Fans of “Race Across The World” are in for some exciting twists as the series nears its final episode.
The four remaining couples will then race across East Asia before battling it out for the £20,000 prize on Wednesday.
The four couples left now are their friends Alfie and Owen, siblings Betty and James, Eugenie and her daughter Isabel, and couple Stephen and Viv.
And viewers of the series were thrilled when it was announced just hours before the final episode that they would get a behind-the-scenes look at the show.
The special episode is expected to be released after the finals and it has been suggested that it may feature a reunion between the contestants.
The show’s official Instagram page posted a teaser video along with the caption, “We’re giving you your first look at how the race will come to life!”
“See what goes on behind the scenes at the #RaceAcrossTheWorld reunion on Wednesday at 10pm on BBC iPlayer, straight after the grand finale!”
Viewers could not contain their excitement and flooded the recent post with excited comments ahead of the much-awaited final.
“I love the show and I’ve always wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes – the cameras, the producers, everything.”
“For example, when participants book bus tickets, boats or taxis, do they have to take the crew into consideration? Are the crew not allowed to say anything when they notice a bag or map has been left behind? Very well done show, can’t wait to watch,” one person said.
“I absolutely love this show but everyone who participates should be able to complete the race and no one should be kicked out,” “It’s great to see behind the scenes of my favorite show,” “Amazing!! I’d love to see it.”
Creators of the hit BBC series Race Across the World have described how producers and contestants face ever-present dangers such as civil war, natural disasters and local unrest as they travel to remote parts of the globe.
The show may have inspired travel aspirations in millions of viewers, but for those behind the camera, it’s one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in television.
The fourth series, which has seen contestants travel from Sapporo, Japan to the Indonesian island of Lombok, is set to climax this week with the pair competing for a life-changing £20,000 prize.
But the eight-episode, 9,300-mile journey has been plagued by problems from the start, with producers’ rehearsals of the route hampered by geopolitical issues, volcanic threats and protests.
Previous series have seen repeated thefts of camera equipment, including producers being stranded at sea for days.
For the fourth series, all participants had to fly from South Korea to Vietnam for part of the journey, as travelling through China was deemed too dangerous.
Previous series have proven that producers can never be too careful: in the second series, civil war broke out in Chile, forcing one couple to flee to Argentina.
During filming of the second series, the contestants had to fly across Bolivia within three days to avoid being trapped in the country during a tense election.
And in Ecuador, pre-production crews landed only to find riots approaching and protesters surrounding the airport, forcing them to be hastily evacuated again.
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In this series, a more natural threat was posed by volcanic activity in both Japan and Indonesia.
Executive producer Steven Day explained how they send teams out to test routes ahead of time.
He said: “People apply for the job thinking that being a scout is going to be one of the most fun jobs in TV, but I think it falls a little short of that.”
Teams must survive with the same amount of funding and navigational information as the contestants, and often run into problems.
In one such incident, producers were left stranded at sea for three days during a dry run, and then for a further five days during the actual show.
The show’s executive producers will have to carefully consider which producers to pair with each team, given the stress of the experience and the fact that they will have spent roughly 50 days together by the end of the series.
The crew who travel with the racers (usually producers and cameramen) often get less sleep than the racers themselves, as they have the added responsibility of making sure all their equipment is charged, working and protected.
In addition to the time pressures of travel and the struggles of living frugally, emotions often run high.