Promo Image - © BBC/Studio Lambert/Pete Dadds
Who's Competing in Celebrity Race Across the World?
So like previous years we're now OPEN FOR PREDICTIONS in advance of episode one!
Obviously with no episodes broadcast yet, this is the wild-card predicition, based on sibjective intuition (and/or random guessing), but with celebrities in the mix this time you might acctually have some insight about their personalities. If not, don't worry I've found some helpful info out about each pair below:
Meet the Teams
Alex & Noel
TV weather presenter Alex Beresford is teaming up with his dad Noel to take on the race. They don’t seem the most experienced in budget travel, giving the reasons they signed up for the challenge as:
Alex: I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to do something that we've never done before. Neither of us have ever backpacked, so it's a new experience.
Noel: “I’m into exploring new things, so this seemed like a good opportunity to see all the different cultures and how other people live and see how we get on”.
They come across as enthusiastic, but it will be intresting to see their stratagy for the game and how well they adapt. It's also not clear who will be the decision maker in this father & son pair which might cause some friction in the team.
Billy and Bonny
British racing driver and pundit Billy Monger is competing with his sister Bonny. Asked why they wanted to take part they said:
Billy: “We’ve spoken about travelling before, but it would probably be a little bit different to what I imagine this is going to be like - in terms of doing everything on such a budget and staying in hostels and being tight on money for food!”
Bonny: We've always spoken about travelling, but we’ve never actually been organised enough to do it. With this, it’s not organised for us, so it’s kind of like being thrown in the deep end and you've just got to do it.
Billy became a double-amputee three weeks before his 18th birthday after a car-crash during a race at Donington Park, so he's clearly faced his share of challenges, but it’s not so clear if the siblings ‘jump in and do it’ approach will work well for the complications of budget travel. But adapting to circumstance might put them in good stead, and unless sibling rivalry rears its head they look like a strong team.
Harry and Emma
McFly drummer Harry Judd is travelling with his Mum Emma, seemingly fulfilling a life-long ambition for both of them.
Harry: “I never travelled when I was younger. I travelled with the band, but I never properly did backpacking and I always wanted to. I think the same applies for my mum, she always wanted to but started a family when she was 22.”
Emma: “Yeah, I was young and one thing I think that I’ve missed in my life, not that I regret it, was actually backpacking and going off on an adventure like this. So, when Harry had the opportunity come along, I thought what could be better than going on an adventure with my son!”
They both seem very keen for this experience, but how well Harry adapts to the difference of budget travel, and the oversight of his mum may be the making or breaking of this team.
Mel and Helene
All Saints singer Melanie has also teamed up with her mum, Helene. Also used to the high-end side of travel Mel seems very aware this will be a change of pace when asked why she wanted to compete:
Mel: “For the experience, to be out of my comfort zone, to do something that I wouldn't necessarily choose to do on my own. I’m definitely up for challenges and pushing myself… And this is what mum does all the time!”
Helene: “I like to discover new things and have experiences and it’s one of my passions – travelling, having new experiences.”
Helene has actually trained in the army, so while she might be more used to rough-and-ready travel, the question will be if she can keep Mel from blowing the budget on luxury transport or other unessentials.
Make your Prediction!
Reckon you can predict which team will set off with a bang? Predictions for episode one are now open - if you've not played before, just sign up, pick which team you think will reach the next checkpoint first, then wait to see if you get any points!
