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Five brand-new pairings are ready to compete in their quest to pass the final checkpoint first. Here’s the lowdown on this year’s contestants

Race Across the World gives viewers a bird’s eye view of five duos racing around the globe on their quest to bag the £20,000 winner’s prize. This year’s fifth series will see the teams attempt to travel 15,000km from China to India with £1,390 to spend and as usual, without the help of their smartphones, bank cards or the internet.

The tough challenge has proved a ratings hit for the BBC, with last year’s final watched by more than seven millions viewers, a record across all the series. Best friends Alfie and Owen proved victorious, becoming the youngest show winners as they reached the final checkpoint in Lombok, Indonesia.

This time around, the contestants include a former married couple, a grandmother determined to prove age doesn’t matter and brothers who admit they’ll be disappointed if they don’t win. We take a closer look at the five pairings…

READ MORE: ‘I lost my mum – her last promise to me makes Mother’s Day more bearable’

Yin and Gaz

This duo used to be a married couple until they separated three years ago. In honor of her late boyfriend, who loved to travel, Yin asked Gaz, who supported her during the grieving process, to collaborate with her for the show when Chris passed away in September.

“I wouldn’t probably do this with anyone other than Yin,” explained Gaz. “I know that sounds weird, because we’re not together, we’re not husband and wife but we’re still best mates. And I think even now, could I do this with my brother? No. Could I do this with any other mates? No. And Yin was pretty much the same.”

Yin remarked, “I definitely see it like a gift from Chris.” He’s gone, but I believe he put a meddling hat on this, he says. He would be laughing hysterically but also cheering us on, wishing he was there, seeing all the different things and getting the new experiences. We have used this process as a platform to discuss our marriage until now, but in a really nice way.

The teammates claim that talking and making plans are their “mini goals” for the challenge. “It’s a great memory for our daughter”, said Yin. She will regard us differently from her parents, not ours. She can observe how we interact with the local community and show her and their children long after we leave.

Elizabeth and Letitia

The sisters believe they have different personalities, with Letitia’s introverted personality outperforming Elizabeth’s. “I think I’m quite social so I think there will be a strength in the race”, said Elizabeth.

“I’m not afraid to ask for assistance or attempt to communicate in a different language,” she said. So I believe that will enable me to seek out and obtain some assistance. I think my weakness could probably be my indecisiveness”.

Letitia cited her own strengths, saying, “I think I can be logical in my decisions. “I have a better understanding of the bigger picture and the plan.” I like to plan things. A step-by-step plan and process is what I prefer. That might be useful. Weaknesses, I think, maybe I can shy away from things or get overwhelmed”.

Time remains to be seen if the sisters, who are travelling together for the first time, will make a dream duo in the epic challenge but they are looking forward to the experience as much as the potential of winning. “Anything that we get out of this experience, I’ll be so grateful for,” said Elizabeth. “But I think just exploring the world and really pushing ourselves to the best of our ability.”

Tom and Caroline

This travel-mad mother and son duo feel Race Across the World was made for them, and as avid fans of the show, they’ve picked up a few tips from watching previous series. “I bought a little white board because I thought maybe we could use it for hitchhiking and signs of where we want to go,” said Caroline.

According to Tom, who believes his biggest challenge will be getting enough sleep and food, “We bought sleeping bags for the buses because we’ve seen them on previous series, and they look like they could use some kind of blanket,” added Tom. “We know we are going to struggle with the budget because Thomas needs to eat a lot – a huge amount”! his mother, he said.

With her son who spent six months backpacking through South America last year, Caroline believes Tom’s adaptability and ease of heart will help him succeed in the challenge. She calls herself competitive and determined, saying however bad it gets the couple will be able to “push on and push through”.

“I want to show that age doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting older and slower, and that you can still have the same opportunities and still get them,” said the mother. Even though I’m 60 and maybe my grandmother’s age, I can still travel and can carry a rucksack. I can keep up. Paul’s strategy is simple: “Just to be as nice as possible to people and hope they put out a hand to help you”.

Brian and Melvin

These brothers are hoping to recreate some of the childhood fun they had together on their journey of a lifetime. We’ve never spent this much time with our partners, Melvyn said, not to mention that we’ve never spent this much time together as adults. Brian and I have been married for 38 years, so it throws us a lot.

