Wikipedia

Celebrity Race Across the World series 2

The second series of Celebrity Race Across the World is a race over 12,500 kilometres (7,800 mi) across South America, starting in Belém, Brazil and finishing in Frutillar, Chile.

Celebrity Race Across the World
Series 2
No. of episodes6
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release14 August (2024-08-14) –
18 September 2024 (2024-09-18)
Series chronology
← Previous
Series 4

It was announced by the BBC on 30 July 2024 and began airing on 14 August 2024 in the 9pm time slot on BBC One.

In the same press release the BBC confirmed that the series would once again consist of 6 hour-long episodes and revealed the four pairs of competitors as broadcaster Jeff Brazier and his son, Freddy; actor Kola Bokinni and his cousin, Mary Ellen; former model Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy; and BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills and his then-fiancé (now husband) Sam.[1][2]

Start and end points
Siqueira Campos Square, Belém, Brazil (top) and Frutillar, Chile (bottom)

Overview

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The race is to have five checkpoints with enforced rest periods, with contestants only finding out the next destination on departure from a checkpoint. Teams have been given a budget of £1100 per person – equivalent to the air fare for travelling the race route. Contestants are not permitted to subsidise their budgets, but short-term opportunities allow them to work for money or bed and board. The contestants are not allowed access to telephones or the internet, but are provided with a map, travel guide and GPS tracker.

Contestants

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From left to right: Kola Bokinni, Kelly Brook and Scott Mills
Name Relationship Occupation Age Ref.
Kelly Brook Wife and Husband Broadcaster 44 [1][3][2]
Jeremy Parisi Judo champion 39
Scott Mills Husband and Husband Radio 2 host 51 [1][3][2]
Sam Vaughan Events producer 35
Jeff Brazier Father and Son Broadcaster 45 [1][3][2]
Freddy Brazier Part Time Worker 19
Kola Bokinni Cousins Actor 32 [1][3][2]
Mary Ellen Moriarty Student 29

Results summary

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Colour key:

  – Team withdrawn
  – Series winners
Teams Position (by leg)
1 2 3 4 5 6
Kelly & Jeremy 1st 3rd 2nd 2nd
Scott & Sam 2nd 4th 3rd 1st
Jeff & Freddy 3rd 1st 1st 4th
Kola & Mary Ellen 4th 2nd 4th 3rd

Route

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The checkpoints in the second celebrity series were:

Leg From To
1[4] Siqueira Campos Square,
Belém, Pará, Brazil 		Hotel Long Beach,
Canoa Quebrada, Ceará, Brazil
2[5] Hotel Long Beach,
Canoa Quebrada, Ceará, Brazil 		Hotel Canto das Águas,
Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil
3[6] Hotel Canto das Águas,
Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil 		Hotel Unique,
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
4[7] Hotel Unique,
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 		Delta Eco Hotel,
Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
5[8] Delta Eco Hotel,
Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina 		Tilcara, Argentina
6[9] Tilcara, Argentina Frutillar, Chile

Race summary

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Mode of transportation   Rail     Ship     Bus/coach     Taxi     Road vehicle      Self-drive vehicle (paid)      RV
Activity   Working for money and/or bed and board     Excursion that cost time and/or money

Leg 1: Belém, Pará, Brazil → Canoa Quebrada, Ceará, Brazil

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Canoa Quebrada, Ceará, Brazil

The four teams, having checked in at the Farol de Belém lighthouse to hand over their wallets and mobile phones and to collect their race essentials, began the race in earnest at 2pm underneath the clock tower in Siqueira Campos Square. It was revealed that the first checkpoint was 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) away in the beach resort of Canoa Quebrada on the Ceará coast.[4]

Two teams opted for an inland route whilst the other two opted for the more touristic and costly coastal route, but ultimately all four teams would pass through Fortaleza, the largest city closest to the checkpoint in Canoa Quebrada.

The two inland teams headed straight for work opportunities with the promise of free bed and board. Scott & Sam helped make Goiabada at a confectioners in Carolina in the Cerrado whilst Jeff & Freddy helped out on a Chacaras (farm) in São Raimundo.

Of the two coastal teams, Kelly & Jeremy headed to nearby Bragança to assist with planting mangrove seedlings in the Caete-Taperacu Reserve in exchange for free bed and board, whilst Kola & Mary Ellen headed initially to the state capital of Sao Luis and then immediately onto Santa Amaro. Having been delayed for a day due to poor transport links, Kelly & Jeremy reassessed their strategy and decided to divert inland to Teresina, a destination that Jeff & Freddy and Scott & Sam were also headed towards.

