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).

No 'moderating effect of the sea' as my geography 'o' level teacher used to say!

But in The Reunion programme, they say they follow the teams, but don’t interfere.

Actually I do - and have heard of a previous series where RATW manipulated the winner of the series so that a pairing thought to be more popular won.
I was told this by someone v well placed - and I have no reason to disbelieve them
Still love the show though and this season has been one of the best

No. They wouldn't.

you can say that @sunflowersintheday but it’s not what I’ve been told.
the person who told me was not only v well placed to know, they also had no reason to make it up

Well, that's a massive scandal, if it's true.

I don't know who makes RATW but no way would the BBC risk it being fixed after the vote rigging scandals they have had previously.

Quite.

how do they even know who is popular during the filming,
fake news

Good point!

Exactly. That comment is typical anti-BBC nonsense.

I don’t think they would fix it either, it’s probably one of their most successful shows at the moment - why risk it, how does it benefit the BBC for one particular team to win?

I wanted the boys to win, I think they were amazing throughout and I do have to say some of the negativity I’ve seen about them largely stems from where they are from.

If it was a case of manipulation, I won't be to make a specific couple win.

I don't find it totally unbelievable they might allow a couple to go in the wrong direction (by tell the Australian tour guide not to correct should they get it wrong) to ensure the winner wasn't 24hrs ahead and therefore there could be several people heading to the final checkpoint at the end.

But the way they show us everyone running to the checkpoints/end it doesn't matter how far ahead a couple is - we get shown them all racing to get there in the same few minutes of TV, and then find out afterwards that some were many hours ahead/behind.

I’m expecting to hear that 9/11 was faked next.

It doesn't benefit them, especially as the public can't form an opinion on the couples until months after it's filmed!
There's always a conspiracy nowadays.

I just rewatched Jargalant-gate.

There were two Jargalant homestays in the book. The one at the bottom of the page clearly says Khusgal. However, Andrew has her hand obscuring that. It's entirely possible they actually thought they were going to the other one and that one at the same time. They looked at the book and assumed they were in the same place and the one they found on the map was the other homestay but they never realised.

It's at 11:33 on IPlayer!

Yes, that sounds like that's how it happened. Thanks, Piggy.

Just watching the catch up. How white are Molly's teeth 😁

In 'real life' they would have just looked for somewhere to stay in the wrong town and continue journey from there not sure why they went back to where they were supposed to be staying. I think the issue was with the taxi driver. Presume Aussie man told him right place initially but when they got in and said it he registered wrong one. Similar happened with Margo previous episode went back

Exactly, even if they edit it after it starts to air to give more air time to one couple who are proving to be popular they can’t change who won as that has already happened.

On Gogglebox last night they showed the clip of them arriving in the taxi, and the conversation back to the Aussie man seemed to suggest thats what had happened.

Loved this series. So happy the boys won it. Well done to all of them.

I agree that’s likely, but then why didn’t they stay at the one in the town they were in?
I guess though that the production team call ahead and let them know they are coming, which they won’t have done with the ‘wrong’ one.

On the Reunion programme one person did say that it can be really hard when you see teams heading the totally wrong way and you can’t say anything.

Exactly, people are watching it 6 months later.