Brian’s main worry is being the first contestants to leave the show, saying “my children wouldn’t let me live it down” but Melvyn joked that: “The other worry from our families at home is that we shouldn’t embarrass them. We’ll go above and beyond to humiliate them.

The siblings say they are very competitive and will be disappointed if they don’t win the show. But the pair only recently discovered their shared passion for architecture and history, with Melvyn admitting: “If we get a chance to visit the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, if it means missing a bus to go and see something like that, then I think we miss the bus.”

We must take advantage of this experience because we haven’t got time to go back, Brian said. You have time to do it if you’re 18 or 20 years old. We haven’t got time left to do it. So, we have this unique experience.

Fin and Sinoed

This young couple believes they can work well together in the difficult situation because Fin is more effective at keeping calm under pressure than Sinoed. “I believe it will be Sioned with the passports, the money, and me probably attempting to negotiate the best deals,” Fin said.

The loved birds admit they both have annoying habits to put up with from their other halves, with Sinoed saying: “He takes all my stuff. Like my food and water. I’m happy to share it, but it’s when I’m really rationing it and I’m like, okay, that’s annoying. Also snoring. That is annoying, but I can sleep through it so all good.”

Fin claims to be “talking.” “It gets to a point where i just want to be quiet and chill and she’ll not stop. She’ll only remain quiet after being offended, and I have to apologize because I’ve told her to be quiet.

Overall, the couple hopes that as they travel together and experience more of the world together, their strong bond will grow even stronger. “I hope it’ll make me step out of my comfort zone”, said Fin. “Explore fresh experiences with Sioned while allowing me to experience some incredible experiences.”

Five brand-new pairings are ready to compete in their quest to pass the final checkpoint first. Here’s the lowdown on this year’s contestants

Race Across the World gives viewers a bird’s eye view of five duos racing around the globe on their quest to bag the £20,000 winner’s prize. This year’s fifth series will see the teams attempt to travel 15,000km from China to India with £1,390 to spend and as usual, without the help of their smartphones, bank cards or the internet.

The tough challenge has proved a ratings hit for the BBC, with last year’s final watched by more than seven millions viewers, a record across all the series. Best friends Alfie and Owen proved victorious, becoming the youngest show winners as they reached the final checkpoint in Lombok, Indonesia.

This time around, the contestants include a former married couple, a grandmother determined to prove age doesn’t matter and brothers who admit they’ll be disappointed if they don’t win. We take a closer look at the five pairings…

READ MORE: ‘I lost my mum – her last promise to me makes Mother’s Day more bearable’

Yin and Gaz

This duo used to be a married couple until they separated three years ago. In honor of her late boyfriend, who loved to travel, Yin asked Gaz, who supported her during the grieving process, to collaborate with her for the show when Chris passed away in September.

“I wouldn’t probably do this with anyone other than Yin,” explained Gaz. “I know that sounds weird, because we’re not together, we’re not husband and wife but we’re still best mates. And I think even now, could I do this with my brother? No. Could I do this with any other mates? No. And Yin was pretty much the same.”

Yin remarked, “I definitely see it like a gift from Chris.” He’s gone, but I believe he put a meddling hat on this, he says. He would be laughing hysterically but also cheering us on, wishing he was there, seeing all the different things and getting the new experiences. We have used this process as a platform to discuss our marriage until now, but in a really nice way.

The teammates claim that talking and making plans are their “mini goals” for the challenge. “It’s a great memory for our daughter”, said Yin. She will regard us differently from her parents, not ours. She can observe how we interact with the local community and show her and their children long after we leave.

Elizabeth and Letitia

The sisters believe they have different personalities, with Letitia’s introverted personality outperforming Elizabeth’s. “I think I’m quite social so I think there will be a strength in the race”, said Elizabeth.

“I’m not afraid to ask for assistance or attempt to communicate in a different language,” she said. So I believe that will enable me to seek out and obtain some assistance. I think my weakness could probably be my indecisiveness”.

Letitia cited her own strengths, saying, “I think I can be logical in my decisions. “I have a better understanding of the bigger picture and the plan.” I like to plan things. A step-by-step plan and process is what I prefer. That might be useful. Weaknesses, I think, maybe I can shy away from things or get overwhelmed”.

