Yahoo News Celebrity Race Across the World’s strict rules and when they’ve been broken
Notable times when stars have had to break tough BBC rules
Celebrity Race Across the World has some pretty tough rules for the stars competing in the reality series.
The stars make the 12,500km challenging journey from the gateway to the Amazon, in Belem, Northern Brazil, to southern Chile. There are five checkpoints along the way where the stars must race to be first, journeying across the length of South America and the finish line is in the Andes, Frutillar in southern Chile.
Sound simple enough? Sure it is - except there are some pretty strict rules in place to make things even more interesting, with many previous contestants saying Race Across the World is the toughest show on TV. This year's Jeff Brazier confessed it's harder than SAS Who Dares Wins.
So what are the rules and are they ever broken?
Kindness of strangers
Contestants must rely on the kindness of strangers, a huge theme and wholesome element of the celebrity spin-off and civilian series. Strangers are allowed to help stars by giving them a free or discounted lift, a place to stay and even advise where something is.
Behind the scenes, however, there are rules when it comes to enlisting the help of strangers. Stars are unable to accept money from strangers taking part, with 2024 Race Across the World contestants telling Yahoo: "We had to turn down money... That's not allowed. We can't accept it."
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Race contestants Stephen and Viv revealed the kindness of strangers is the most rewarding part of filming the show. Stephen told Yahoo: "We regularly get asked what was the best bit? What was the best place you went to? It’s a hard one to answer but singularly the people we met every country were so nice. So supportive. Friendly. Welcoming. Just lovely."
Viv agreed: "Sometimes we didn't even have to ask for help. Sometimes they saw us. Sometimes we were crying. They would come over and offer help. It’s amazing, the help that they did offer."
Banned transport and broken rules
Stars must reach their destination without using air travel as flights are banned in both the celebrity and civilian series. Instead, the contestants must use other forms of travel from cars to boats and trains as well as overnight buses which always proves a popular choice of transport on the series because it helps save funds and travel time.
Over the years there have been two exceptions to the rule. While filming Race Across the World 2024, stars couldn't go through China. The contestants were flown from Sokcho to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. It sparked a huge conversation online at the time of airing.
A Race Across The World spokesperson explained to Yahoo: "At the time of planning the route, due to time constraints and difficulties in travel in the aftermath of the global pandemic, it was not possible for production to travel through China and so a flight was organised from Seoul to Hanoi."
This isn't the only time where contestants have had to catch a flight during filming the series. TV bosses organised air travel when contestants had to get a flight over Ecuador because of civil unrest at the time of filming series two. It is important to note there is no unfair advantage because stars leave in the same order they arrived at the last checkpoint which is shown on TV.
There was a big rule change in Race Across the World 2024 because they were racing in Japan. Bullet trains remain the fastest and most convenient way of exploring the country, so of course they were banned for that series.
Getting jobs
Celebrity Race Across the World stars must make the epic journey on a budget set out by TV bosses, usually equivalent to the stars purchasing a flight ticket. No bank cards are allowed and are confiscated at the start of filming the series.
Of course, money soon runs out so the stars must book into do jobs along the way. It can be almost anything from duck herding to waitressing and cleaning. Contestants often pick up one job per leg. It proves to be a great way for stars to experience the local culture too.
Race contestants said a calculator is the must-have item they wished they brought on the journey and were convinced it could help stars win the BBC show.
No Google Maps
Phones are banned and taken from the contestants at the very beginning of Celebrity Race Across the World, as well as the civilian series. Stars of the show must go back to basics when it comes to plotting their journey across the globe.
Forget Google Maps, instead they must rely on the paper copy they are given on the show. However, Race Across the World stars Alfie and Owen managed to lose their map in the first episode of the 2024 civilian series but it must be said this didn't stop them winning the show. They were able to pick up another map along the way.
Watch Celebrity Race Across the World on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday 14 August. See the trailer for the 2024 series below.
