r/RaceAcrossTheWorldBBC

Good evening everyone :)

I only got into this show last year so this is my second season watching it. I loved last season as I'd been to a lot of the places they visited. I'm really enjoying this season as the people are all likeable and the route is spectacular.

I'm going to go back and watch at least some of the earlier seasons. What's the best one to start with?

I genuinely thought they’d be the first pair to completely fall apart after all the chalk and cheese bickering early on, but their slower holiday mode approach actually seems to be working for them

I’m leaning towards Jo and Kush purely because of their momentum, but if Katie and Harrison can get their heads back in the game, that 12,000km experience might give them the edge

I assumed they would be an insufferable and entitled couple of boomers, but they've proven themselves a lovely pair. They were introduced brother and sister in law who didn't get along with zero in common, I assumed they would spend the entire series on each other's nerves. Instead they've perfectly balanced each other out, each has taken time to indulge in the other's interests.

They're in really good health for their age. They don't look or move like people I know in their 60s. Did Mark say he still plays football with 20 year olds a few episodes ago?

They've spent the least time (zero time from what I remember) stressing about the race. They lost a day to illness, a few half days here and there to rest and sightsee and yet they're still in the middle of the pack. If they tryharded as much as the other teams they would be 2 days clear probably. Surely that makes them the best racers of the bunch

I don't want to speak too soon but this series has ticked absolutely all of the boxes about what a good RATW series should be and then some.

4 incredibly likeable pairs all getting both compelling backstories and great entertainment.

Easily the best eliminated pair we've seen.

Absolutely beautiful scenery in a part of the world that a lot of people know very little about.

Brilliant insight into the culture of all the countries they've been to.

Great strategy and gameplay from all 4 teams.

Fantastic entertainment.

Props to the producers for listening to the criticisms people had about S5 and genuinely improving it.

I truly believe in years to come we'll be talking about how great this season was!

Did they announce this after last week's show? Because of the Eurovision song contest this week's episode is on tonight rather than its regular Thursday slot!

Be sure to set your vhs/avoid spoilers/plan accordingly.

I like the other teams too, especially Jo and Kush, however, I love the relationship between Katie and Harrison.

They are both funny and I love their sibling jibes and how light they take it.

I also like that they spoke up about what it was like for them with their mum's illness, so each (especially Harrison having more understanding towards Katie) could understand how that experience was for the other.

I feel Katie helps to make Harrison less rigid, and he has a grounding effect on her.

I would like them to win.

This has been a very good season.

Man, have to say I forgot how much I didn’t like Jen. I feel like if her husband didn’t have hearing issues that marriage would be in real bother 😂 but yeah, for a show where people are generally very likeable I don’t think she came across too well. If a few hours on my TV has me wanting to be done with her god knows how that poor guy does it! Great season though apart from that. Loved the locations and thought the two guys who won it were absolute stars for doing what they did with the winnings.

Is this the first year we have had the spin off after show? I quite enjoy it. Alfie does a great job imo, for someone not in the trade.

I do wonder if having celebs on the spin off may encourage some of them to do the celeb version?

That’s it no notes. The scene today highlighting their friendship was everything to me as someone only a tiny bit older than Jo and Kush it was heartbreaking and hit home to see Kush’s mental health and yet so beautiful to see how genuinely Jo wants the best for Kush and to see Kush be a happy person and understands everything about him.

And that it wasn’t demonised for not being a total 50-50, because sometimes it isn’t, Jo knows that Kush finds life a bit harder than him and is usually the one boosting him up and then Kush brings a lot of strengths in other ways too. Such wonderful two guys.

A best-friendship like this would benefit everyone in the world. I feel happy watching them

It's not something you can definitively argue one way or another, but I often wonder if teams having a camera crew (or at least one camera operator) and being in the unique situation of a TV race (especially a BBC one) fundamentally alters the experience in terms of interactions around them.

I've no doubt there are some incredibly kind and generous people out there for whom tourists of any kind are a welcome novelty, but -for example- are two backpackers chancing their arm asking for a cheap stay really getting a free night in a hotel lounge AND free onward travel? Or does a camera crew (which have probably paid for rooms in the same hotel) make that substantially more likely?

There is no way around that really, short of teams truly going it alone and filming on GoPros for the entire trip, so it's not a complaint as such. But as somebody who is lucky enough to go off and do a solo trip every year for a week, it does often make me wonder if some of these places are actually that incredibly hospitable (or even just safe full stop) or if the format of the show is, in some cases, making quite a big difference to how the teams are treated.

I can count the number of truly sketchy experiences or locations shown across all the series on one hand, it just never seems to be an issue, yet in real life you'll sadly often run into those trying to take advantage of tourists.

obviously making sure you’re physically fit, and have a good idea of geography would be useful. is there anything more specific?

Eurovision is on next Thursday at 20:00 so the next episode is on Wednesday at 20:00 instead. Just incase anyone may miss that news 😊😊.