In the world of reality television, there are formats built for average members of the population to compete in (Britain’s Got Talent, say, or Dragons’ Den). Then there are the shows for famous people (like Strictly or I’m a Celeb). And lastly, there are the hybrids: shows that start life with normie contestants and end up catering to our celebrity overlords. Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Bake-Off, Celebrity Traitors. All have successfully zhuzhed up their lineup with a sprinkle of stardust. But Celebrity Race Across the World is something different: a show that feels inhibited by the injection of recognisable faces.
The idea, as the celebrity version arrives at its third series, remains simple: four duos will race across central America, stopping at various cultural or scenic checkpoints. In the process, they will experience life in Latin American homestays, suffer congested transport networks, and get to know each other even better. Roman Kemp (a ubiquitous presence on reality TV shows) is accompanied by his older sister, Harleymoon; Anita Rani brings her dad, Bal, along for the journey; Strictly alumni Molly Rainford and Tyler West test their relationship; and Big Boys actor Dylan Llewellyn gets stuck into the backpacker lifestyle with his mum, Jackie. It’s a decent lineup (understanding that it’s difficult for most celebrities to take five weeks off), with a range of experience. “Doing things that scare you is so important to you as a human being,” notes Kemp. “As much as it scares me,” confirms West, “it excites me.” And so, off they go.
