'Proposing to Molly was the easiest decision of my life'

Tyler West and Molly Rainford on falling in love, wedding plans and how Celebrity Race Across The World brought them closer together

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

Molly Rainford and Tyler West might not have lifted the Strictly Glitterball in 2022, but after finding true love, they still very much won. Three years after meeting on the BBC dancing competition, the EastEnders actress and radio and TV presenter are loved-up, living together and, as of this summer, engaged.

We catch up with them ahead of another joint TV appearance - competing to be crowned champions of this year's Celebrity Race Across The World. At 24 and 29, Molly and Tyler are the youngest couple in the lineup, which also features Anita Rani and her dad Bal, brother and sister Roman and Harleymoon Kemp, and Hollyoaks' actor Dylan Llewellyn with his mum Jackie.

But just because they have age on their side, they insist the journey across the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Central America was not a walk in the park. As well as some incredible highs - including a picture-postcard beach in Panama and their fill of exquisite Caribbean delicacies – it also had its fair share of lows...

So guys, what made you say “yes” to the show?!

Molly: We never did a gap year, we've both been working since we were young. So Race Across The World is like a fast-track gap year. You get to see places you've never seen.

Tyler: Booking a holiday, it's usually a resort to go switch off for a week. You wouldn't necessarily pick a small remote town in the middle of Mexico. That's the beauty of the race, it's opened our eyes up to a different sort of travel.

Did you have any hesitations about doing it together?