Kola & Mary Ellen did some dune bashing at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, but found themselves stranded without any options of public transport forward. Desperate not to backtrack to Sao Luis, they splashed out on a costly taxi.

In Teresina, all three teams pressed forward to Fortaleza. Jeff & Freddy and Scott & Sam found themselves on the same 10-hour bus journey. At the bus terminus in Fortaleza, Scott & Sam immediately took a taxi whilst Jeff & Freddy tried to hitch a lift, a decision which would cost the latter team an hour and a race position.

Kelly & Jeremy arrived first at the checkpoint in the dying minutes of day 4, followed by Scott & Sam a little over an hour later. Jeff & Freddy finished third, a further hour after Scott & Sam.

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Kelly & Jeremy Belém   → Bragança       → Teresina  → Fortaleza   → Canoa Quebrada — 84%
2 Scott & Sam Belém     → Imperatiz   → Carolina       → Teresina   → Fortaleza   → Canoa Quebrada 1 hour 5 minutes 85%
3 Jeff & Freddy Belém   → Porto Franco   → São Raimundo     → Porto Franco   → Teresina   → Fortaleza → Canoa Quebrada 2 hours 11 minutes 88%
4 Kola & Mary Ellen Belém     → Sao Luis   → Santa Amaro     → Parnaiba   → Fortaleza → Canoa Quebrada 12 hours 30 minutes 79%

Leg 2: Canoa Quebrada, Ceará, Brazil → Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil

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Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil

The race restarted on day 6 and the finish point of the second leg was revealed to be Lençóis, gateway to the Chapada Diamantina National Park, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, some 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) away.[5]

Once again, the teams faced the dilemma of selecting either a well-connected, but relatively expensive route traversing the coastal cities or a cheaper, rural one through the more sparsely populated interior, with the inland route entailing backtracking to Fortaleza first.

A complete lack of foreign exchange bureaux in Aracati forced Kelly & Jeremy to wait seven hours for a bus they could afford with their remaining Brazilian Reals. This unanticipated turn of events allowed Scott & Sam to catch up to the leading pair, but they also found themselves without enough local currency to pay for bus tickets. Some helpful Mormon missionaries facilitated an impromptu exchange and so Scott & Sam managed to secure seats for themselves on the same midnight service to Natal as the leading team.

Jeff & Freddy, the only team to opt to make their way through the interior, headed first to Quixadá where they worked alongside Alpacas at a glamping site in the Caatinga, after which they left for Juazeiro do Norte on an overnight bus. There, they visited the monumental statue of the city's patron saint, Padre Cícero Romão Batista, before pressing onward to Brejo Santo where they caught a bus to Seabra, within striking distance of the checkpoint in Lençóis.

Having arrived in Natal, Scott & Sam and Kelly & Jeremy went their separate ways to their own work opportunities. The former pair headed to Pipa Beach where they were mistaken for father and son. The latter duo, having lost another four hours searching for a place to change currency in Natal, eventually proceeded to João Pessoa and then back up the coast on an unpaved road to a hostel in Barra do Mamanguape.

Last to leave Canoa Quebrada on day 7, Kola & Mary Ellen headed straight to Recife on a 12-hour bus journey. On arrival they took a side trip to nearby Olinda to see the sights. That evening they bumped into Scott & Sam who were just arriving at Recife coach station as they were departing towards Petrolândia in the interior where they had arranged to top up funds working in a local restaurant.

The next day Scott & Sam caught a nightbus to Feira de Santana. Meanwhile, Kelly & Jeremy had journeyed down the Brazilian coast to Maceió, leapfrogging their rivals, and were also heading to Feira de Santana.

When Kola & Mary Ellen found out the bus from Petrolândia to Lençóis was sold out, they caught a lucky break when they were offered a taxi at the same price as the cost of the bus tickets.

On day 9, Jeff & Freddy were the first team to arrive in the colonial mining town of Lençóis. They were first directed to the Church of Igreja do Rosario and then onto the checkpoint at the Hotel Canto das Águas. It would be another day before Kola & Mary Ellen and Kelly & Jeremy reached the checkpoint in second and third place respectively.

