Spoiler Alert: Check out the first-look photos from the upcoming episode of Race Across the World as the BBC series returns this Wednesday.
The new season of Race Across the World is set to be a fast-paced adventure as it makes its return to TV screens this Wednesday.
Scenic first-look images reveal the contestants in action for the very first time. This season’s line-up features five teams: ex-partners Yin and Gaz, young couple Fin and Sioned, brothers Melvyn and Brian, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, and the mother-son duo Caroline and Tom.
Advertisement The race kicks off at the Great Wall of China, with the first checkpoint set in Huangling. Contestants must travel 14,000km to reach the finish line in Kanniyakumari, located at the southern tip of India. Just like in previous seasons, they’re not allowed to use flights or bank cards.
Each of the five teams is working with a strict budget of just £1,000 per person — the lowest in the show’s history. To make it through, they’ll have to depend on public transport like buses and trains, the generosity of strangers, and picking up jobs along the journey.
In scenes set to air on Wednesday, Fin and Sioned from Carmarthen, Wales, are “initially overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge,” according to the BBC. However, it’s Sioned who devises a strategy that helps them take an early lead in the race. One striking image captures Fin sitting alone on the floor, seemingly taking a quiet moment to himself.
They’re not the only team to face a tough start—Yin and Gaz also experience a “tricky start” in China, as revealed by the BBC.
The episode’s preview also shows the pair squeezing in some sightseeing. They visit a marriage market in Shanghai, which sparks reflections on their past relationship as a formerly married couple. A light-hearted photo features Yin capturing moments with her digital camera, having taken advice from past contestants to heart.
Another team soaking in the sights during the first episode are brothers Brian and Melvyn. Brian convinces his brother to take a detour to the Longmen Grottoes, home to thousands of Buddhist statues. In the first-look images, the pair appear to be enjoying themselves as they take a break from the race to explore and slow things down a bit.
Meanwhile, first-look photos show Elizabeth and Letitia hard at work during the first leg of the race. With the show’s lowest-ever budget of £1,000 per person, it’s no surprise that one of the teams has already jumped into earning some extra cash.
Watch the Race Across the World series 5 trailer
Having spent the last 10 years living in different countries, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia have plenty of personal catching up to do. Still, they’ve come into the race with a plan—using their travel experience and language skills to connect with locals and choose rural home stays to get ahead of the competition.
Also competing are mother and son duo Caroline, 60, and Tom, 21, who are pictured using public transport in the first-look images. With Caroline new to this kind of travel, Tom takes the lead, drawing on his past experience of interrailing with friends. Like Yin and Gaz, and Fin and Sioned, the pair also face a “rocky start,” according to the BBC.
Race Across the World premieres Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.