BBC One’s thrilling reality show Race Across the World has come to a close with a nail-biting final chase before the winner walks away with a £20,000 prize.
Best friends Alfie and Owen took part in a tense boat race to secure victory after a gruelling 15,000km race across East Asia. They faced stiff competition from mother-daughter team Eugenie and Isabelle, who fought tooth and nail to finish just eight minutes behind them.
They were closely followed by brother and sister Betty and James, with married couple Stephen and Viv in fourth place. For Alfie and Owen, it was a blistering sprint across the sand and tropical waters before finally signing the guestbook to confirm their first place.
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Overwhelmed with the joy of victory, they could not contain their excitement, shouting “We did it!” and hugging each other. An emotional Owen said, “We came, we saw, and we made it.”
Alfie agreed, adding: “Best moment of our lives. Hands down. Unbelievable.”
Eugenie shared her thoughts just eight minutes after runners-up Eugenie and Isabelle landed on the beach, as she admitted: “We did it, we came in well. I’ve always said that if I was going to lose to anyone I’d want to lose to Alfie and Owen.”
Betty and James took the victory by coming in third, 24 hours and 34 minutes slower than the winning time. James said, “We said we were just going to finish the race no matter what. So coming in third instead of fourth is a bonus, right?”
Betty echoed the sentiment: “I think this experience has taught us how to communicate better, and now we both have another person we can turn to when we need them, which is great.”
Stephen and Viv then finished a merciful 4th place, 30 hours and 20 minutes behind the winner. Despite the defeat, they were not discouraged. “Obviously we’re disappointed we didn’t win but we’re really happy for the boys! This is the end of the greatest adventure of our lives!”
Over the course of the eight-part series, the four teams travelled 15,000km in 50 days, crossed six oceans and eight borders. Pushed to their physical and mental limits, they managed to complete the epic journey from the northernmost tip of Japan to their finish line in the Indonesian paradise of Lombok – all without smartphones, internet connections or bank cards, and only the equivalent of their airfare in cash.
Following the final episode of Race Across the World, the team will take part in a heartwarming reunion special, which will air on BBC One at 10.40pm – 40 minutes after the end of the main series – as they reminisce about their thrilling adventure, revealing never-before-seen moments and shocking revelations.
The pair also reveal how they prepared for the race and share stories about the delicious food they tried, the locals they met and the tough realities of life on the road. Watch full episodes of Race Across the World on BBC iPlayer.
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