By Sarah Haselwood

Copyright metro

All four couples have dropped from a Derry Girls star to BBC presenter (Picture: BBC/StudioLambert/Carlos Montero)

I love a reality show.

From Big Brother to SAS: Who Dares Wins, it’s fair to say I’m fascinated with watching people being thrown into different, often challenging, situations and seeing how they behave and react.

And while it’s always interesting to watch ‘normal’ people tackle these programmes, once you throw celebrities into the mix, I am completely hooked.

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Perhaps it’s because I studied psychology and I get a rush out of seeing how the ‘other half’ live.

More likely, it’s just that I’m slightly obsessed with celebrities and the mystery that surrounds their lives.

That’s why, when Celebrity Race Across the World returns to our screens this autumn, I’ll be firmly planted on my sofa, remote control in hand, for the one show on TV that I believe truly pulls back the curtain.

Who are this year’s Celebrity Race Across the World
contestants?

Broadcaster and writer Anita Rani and her dad, Bal
Actor Dylan Llewellyn and his mum, Jackie
Partners, presenter and DJ Tyler West and actor and singer, Molly Rainford
Broadcaster Roman Kemp and his sister, singer-songwriter, Harleymoon

If you’re not familiar, four celebrities and their companions – which, in the past, has featured everyone from parents and partners, to siblings and cousins – compete to see who can reach a series of checkpoints and a final destination without any of their usual luxuries.

That means no phones, flights, social media or bank cards, and they must rely on a limited cash budget, their own ingenuity, and the kindness of strangers to win.

This year’s route spans the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Central America (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Basically, unlike other shows where celebs participate in silly trials or large group activities in mostly controlled environments, Race Across the World forces them to manage the real world and, as a result, we get to see them stripped back like never before.

Gone are the expensive clothes, immaculate hairstyles, makeup, and often rehearsed conversation.

Instead, we get to see celebrities out of their comfort zones, struggling with money, tiredness and the strain that can put on relationships.

Race Across the World forces celebrities like Kelly Brook to manage the real world (Picture: Studio Lambert / BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES)

Take Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy, for example: at the start of series two it appeared as if Kelly would be the dominant force in this duo.

For a while, she maintained her usual Heart radio presenting personality – full of fun, laughter and optimism – however, as the challenge intensified and the bus travel grew longer, she and Jeremy disagreed about which routes to take.

Rather than spell disaster for their relationship though, we got to see them bicker and work through obstacles together which highlighted their dynamic and, in turn, made them more relatable.

in series two, Jeff Brazier and his son Freddy sometimes struggled to communicate (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Hans Georg)

Seeing celebs make mistakes, get snappy and face challenges where they don’t always win shows that perhaps they’re more like us than we think. And I for one love that.

I often think of celebrities as superior, with perfect lives and not having a lot of worry. So while it might be slightly masochistic of me, I like to see them struggle a bit – it makes them more real.

And who among us hasn’t been frustrated by a parent at some point in our lives? Well, it turns out, that happens to celebrities too.

In series one, McFly star Harry Judd traveled with his mum. While I loved their relationship – seeing how they laughed a lot as they reconnected after she was open about missing him when he left home with the band – you could also see there were times when Harry was losing patience with her.

Harry Judd and his mum Emma Judd featured alongside Helene Blatt, Mel Blatt, Alex Beresford, Noel Beresford, Billy Monger and Bonny Monger (Picture: Studio Lambert Ltd/Pete Dadds)

He’d try to rush and run to catch public transport, hoping to cut the time to complete the race, but his mum (who was 63 at the time) couldn’t keep up. You could feel his frustration through the TV but also saw how he looked after her and they moved past it.

Similarly, in series two, Jeff Brazier and his son Freddy sometimes struggled to communicate effectively leading to clashes on decision-making, which left Freddy feeling like his dad didn’t always listen to him.

But, once again, we also got to see them resolve their differences and even bore witness to some tearjerking moments where Freddy admitted that he didn’t praise his dad or thank him enough for everything he’s done.

‘I should… he knows I love him but I don’t tell him enough.’ He said. That made my heart sore.

Do you prefer the celebrity version of Race Across the World?

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I have two boys aged 12 and 11 and I parent the best way I can, but I know I’m not perfect. I guess it was just reassuring to hear that neither are celebs. They have the same relationship highs and lows that many of us do and that’s OK.

Just because they are successful, have been on TV or have money, it doesn’t mean their lives are perfect. Celebrity Race Across the World shatters the illusion that they are, and in turn, makes me feel better about my own life.

Don’t get me wrong, I still watch the ‘normal’ version. But I simply don’t get the same enjoyment out of it.

Yes, the scenery is still stunning. Yes, I get excited about the racing aspect of it. Yes, the pairings still have triumphs and wobbles, and struggles to overcome. But they are normal people, just like me, and so the stakes feel lower.

Normal contestants have their triumphs and wobbles but the stakes feel lower (Picture: BBC)

What can I say, ‘it’s all the drama, Mick. I just love it.’

With the celebrities, I know about them. I have preconceived ideas of who they are. They can challenge or confirm my estimations of them in a way that the normal contestants just can’t.

I’ve been eyeing the lineup for series three trying to predict who will be competitive, what the duos will be like as travel partners, and who’s going to blow the limited budget. But I’ve also been wondering what these celebs will teach me next.

Marriages and relationships aren’t perfect; people make mistakes and argue, and that’s real life – even for celebrities.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.

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