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Jeff & Freddy Canoa Quebrada   → Fortaleza   → Quixadá    → Juazeiro do Norte    → Brejo Santo  → Seabra   → Lençóis — 79%
2 Kola & Mary Ellen Canoa Quebrada → Aracati   → Recife → Olinda   → Recife    → Petrolândia    → Lençóis 15 hours 20 minutes 66%
3 Kelly & Jeremy Canoa Quebrada   → Aracati   → Natal   → João Pessoa   → Barra do Mamanguape    → João Pessoa   → Maceió   → Feira de Santana   → Lençóis 20 hours 29 minutes 66%
4 Scott & Sam Canoa Quebrada   → Aracati   → Natal   → Pipa Beach    → Recife   → Feira de Santana   → Lençóis 27 hours 69%

Leg 3: Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil → São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

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Hotel Unique, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

The race recommenced on day 11 with a leg that started from tranquil Lençóis but finished in the bustling megalopolis of São Paulo, 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) away to the south west.[6]

Leaving in the morning, Jeff & Freddy decided to head to the coast and the city of Salvador. There they celebrated the life of Freddy's mother, Jade Goody, by viewing the sunset at the Barra lighthouse and taking a dip in the Bay of All Saints.

Kola & Mary Ellen left the checkpoint in the late evening, but with no overnight buses found themselves stranded for another night in Lençóis until the next day when they chose to head to Porto Seguro to work as a waiter and an Axé dancer respectively, at a famous beach bar.

That same day, Kelly & Jeremy also departed checkpoint two but chose to travel via Seabra to the capital Brasília, where they arrived on day 13. Whilst in the city they visited the Oscar Niemeyer designed Metropolitan cathedral before trying their hand at shoe shining at the intercity bus terminal.

Last to depart, Scott & Sam took a chance and requisitioned a taxi to Itaberaba, 140 kilometres (87 mi) away, for an opportunity to top up their funds, but having underestimated the journey time, arrived too late both for work and any onward travel. Determined to turn their fortunes around they managed to secure a job that evening in the kitchen of a pizzeria.

Having made it to Rio de Janeiro via Vitoria, Freddy took the opportunity to sell Mate cocido on Copacabana beach to replenish funds he had spent on souvenirs. Also continuing to top up funds were Scott & Sam (serving drinks in a bar in Goiânia) and Kola & Mary Ellen (working in a coffee shop in Belo Horizonte).

Having made it as far as Uberlândia, Kelly & Jeremy pressed onward to São Paulo desperate to move up the leaderboard. When the teams arrived in the city they were instructed to take the Metro to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) in the Jardins district and then given directions to the checkpoint at the Hotel Unique. Jeff & Freddy arrived first, followed by Kelly & Jeremy almost 9 hours later. Scott & Sam arrived third, a further 6 hours later followed eventually by Kola & Mary Ellen just over an hour after them.

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Jeff & Freddy Lençóis   → Salvador    → Vitoria   → Rio de Janeiro      → São Paulo — 56%
2 Kelly & Jeremy Lençóis   → Seabra   → Brasília     → Uberlândia   → São Paulo 8 hours 55 minutes 51%
3 Scott & Sam Lençóis   → Itaberaba    → Goiânia    → São Paulo 14 hours 45 minutes 49%
4 Kola & Mary Ellen Lençóis   → Porto Seguro    → Belo Horizonte     → São Paulo 16 hours 6 minutes 45%

Leg 4: São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil → Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The race recommenced on day 17 from São Paulo in Brazil and finished in Tigre on the Parana River Delta, just north of the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, a distance of approximately 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi).[7]

The teams faced a choice of which countries, if any, to traverse to reach Argentina. For Jeff & Freddy the choice of route (via Paraguay) was determined by a work opportunity at a camp site just outside the Brazilian city of Cascavel. Although first to depart the checkpoint, they just missed a bus to the Cascavel and had to wait another six hours for the next service.

Kelly & Jeremy made the decision to cross into Argentina directly from Brazil at Foz do Iguaçu. Whilst there they took the opportunity to see Iguazu Falls before crossing the border (most likely via the Fraternity Bridge) into Argentina at Puerto Iguazú.

Scott & Sam selected a route that would take them through relatively expensive Uruguay in the hope that they could command higher wages for any work they did there. Initially they travelled by train on the Serra Verde Express to Curitiba in the state of Paraná and then took a long distance bus to the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo.

