Celebrity Race Across The World is officially back, with four new celebrity pairings leaving their phones, credit cards and home comforts behind for a 7,500km journey from Borneo to Melbourne. The 2026 series began on BBC One and iPlayer on Wednesday 28 October, with the contestants setting off from Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak before travelling across South East Asia and eventually making their way towards Australia.

This year’s line-up includes singer-songwriter Ella Eyre and her childhood friend Nana, sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling and his son Matt, Princess Andre and her brother Junior Andre, and Sam Ryder alongside his best friend and tour manager Kaz.

Ella and Nana have known each other for more than 20 years and described the race as the gap year they never got to have. Jeff and Matt are approaching the experience from two very different generations, with Jeff joking that his experience and Matt’s youth should make them a strong combination.

Princess and Junior, the children of Katie Price and Peter Andre, are also hoping the series gives viewers a chance to see them away from the comparisons that have followed them throughout their lives. Sam and Kaz, meanwhile, already have years of travelling together behind them through touring, which could come in handy once the journey gets tougher.

The route begins in Kuching before taking the pairs through Borneo and across three countries and two continents, with five checkpoints standing between them and the finish line in Melbourne.

What happened in episode one?

The opening episode wasted no time putting the contestants under pressure as they tried to work out transport, find places to stay and stretch their limited budgets.

Princess and Junior quickly became one of the most talked-about pairings from the first episode, with viewers really taking to the siblings and their relationship. They relied on help from local residents as they tried to find their way before spending the night on a coconut farm and working in exchange for somewhere to stay. Their journey also included an overnight coach ride that looked pretty grim, with another passenger being sick in the toilet behind them as they tried to get some rest. It was not exactly the glamorous side of travelling, but it certainly gave them a memorable introduction to Race Across The World.

Although, by the end of the episode, they were in last place and still around 230km from the first checkpoint, roughly a day behind the teams that had already made it there.

For CultureCues, Princess and Junior were definitely the biggest surprise from the first episode. They came across as really sweet together, and there is something very likeable about watching them work things out as they go. They might be at the back of the pack for now, but we are already rooting for them. The scenery looks incredible too, and the other three pairings all bring something different to the race, so we will definitely be watching as the series continues.

Celebrity Race Across The World continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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