Race Across The World 2026 - Thread 2

[LindorDoubleChoc]

Here we are continuing to watch, chat about and admire Race Across The World 2026, Sicily to Mongolia. Everyone welcome!

Link to thread 1 is here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5510122-race-across-the-world-2026?reply=15225883.]]

I'm sorry I've had to start this probably a little early as I'm not watching live tonight (got home very late from work).

You must have missed the poster who wrote about how one of these boys bullied her friend in school.

The problem is we have no idea who that poster is or if that’s true. And frankly, some random anonymous poster making insinuations about a couple of 19 year olds about things that could have happened when they were literal children is a little gross.

Loved it too & so glad the boys won. I particularly liked Kush - probably because I’m a massive overthinker and I lost my dad in my teens.

Margot was great, id love to meet her & I got a bit emotional when they reached the end and ‘toasted’ Julia.

Harrison and Katie - lovely relationship there. They compliment each other well.

Molly and Daddy - they would’ve won if they hadn’t gone to the wrong place 🤦‍♀️ wasn’t as keen on them although I’m sure they’re very nice people individually- maybe I didn’t like their dynamic so much.

All in all a great series!

Well said.

Do we know whether Molly and Daddy pointed to the wrong place on the map or whether the host was the one who made the mistake? Just wondering. If I was them I'd rather it was my own mistake than losing out on winning (and £20k) because of someone else's mistake.

Wow loved this series. So happy for the boys and think the money will make such a huge difference to their lives. Sobbed all the way through the last half hour!

Molly pointed to the wrong place iirc. Murray (the host) asked which one they needed to go to, they scrutinised the map, and she put her finger on the one they went to, with (I think?) Andrew agreeing.

@Halsall I read on molly’s instagram something about they shouldn’t have trusted the Australian tour guide, so sounds like they think it was his fault?

Just caught up. Loved this series, the variation in the countries was amazing. Though I'm slightly disappointed with who won in all honesty.

One random thing I'm fascinated about is who there always a new sign in book each checkpoint. What happens to the rest of the unused pages!!

Thinking about the mix up a bit more. I understand that there were obviously quite a few places with an identical name. But surely the booklet with the homestays and jobs would have said the correct location. So why didn't they just use that, rather than pointing to the map?

I’m glad the boys won as they wanted to win just that bit more than everyone else. But all the teams were great and I’m glad Margo and Mark made it to the final checkpoint.
Harrison and Katie should do a podcast together. They are so funny!

I found the tour guide a bit glib about it - he must have know that there are many towns with the same name so he could have double checked.

Yes, I thought that was quite a strange moment.

Yes, I thought the same. I'd be inclined to ignore.

Wasn’t he the person who asked them which one they needed, and they weren’t sure and had to check? Now I’m starting to question my memory…

He explained there were a lot of places with the same name, and that you had to go by the name of the area it was in. Which they mentioned. Then Molly pointed out where they needed to go.

Odd the man didn't point to it after they told him the area. Or correct them before they left. It's like he ordered a taxi to where he must have known was wrong place and then waited till they go there to say you pointed to the wrong one

I just went on iplayer to check back - it’s a very short sequence. Molly's voice says ‘it’s that one' and there’s a finger on the map - difficult to tell whose as the faces aren’t shown, but the hand is very freckly so maybe Molly's?! I suppose it could be Murray's, however - they’re both wearing blue fleeces. And I think Andrew's voice says off-camera ‘that’s how it’s spelt, isn’t it'.

So, a bit ambiguous when you drill into it, but my immediate impression was that Molly picked out the place on the map. Of course, we don’t know how anything was edited.

It all felt a bit suss. He knew where they were going on to, so must have known they had pointed to the wrong place (if they did).
It feels to me like production wanted to slow down their obviously quicker route, especially as they had all that money.

Do you think that the programme makers would deliberately sabotage contestants, when there's £20k.at stake?
Seriously?

Hmm, that conversation and the map pointing bits were included to make us never really feel sure how the cock up happened. I bet loads are rewatching and freezing the screen to check. I thought it was very fortuitous that they met the guide in the first place. Imagine how confused they'd have been if he hadn't told them about the multiple places with the same name in the first place? 😄

Great series, no dislikable contestants and the right balance of background stories v travelling and experiences.

I've not watched the reunion yet but I suspect the production team got Margo and Mark to the finishing line. Probably told them the results, asked what they wanted to do and they just wanted that moment at the final checkpoint for Julia. Good TV moment as well so works for everyone that way.

Yes

Oh here we go…

Suss or the Australian man was a plain and simple knob head.

The aussie guy wouldn't have known which homestay they had chosen would he. Molly and Andrew showed him on the map which one it was and he booked the driver. Absolute lol that its a big conspiracy theory by the production team to send them to the wrong place.