Time remains to be seen if the sisters, who are travelling together for the first time, will make a dream duo in the epic challenge but they are looking forward to the experience as much as the potential of winning. “Anything that we get out of this experience, I’ll be so grateful for,” said Elizabeth. “But I think just exploring the world and really pushing ourselves to the best of our ability.”

Tom and Caroline

This travel-mad mother and son duo feel Race Across the World was made for them, and as avid fans of the show, they’ve picked up a few tips from watching previous series. “I bought a little white board because I thought maybe we could use it for hitchhiking and signs of where we want to go,” said Caroline.

According to Tom, who believes his biggest challenge will be getting enough sleep and food, “We bought sleeping bags for the buses because we’ve seen them on previous series, and they look like they could use some kind of blanket,” added Tom. “We know we are going to struggle with the budget because Thomas needs to eat a lot – a huge amount”! his mother, he said.

With her son who spent six months backpacking through South America last year, Caroline believes Tom’s adaptability and ease of heart will help him succeed in the challenge. She calls herself competitive and determined, saying however bad it gets the couple will be able to “push on and push through”.

“I want to show that age doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting older and slower, and that you can still have the same opportunities and still get them,” said the mother. Even though I’m 60 and maybe my grandmother’s age, I can still travel and can carry a rucksack. I can keep up. Paul’s strategy is simple: “Just to be as nice as possible to people and hope they put out a hand to help you”.

Brian and Melvin

These brothers are hoping to recreate some of the childhood fun they had together on their journey of a lifetime. We’ve never spent this much time with our partners, Melvyn said, not to mention that we’ve never spent this much time together as adults. Brian and I have been married for 38 years, so it throws us a lot.

Brian’s main worry is being the first contestants to leave the show, saying “my children wouldn’t let me live it down” but Melvyn joked that: “The other worry from our families at home is that we shouldn’t embarrass them. We’ll go above and beyond to humiliate them.

The siblings say they are very competitive and will be disappointed if they don’t win the show. But the pair only recently discovered their shared passion for architecture and history, with Melvyn admitting: “If we get a chance to visit the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army, if it means missing a bus to go and see something like that, then I think we miss the bus.”

We must take advantage of this experience because we haven’t got time to go back, Brian said. You have time to do it if you’re 18 or 20 years old. We haven’t got time left to do it. So, we have this unique experience.

Fin and Sinoed

This young couple believes they can work well together in the difficult situation because Fin is more effective at keeping calm under pressure than Sinoed. “I believe it will be Sioned with the passports, the money, and me probably attempting to negotiate the best deals,” Fin said.

The loved birds admit they both have annoying habits to put up with from their other halves, with Sinoed saying: “He takes all my stuff. Like my food and water. I’m happy to share it, but it’s when I’m really rationing it and I’m like, okay, that’s annoying. Also snoring. That is annoying, but I can sleep through it so all good.”

Fin claims to be “talking.” “It gets to a point where i just want to be quiet and chill and she’ll not stop. She’ll only remain quiet after being offended, and I have to apologize because I’ve told her to be quiet.

Overall, the couple hopes that as they travel together and experience more of the world together, their strong bond will grow even stronger. “I hope it’ll make me step out of my comfort zone”, said Fin. “Explore fresh experiences with Sioned while allowing me to experience some incredible experiences.”

Fans are shocked by Benny Blanco’s “emotional intelligence,” as he reveals his relationship with Selena Gomez and demonstrates that he is the epitome of a green flag.

The love story between Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez keeps winning hearts, but it seems his “emotional intelligence” is what stole hers. A recent podcast interview left fans calling Blanco a “walking green flag”.

Selena and fiance Blanco sat down with Jay Shetty for the On Purpose podcast and spoke about the importance of understanding each other’s needs and how communication plays a huge role in their relationship, leaving many social media users shocked by the depth of his devotion and understanding – especially during a disagreement.

Benny claimed that despite Selena getting “spicy occasionally,” he has learned enough about his partner to understand how to handle a fight between them. He said, “It’s about guiding the missile, not using machine gun artillery to top it,” when it was happening.

