‘Celebrity Race Across the World 2024 is so much harder’

Celebrity Race Across the World 2024 contestants have it so much harder, according to previous contestant Harry Judd.

Speaking on behalf of Sky Vegas, Judd told Yahoo: “I think they are all coping with the route through the Amazon really well. It’s admittedly more challenging than the European journeys we had.”

He added: “I’m quite glad we got our route through Europe because although it was really hard, I’m glad it wasn’t harder. Don’t get me wrong, it would be pretty amazing to travel through South America. I’d love to go through America but I don’t think that’d be too hard because there’s good connections. I think we got a good route with Europe.”

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Last year, the McFly drummer competed on Celebrity Race Across the World with his mum Emma and they came runner-up to ITV weatherman Alex Beresford and his dad Noel. Their race was totally different, taking the stars on an epic journey through Europe. They started out in North African city of Marrakech and they raced to the finish line in Tromsø, in Northern Norway.

This year, the stakes are higher than ever with Kelly Brook and Jeremy Parisi, Kola Bokinni and Mary-Ellen, Scott Mills and Sam Vaughan as well as Jeff and Freddy Brazier competing to race to the finish line through the Amazon.

The 12,500km race begun in Belém, northern Brazil – the gateway to the Amazon. Stars are mid-journey as they pass through five checkpoints over the BBC series across the length of South America, to reach the finish line in the Andes, Frutillar in southern Chile.

Watching what happened on Celebrity Race Across the World from the comfort of his own sofa, Judd emphasised with the stars as he remembered the difficulties he faced while filming the show with his mum. He said: “We saw Jeff rejoicing because he finally got on a train. They are definitely on way more buses than us and their bus journeys seem to be much longer, and you know it’s sweaty on those buses.”

He added: “People talk when you’re trying to sleep. We had one journey where we had someone behind us snoring so loudly or someone at 1am FaceTiming their family, it’s really annoying. They have more distance to travel, and I think a slightly harsher climate with the humidity and they’ve had tropical downpours to contend with as well. But, they are coping really well, they’re not complaining much at all.”

Having gone on the amazing adventure Race Across the World himself, Judd admitted he was quite happy to go back to comfortable holidays with luxuries including heated pools and buffets. In every day life, the drummer also pointed out you can be more flexible with your travel plans.

He said: “The experience of the show just got me straight back to hotels with heated pools and buffets and comfort. I don’t mind a train journey or a bus journey but the thing about Race Across the World is that it’s a race. It’s the race element that makes it more tricky.

“You’re without a phone and even if you do make it to a bus station for example, it could be eight hours until you can get a bus and that is really frustrating, and you’ve got to just keep going even though you are exhausted. Whereas if you were just travelling, you can be a bit more flexible.

“In the recent episode, Kola lost his passport and then their bus broke down. They were having a miserable time and if they were on holiday or travelling, they might have decided to stay where they were for a day or two to catch up on sleep or party but because it’s a race they’ve got to keep going.”

Watch the Celebrity Race Across the World trailer here

While competing on Celebrity Race Across the World is tough, it is rewarding in equal measures. One of the stand out things that everyone says about taking part in the Race Across the World franchise is the kindness of strangers.

Judd said: “I actually enjoy meeting people more than seeing the amazing sights of the world. It’s connecting with people around the world that makes an experience special.”

Reflecting on his own experience, the musician remembered the kindness strangers showed him and his mum. It warmed their hearts and Judd said his mum is still in touch with the lady who helped them while they starred on Race.

He added: “When we got the ferry from France to Corsica, we arrived on a bank holiday when there was no public transport. We had to rely on hitchhiking so we were going around the ferry asking people if they could drive us to the south of the island.

“We met a really lovely couple called Reno and Leticia and they drove us where we needed to go, despite living close to the ferry terminal. They went two plus hours out of their way, and I think they were excited to hear our story and what we were doing. They were interested in hearing that I was in a band in the UK, and it was a really fun experience and very kind of them. I think mum’s kept in touch with Leticia over email.”

Watch Celebrity Race Across the World on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday.