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.
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.
Race Across The World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, with the finale due to air next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.
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