Race Across the World Episodes: Full List by Season

BBC’s Race Across the World has built a devoted following across six seasons, sending strangers on 12,000km journeys without flights or smartphones—and some viewers find themselves completely hooked after the first episode, tracking the pairs’ progress across deserts, mountains, and border crossings with genuine investment in their choices. This guide covers every episode across all seasons, plus the contestant updates that keep fans checking in long after the credits roll.

Seasons Released: 6 · Series 6 Episodes: 9 (first two confirmed) · First Series Premiere: 3 March 2019 · Series 1 Episodes: 6 · Primary Broadcaster: BBC

Six seasons of Race Across the World span from Sicily to Mongolia, with episode counts ranging from 6 to 9 per series.

The key facts below summarise essential parameters for following the show across all six seasons.

How many episodes are there to Race Across the World?

Series 1 episodes

The original Race Across the World launched on BBC One on 3 March 2019, running for six episodes through 7 April 2019. That first series established the format: strangers paired by shared backgrounds, competing across thousands of kilometres with nothing but a modest budget and a world map. Six episodes may sound compact, but each delivered the full arc from departure nerves to finish-line tension.

Series 5 episodes

Series 5 began airing 23 April 2025, following the established rhythm of a full season capped by a reunion episode. The finale typically marks the last competitive episode, with the reunion bringing eliminated pairs back to discuss their experiences post-race. Episode 8 served as the Series 5 finale, with a special follow-up confirming the winner’s journey after crossing the finish line.

Series 6 episodes

Series 6 began airing on BBC One on 2 April 2026, with sources indicating 9 episodes total across the season—a step up from earlier series. Episode 6.1 aired first, introducing five teams departing Palermo, Sicily for the 12,000km Silk Road route. Episode 6.2 continued the story, following teams from Kefalonia across Greece toward Istanbul. Sources vary on whether the count reaches 6 or 9 episodes, but the confirmed first two episodes set the pace for what appears to be the longest series yet.

The implication: episode counts have climbed steadily from 6 episodes in Series 1 toward a potential 9 in Series 6, giving viewers substantially more race content per season.

Which couple split up after the Race Across the World?

Post-race updates

The show has featured several pairs who entered the race as established couples or relatives, and post-race updates occasionally surface in the months following each series. While comprehensive tracking of every pair’s status is difficult—BBC does not publish official follow-up documentation—media coverage and social media updates from contestants themselves have confirmed some outcomes.

Specific team stories

Series 4 notably featured Dylan and his mother as a team, with their departure from the race drawing significant viewer interest. Contestants report the experience as “surreal” in interviews with BBC News, describing the intensity of competing alongside someone they already knew intimately. The dynamics shift dramatically when strangers compete versus family members who already share history, and that contrast has become a recurring point of discussion in post-race coverage.

Will there be a Race Across the World in 2026?

Series 6 details

Series 6 is already underway, with filming confirmed for September–October 2025 and Episode 1 airing 2 April 2026. The route retraces the Silk Road from Palermo, Sicily across eight countries to Khatgal, Mongolia—a distance of 12,000km. Five pairs are currently competing, each receiving £1,297 for the entire journey (roughly £23.16 per person per day), with the first team reaching Khatgal winning £20,000.

Future announcements

BBC has not made official announcements about Series 7 or beyond. Some sources anticipated a November 2026 release, conflicting with the confirmed April air date, though that November speculation may refer to post-production timelines rather than broadcast scheduling. The production company, Studio Lambert, has produced every season to date, but renewal decisions depend on BBC commissioning preferences and viewership performance. For the current season, a reunion episode seems likely given Series 5’s format, but this has not been officially confirmed.

Are Angel and Ty still together?

Love Island connection

Angel and Ty appeared in Race Across the World after gaining recognition through Love Island, a detail that drew crossover audiences from that show’s fanbase. Their participation in the race added a layer of public scrutiny not typically faced by contestants who enter without existing media profiles.

Post-show status

Updates on their status since the race have surfaced primarily through social media and occasional interviews. The relationship dynamics of contestants who arrive with existing partnerships face heightened interest, and viewers frequently ask about their status months after the season ends. Without official BBC follow-up programming or comprehensive media coverage, confirming their current status requires relying on contestants’ own public statements.

Do contestants get paid on Race Across the World?

Rules and budget

Contestants receive no separate payment beyond the budget allocated for the race itself. Each team receives £1,297 to cover the entire journey from Sicily to Mongolia—an amount equivalent to the cost of flying that route. No planes, no smartphones, no credit cards, no internet access: the budget is their lifeline, and how they manage it often determines their fate.

Participant experiences

This budget structure is the show’s central challenge. Teams must decide between faster transport options that drain cash quickly and slower routes that stretch their funds but risk elimination. The £1,297 figure works out to roughly £23.16 per person per day across the 28-day journey, though some reports cite approximately £26 daily—which may reflect slight variations in calculation methods. Contestants frequently describe the experience as financially intense in post-race interviews.

What viewers and contestants say

The race gave us a completely different perspective on each other—it was intense in ways we hadn’t expected.

— Brian and Melvyn, brothers competing as a team

The first checkpoint in Fiskardo felt like we’d already been on the road for weeks. Every decision matters when you can’t afford mistakes.

— A Series 6 contestant, speaking to Country and Town House

The contestant perspective captures what makes the show compelling: strangers or acquaintances thrust into extreme conditions with limited resources, making decisions that reveal character under pressure. Viewer investment follows from watching those dynamics unfold over full episodes rather than highlight reels.

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Series 5 of Race Across the World delivered drama culminating in the Caroline and Tom Bridge victory after teams traversed 13,000 km through China, Nepal, and India.

Frequently asked questions

For viewers in the UK, the choice is straightforward: BBC iPlayer offers full access to every current episode, with new instalments arriving weekly. International viewers may need to check regional streaming agreements or wait for selected episodes on Netflix. If the Silk Road route intrigues you, the first two episodes establish the teams’ starting dynamics—worth watching before falling behind on episode discussions.