7 of wonders of the WORLD

As the BAFTA-winning travel contest speeds towards its final, we discover the secrets to its success...

- TESS LAMACRAFT

RACE ACROSS THE WORLD FINAL WEDNESDAY, 9PM, BBC1 REALITY

With adrenaline-fuelled adventures, dazzling destinations and generous gestures of kindness from strangers, reality competition Race Across the World has hiked its way to become a word-of-mouth hit since its launch in 2019.

Making the move from BBC2 to BBC1 and picking up a BAFTA along the way, previous series have seen intrepid travellers traverse from London to Singapore, navigate from Mexico to Argentina and explore the breadth of Canada, with a celebrity spin-off airing last year.

Over the past seven weeks, millions of us have been glued to the show's fourth run, which has seen five new pairs of competitors challenged to journey 15,000km across Eastern Asia, from bustling Sapporo, the capital city of Japanese island Hokkaido, to the Indonesian island of Lombok. Once again, the trip must be done on a shoestring budget and without the assistance of flights, credit cards or mobile phones.

In this week's finale, the remaining teams embark on the last leg, with the first to cross the finishing line winning £20,000. Later, at 10.40pm (times vary), Race Across the World: The Reunion sees the contestants meet up in London to reflect on their 51-day adventure.

Ahead of all that, TV Times booked an exclusive appointment with line producer Maria Kennedy and series producer Charlotte Jacobs, who have both worked on the show since Series 2, to find out some behind-the-scenes secrets...

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