Race Across the World is a British television competition programme, in which teams of two race across an area of the world to become the fastest to reach a destination using any means of transportation other than air travel. The programme was broadcast on BBC Two for the first two series, but due to better than expected viewership moved to BBC One for the third series. It has been narrated by John Hannah since first airing in 2019.
The first series, consisting of six episodes, aired from 3 March to 7 April 2019. On 9 July 2019, the BBC confirmed that a second and third series had been commissioned. The second series consisted of nine episodes, with the opening episode broadcast on 8 March 2020. In September 2022, the BBC announced the third series, which is set wholly within Canada and a move to BBC One.
In an announcement on 3 October 2019, it was revealed that a celebrity spin-off series was in the works, but production was subsequently delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The line up and route for the celebrity edition was confirmed in a BBC press release on 27 July 2023.
Format
The programme follows pairs of competitors racing around the world to be the first to reach the final destination. In the first series, the race started from London and finished in Singapore. The competitors cannot fly but are each given an amount of money equivalent to the price of a one-way plane ticket to the final destination, which they can use to travel by land or by sea. The funds can be used to pay for the cost of any travel including food and accommodation, but teams may also work to earn more money along the way. The competitors are not allowed any mobile electronic devices or credit cards at the start of the race, but are given a world map, a GPS device to track their progress and for safety as well as finding the checkpoints, and a travel guide with local job adverts, in addition to the money. In every episode, the teams are given a checkpoint they have to reach. One team may be eliminated if they come last at a pre-determined checkpoint. At each checkpoint, the racers are given a 36-hour break. The first team to reach the final destination is awarded the cash prize of £20,000.
Production
Before the race, two assistant producers conducted a recce research trip to assess the feasibility of such a journey within the budget constraints. All likely bus and train journeys were assessed beforehand. Visas were applied for the countries along all possible routes before the race as well as any necessary vaccinations required for entry to these countries.
During the race, each team had two film crew members who travelled along with them. All decisions, however, were made by the racers and the crew cannot interfere with their choices. A director of photography travelled behind the teams for additional location filming. To ensure the safety of the racers, there may be local fixers and security advisers who observed the racers from a distance, and a medical support vehicle also travelled an hour behind the teams in some countries.
The programme was commissioned by David Brindley and Michael Jochnowitz for BBC Two.
Series overview
Regular
Series 1 (2019)
The first series of Race Across the World consisting of six episodes first aired on BBC Two from 3 March to 7 April 2019. Five pairs of racers travelled from the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London and finished at the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. The itinerary of the race covered countries in Europe and Asia with checkpoints in Greece, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, China and Cambodia. In the first series, the contestants were each given £1,329 for the whole race, a journey of 12,000 miles which was completed in 50 days.
The first series featured five pairs of competitors at the start of the race: Natalie and Shameema, Jinda and Bindu, Darron and Alex, Josh and Felix, and Sue and Clare. Jinda and Bindu withdrew due to family illness in the first episode, and were replaced by Tony and Elaine, while Sue and Clare were eliminated in the second episode. The winners were Tony and Elaine.
The series was the most successful debut for a factual entertainment show on BBC Two in over three years, and one of the most-watched shows of the year for the channel.
Series 2 (2020)