BBC Celebrity Race Across The World 2024 line-up revealed
Ever since it its teaser trailer at the end of the last series of the main show, speculation has been rife as to who might be taking part in this celebrity edition of the Bafta-winning adventure game show.
Almost immediately there were people claiming on social media that they recognised Scott Mills’ voice (from a single word) or silhouette from a brief image, which is impressive to say the least – because when the names were announced at the end of July he was indeed one of them.
Mills is taking part along with his fiancé (at time of filming – now husband) Sam. Since the pair tied the knot between filming and the show airing, at least we know their trip didn’t go too disastrously.
Also taking part are TV presenter and former footballer Jeff Brazier and his son Freddy.
Former glamour model Kelly Brook and her husband, model and actor Jeremy Parisi, will also be testing their map reading skills, as will Ted Lasso star Kola Bokinni (he played AFC Richmond’s captain Isaac McAdoo in the hit sitcom) and his cousin Mary Ellen.
One of the best things about the celeb version of this series is that the stars travel alongside their nearest and dearest, often people who are not used to the public eye – providing a unique insight into people we thought we knew, through the eyes of those who know them best.
And we will see them under very different pressures to those they might be used to facing.
They will have to say goodbye to lavish transport, smartphones and bank cards, and instead must rely on their skills, cunning and ingenuity as well as the kindness of strangers.
Their journey begins in Belém, Northern Brazil – considered to be the gateway to the Amazon – and will pass through five checkpoints across the length of South America, to reach the finish line in the Andes, in the picturesque city of Frutillar in Southern Chile.
Their budget is the cash equivalent of what the air fare from Belém to Frutillar would cost, no more and no less.
For that, they have to eke out enough for not only their transport, but also their food and lodgings.
It’s no easy task for even the most budget-conscious of contestants, but often the celebs seem to have a harder time paring back their excesses (a generalisation, of course – some have been downright frugal).
Along the way, they can boost their balances by opting to work at any of a series of temporary jobs.
Often this means not only a bit of cash in their pockets, but also the promise of a meal and even a bed for the night.
Sometimes it even allows them to make connections with locals who might go the extra mile and help them out with their travel.
It must also be an interesting novelty for the employers themselves, not only to meet some (in the case of Bokinni at least) globally famous people, but also to get them to clean the loos.
Let the race begin...