Another year, another batch of celebrities get ready to embark on a continent-spanning race in the name of television.
This year, the competition takes place across South America: starting in the town of Belém, Brazil, four couples will attempt to be first to reach the final checkpoint in the Andes: the town of Frutillar in Chile.
It’s an epic 12,500 mile race, and it’ll be back on our screens from 9pm on Wednesday August 14. But who’ll be taking part?
Jeff and Freddy Brazier
Who is Jeff Brazier?
He’s an English TV presenter. He had his first break in 2001 when he appeared on the third series of reality TV show Shipwrecked, and went onto present shows such as I’m A Celebrity, Finders Keepers and This Morning. He’s also taken part in his fair share of reality TV shows, including Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. He’ll be joined on his journey by his son Freddy.
What to know
The pair are looking forward to getting stuck in. “I am a really safe sort of person, I guess,” says Brazier.
“I'm not an adrenaline junkie, I'm not a major thrill seeker whatsoever, but I do own a campervan. And I like to get out and sort of adventure in that context. Sounds very middle-aged to me. Fred is a massive risk taker and free obviously, in a lot of ways.”
They’ve also been picking up tips from previous series: “Don’t get cabs unless it’s really, really needed,” says Freddy. “If you can afford to stay overnight and get the first transport to the next stop, fine but I've seen it too many times where people just rush to get a taxi, and then not have much of their budget left.”
Kola Bokinni and Mary Ellen
Who is Kola Bokinni?
Kola is an actor who’s best known for playing Richmond Team Captain Isaac McAdoo in the beloved Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso. Brought up in Peckham, he went to the BRIT School and picked up roles in Black Mirror (as Lennard in a 2016 episode called Men Against Fire) and Top Boy as Leyton. He’ll be travelling with Mary Ellen, his cousin.
What to know
The pair are clearly looking forward to spending some quality time together.
“Kola called me and was like, “Hey, Mary, do you want to be a part of the show with me?” I was like, ‘Oh my God, you thought of me?’” says Mary Ellen. “I just want to create memories with my cousin, I suppose, and go on the adventure of a lifetime.”
They’ve also been busy picking up tips from previous series. “Just be yourself,” says Kola. “Because at the end of the day, human nature is to make mistakes. And if you go left when you should have gone right, that’s it, isn’t it? Don’t punish yourself because you’ve lost half an hour.”
Kelly Brook and Jeremy Parisi
Who is Kelly Brook?
Kelly Brook is a model and TV presenter. She started modelling at the age of 16, when she won a beauty competition she was entered into by her mother. Since then, she’s gone onto appear in numerous films and TV shows, including Smallville and horror-comedy film Piranha 3D. She’s married to Italian actor and model Jeremy Parisi, with whom she’ll be travelling.
What to know
The pair are adventurous. “Jeremy and I were looking for a new adventure to go on together and we love to travel,” says Brooks. “And this just seemed like the dream to get to the airport and not know where you're going. That is like a dream, to go to the airport, be given a plane ticket and just go.”
And they’re definitely competitive. “We definitely want to give it our best shot. We've never done anything like this before so, we don't know how good we're going to be,” she adds.
“We might have to change our game plan depending on what we see and how well we do. But at the moment, we pretty much know our strengths and our weaknesses.” They didn’t elaborate on what those might be, probably sensibly.
Scott Mills and Sam Vaughan
Who is Scott Mills?
Scott Mills is a BBC Radio 1 DJ. He began his career at the age of 16 on commercial radio show Power FM, becoming the youngest permanent presenter on mainstream radio. From 2004 to 2022, he presented the Scott Mills show on Radio 1; today, he headlines Steve Wright’s old show on BBC Radio 2.
What to know
This was filmed before the pair got married in 2024, and they’re treating it as the chance to have some quality time away together before the big day.
“Everyone says the holiday test is you know you could be with somebody if you go on holiday with them,” says Mills. “This is like that times a thousand. Not that I have any doubts that Sam is the one for me, but there will be times in this, I imagine, when it will get stressful.”
For him, it’s also the chance to challenge himself in a brand new way. “[With] Strictly, I kind of knew I wouldn't be able to really do that but I gave it a go and I felt a sense of accomplishment because of it,” he says. “I think there's something inside me that likes the challenge, almost being scared of not being able be able to do something, and waiting to find out.”
