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Celebrity Traitors is dead, long live Celebrity Race Across The World (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert) ‘We’re eating like kings tonight,’ says Big Boys star Dylan Llewelyn’s mum, Jackie, as they tuck into a feast of tacos. Sounds like a great plan – if they were on any show other than Celebrity Race Across the World, the reality series where teams zoom across countries on a shoestring budget with no phone, social media, internet, or even credit cards to help them. There’s never been a better time to be Studio Lambert, the production company behind Celebrity Race Across the World, which tonight returns in the slot before its other juggernaut, The Celebrity Traitors – one of the greatest moments of television in my lifetime. Race Across the World is one of the few shows that feels exactly the same whether it’s teams of ‘civilians’ like you or me at its centre, or a bunch of celebs. The challenge is just as great, the struggle just as hard, and the bond between them just as magical. If anything, I don’t think I’ve ever been so instantly enamoured by a team as I have been by Dylan and Jackie, who are so wonderfully useless at the game that it makes for some of the best television this year. Joining them are radio DJ and TV presenter Roman Kemp with his sister, singer-songwriter Harleymoon Kemp; actor Molly Rainford and her Kiss FM DJ boyfriend Tyler West, who met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022; and TV presenter and journalist Anita Rani with her adorable father, Balvinder. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Dylan and Jackie became fast favourites (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert) The star power is arguably weaker than in previous series, which have included the likes of Radio 1 legend Scott Mills, Kelly Brook, and McFly’s Harry Judd – but it very quickly becomes apparent that doesn’t matter. The four teams begin their race at Isla Mujeres – known as the island of women – on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a breathtaking paradise, with crystal clear seas brimming with some of the most eclectic and exciting marine life in the world. From there, they will travel 5,900 kilometres to Colombia’s Peninsula de La Guajira using any mode of transport other than a plane, stopping off at five checkpoints along the way. The race begins immediately – at least for some, who instantly get their game head on, while others spend hours staring at a map like they’re trying to crack The Da Vinci Code. From the get-go, the varying levels of ability are abundantly clear. Team Rani and Team Kemp are straight off the mark, while Molly, Tyler, and Team Llewelyn are completely flustered by the very first hurdle. The difference in the levels of ability between teams is very clear (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert) One episode in, and I’d imagine it will take a miracle for Derry Girls actor Dylan and his mum to make it to the finish line. By their own admission, ‘no one thinks we’re going to win’. After the first day, they’ve managed to travel just 15 kilometres to Cancún – a criminally overpriced tourist hotspot – while everyone else is well on their way to the first checkpoint. The following night, they splash out on a dinner so big they can’t actually finish it, before failing to find accommodation and getting so lost in translation they end up asking a local hospital if they have rooms for the night. Dylan and Jackie are easily the worst team I’ve ever seen across any edition of Race Across the World, but by far my favourite. Beyond their ineptitude, they are everything a Race Across the World team should be: gentle, kind, shy, and united by a love of laughter. They’re the mother-and-son duo that instantly make you want to take the trip of a lifetime with your own parent and create unforgettable memories so few people ever get – or seize – the chance to make. This is an easy group of celebs to love (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert) I fall in love very easily when it comes to Race Across the World contestants, but I can’t think of many – if any – teams that I’ve loved so quickly before. All four couples have their brilliance. Roman and Harleymoon want to be more than siblings and build their friendship from the ground up; Anita Rani’s dad gave up his dreams of travelling to raise a family and work his entire life — his daughter is determined to give him the adventure of a lifetime; and Molly and Tyler are madly in love, their bond visibly growing each day of the race, even when they’re seeing each other at their worst. It’s a rare feat to find a show that, eight series in — across its celebrity and civilian editions — keeps finding its feet even more the longer it goes on. Race Across the World was a slow burner when it first launched on BBC Two to 1.5 million viewers. This latest series is off to the races! (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert) Its latest series broke BBC ratings records, becoming the most-watched programme of the year until The Celebrity Traitors and Strictly, with more than six million people tuning into the final. Watching this Celebrity Race Across the World, it’s clear there’s still plenty of steam left in the franchise’s engine. As long as there are new routes to travel, there will always be incredible journeys to be had. Television doesn’t get much better than the back-to-back Studio Lambert feast tonight — a Celebrity Race Across the World starter followed by a The Celebrity Traitors main course. You’d be a fool not to tuck in. Celebrity Race Across the World airs Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