READ MORE: Fans convinced Justin Bieber threw major shade at Selena Gomez’s recent engagement

Benny said, “I’m never going to let it get that five minutes from now,” when she sees her entering a space where I’m like, man, this room could explore in five minutes.” What are all the tools I know that work for her that I have learned, I’m going to ask? I won’t, for example, make things worse.

Benny stressed the value of bringing things together and found a way to avoid being “in that situation where we’re both upset about something” (in that situation). The producer also emphasized the value of physical touch because it frequently aids in calming down a situation and that it is “very big” to him.

He came to the conclusion that it is simple to hold someone’s hand while you’re telling them, or to give them a hug while you’re telling them, and then say, “Okay, here’s what I think,” and you can work through these issues together in such a simple way.

The music producer shared the details of his first interactions with Selena. He revealed that they met in 2019 when Selena’s mother, Mandy Teefey, introduced them in hopes both would collaborate on a song.

The pair started dating in mid-2023, and their relationship became public in December of that year. Shortly after rumors began to surface that Selena was no longer available, Selena confirmed the relationship. In December of this year, Selena and Benny made their engagement announcement.

The couple also discussed how important mental health is, how they approach public scrutiny, how they collaborate on music, and how they view the future. The interview’s clips quickly became popular on TikTok, where almost five million views and thousands of comments praised him for having an “emotional intelligence,” being a “gentleman,” and creating a secure and loving space for their relationship.

Benny setting the bar pretty darn high, according to one user, who later added, “Blown away by his emotional intelligence.” Never base a book’s cover on its merits.

That’s not a green flag, it’s a whole green garden, according to a third author! This is how, according to another statement from Benny Blanco for all you men who wonder how he pulled a girl like Selena.

Fans are shocked by Benny Blanco’s “emotional intelligence,” as he reveals his relationship with Selena Gomez and demonstrates that he is the epitome of a green flag.

The love story between Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez keeps winning hearts, but it seems his “emotional intelligence” is what stole hers. A recent podcast interview left fans calling Blanco a “walking green flag”.

Selena and fiance Blanco sat down with Jay Shetty for the On Purpose podcast and spoke about the importance of understanding each other’s needs and how communication plays a huge role in their relationship, leaving many social media users shocked by the depth of his devotion and understanding – especially during a disagreement.

Benny claimed that despite Selena getting “spicy occasionally,” he has learned enough about his partner to understand how to handle a fight between them. He said, “It’s about guiding the missile, not using machine gun artillery to top it,” when it was happening.

READ MORE: Fans convinced Justin Bieber threw major shade at Selena Gomez’s recent engagement

Benny said, “I’m never going to let it get that five minutes from now,” when she sees her entering a space where I’m like, man, this room could explore in five minutes.” What are all the tools I know that work for her that I have learned, I’m going to ask? I won’t, for example, make things worse.

Benny stressed the value of bringing things together and found a way to avoid being “in that situation where we’re both upset about something” (in that situation). The producer also emphasized the value of physical touch because it frequently aids in calming down a situation and that it is “very big” to him.

He came to the conclusion that it is simple to hold someone’s hand while you’re telling them, or to give them a hug while you’re telling them, and then say, “Okay, here’s what I think,” and you can work through these issues together in such a simple way.

The music producer shared the details of his first interactions with Selena. He revealed that they met in 2019 when Selena’s mother, Mandy Teefey, introduced them in hopes both would collaborate on a song.

The pair started dating in mid-2023, and their relationship became public in December of that year. Shortly after rumors began to surface that Selena was no longer available, Selena confirmed the relationship. In December of this year, Selena and Benny made their engagement announcement.

The couple also discussed how important mental health is, how they approach public scrutiny, how they collaborate on music, and how they view the future. The interview’s clips quickly became popular on TikTok, where almost five million views and thousands of comments praised him for having an “emotional intelligence,” being a “gentleman,” and creating a secure and loving space for their relationship.

Benny setting the bar pretty darn high, according to one user, who later added, “Blown away by his emotional intelligence.” Never base a book’s cover on its merits.

That’s not a green flag, it’s a whole green garden, according to a third author! This is how, according to another statement from Benny Blanco for all you men who wonder how he pulled a girl like Selena.