out about the casting is that every individual featuring on the show has an extraordinary ordinary story to tell. Sometimes you can see yourself in the cast line-up, or your friends, or your closest family. The race is shot over eight weeks where the contestants are filmed all day. What makes RATW contestants stand out from other reality shows is they don't recruit the type of person who is interested in building a TV career or making quick cash. TV bosses recruit the people who ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The show's line producer Maria Kennedy told The Telegraph last year: "We interrogate would-be contestants' motivations very hard to make sure they're not just taking part for money, or to boost their Instagram following or get some product endorsements." She added: "They are not normal TV contestants, and they wouldn't apply for anything else." Life-changing experience Tricia and Cathie won Race Across the World series 3 that explored Canada. (BBC/Studio Lambert) RATW is genuinely unscripted TV and you can see the way it changes the individuals who take part. It changes the way they live their lives and it even influences the way they travel. The BBC show also inspires those watching at home too. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Former winners Cathie and Tricia, from the Canada series, told Yahoo UK how it changed the way they travel forever. "I'm a lot more confident travelling and I've got this massive need — or feel — to want to explore," Cathie told us. "So, rather than just going on holiday to a resort and plonking yourself there and that's it. I just want to see stuff and go places and do things. Trish I have been really lucky that we've managed to do some extra stuff as well off our own back, but yeah, I just got this real craving for adventure travel now and don't get me wrong if somebody gave me a holiday to the Maldives — I'm there!" Tricia cheekily quipped that Cathie could go to the Maldives without her (she didn't mind though)! "Yeah, just sit there, jump on a flight, back to a beach resort and just sit there. I've never been good at doing that anyway," Tricia said. "Myself and my husband tend to jump on an aeroplane, get to a random place, hire a car, and travel and see things. I burn under a 60 watt lightbulbs. So I'm not very good at sitting on a beach. But more now I'm more adventurous of doing stuff on my own without actually having to worry about 'are we ATOL protected?' and blah, blah, blah. I've always been a bull in a china shop and do it anyway but [now] I think this is more like nah, I'll just do it." Kindness of strangers Stephen and Viv from the 2024 series of Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) One of the most heartwarming moments of RATW is the kindness of strangers. It also is one of the most rewarding elements for those taking part. It was a highlight for Stephen and Viv from the 2024 series. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Stephen told Yahoo UK last year: "We regularly get asked what was the best bit? What was the best place you went to? It's a hard one to answer but singularly the people we met every country were so nice. So supportive. Friendly. Welcoming. Just lovely." Viv agreed: "Sometimes we didn't even have to ask for help. Sometimes they saw us. Sometimes we were crying. They would come over and offer help. It's amazing, the help that they did offer." Race Across the World continues at 9pm on BBC One on Wednesday.