Kola & Mary Ellen wanted to attend a Saint Patrick's Day festival to celebrate their Irish roots in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre which also dictated that they use Uruguay as a stepping stone to Argentina. The bus to Porto Alegre broke down en route and the pair missed the celebrations, but worse was yet to come. Having successfully taken a bus to Punta del Este in Uruguay for a budget boosting job, Kola realized he had left his passport on board. Without it he and Mary Ellen would not be able to cross the border into Argentina and their race would effectively be over.[10] Disheartened, the pair pressed ahead to their job in a vineyard, where much to the relief of Kola, learned the passport was with lost property in Montevideo.

Jeff & Freddy crossed the Friendship Bridge from Brazil into Ciudad del Este, Paraguay and then caught a bus to the Paraguay-Argentina border at Encarnación where they took the Posadas-Encarnación International Train across the San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge to Posados in Argentina and then an onward bus direct to Tigre in the Parana River Delta. Already in Argentina, Kelly & Jeremy took a bus to Concordia where they planned a day of sightseeing and Tango dancing. Scott & Sam entered Argentina via a very expensive ferry across the River Plate from Montevideo to Buenos Aires, but not before working in an Asado restaurant to recoup some funds. Meanwhile Kola & Mary Ellen took a much cheaper overnight bus between the two capital cities.

Arriving into Tigre on Day 21 the teams were initially instructed to take a water taxi towards the Museum of Art and then commandeer it onto the Delta Eco Hotel. Scott & Sam arrived first, with Kelly & Jeremy arriving almost 7 hours later. They were followed by Kola & Mary Ellen in third place and eventually Jeff & Freddy now bringing up the rear.

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Scott & Sam São Paulo   → Curitiba    → Montevideo    → Buenos Aires   →   Tigre — 29%
2 Kelly & Jeremy São Paulo     → Foz do Iguaçu   → Puerto Iguazú   → Concordia    →   Tigre 6 hours 40 minutes 30%
3 Kola & Mary Ellen São Paulo   → Porto Alegre   → Punta del Este    → Montevideo   → Buenos Aires →   Tigre 10 hours (approx.) 19%
4 Jeff & Freddy São Paulo    → Cascavel    → Foz do Iguaçu   → Ciudad del Este   → Encarnación   → Posadas   →   Tigre TBA TBA

Leg 5: Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina → Tilcara, Argentina

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Tilcara, Argentina

The fifth leg finishing will be at Tilcara, Argentina.[8]

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Kelly & Jeremy — %
2 Scott & Sam %
3 Jeff & Freddy %
4 Kola & Mary Ellen %

Leg 6: Tilcara, Argentina → Frutillar, Chile

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Frutillar, Chile

The sixth and final leg will be finishing at Frutillar, Chile.[9]

Order Teams Route Hours behind leaders Money left
1 Kelly & Jeremy —
2 Scott & Sam
3 Jeff & Freddy
4 Kola & Mary Ellen

Ratings

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Episode
no.		 Airdate Total viewers
(millions)[11]		 Weekly ranking
all channels[11]
1 14 August 2024 5.74 1
2 21 August 2024 5.80 1
3 28 August 2024
4 4 September 2024
5 11 September 2024
6 18 September 2024

Critical reception

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Opinions on the first episode of the second celebrity series were favourable overall. Daisy Jones of The Guardian awarded the opening episode 4 stars out of 5, stating "It's utterly, wonderfully captivating TV,"[12] as did Vicky Jessop of the Evening Standard who opined "it's still got the magic."[13] Anita Singh of The Telegraph also awarded the opener 4 stars, commenting that it was "the funniest series yet – despite the obscure contestants."[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "BBC Celebrity Race Across The World 2024 line-up revealed". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Roberts, Hannah (30 July 2024). "Kelly Brook among famous faces unveiled for Celebrity Race Across The World 2024". Evening Standard. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Celebrity Race Across The World 2024 line-up reveal their biggest challenges, winning strategies and secrets that might surprise viewers". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, Episode 4". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, Episode 5". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b "BBC One - Celebrity Race Across the World, Series 2, The Final". BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  10. ^ "A lost passport puts one Celebrity Race Across The World team's race in jeopardy". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Most viewed programmes Barb". Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  12. ^ Jones, Daisy (14 August 2024). "Celebrity Race Across the World review – Kelly Brook's checkpoint sprint is white-knuckle stuff". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  13. ^ Jessop, Vicky (14 August 2024). "Celebrity Race Across the World on BBC One review: it's still got the magic". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  14. ^ Singh, Anita (14 August 2024). "Celebrity Race Across the World, review: the funniest series yet – despite the obscure contestants". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
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