Celebrities are used to travelling in luxury and having staff attending to their every whim. However, this week, four famous faces — and their loved ones — will be leaving behind their showbiz lifestyles to take part in the first-ever Celebrity Race Across The World.
Taking up the challenge for this star-studded take on the popular BBC One reality show — postponed from last week — are McFly drummer and Strictly Come Dancing 2011 winner Harry Judd and his mother Emma; TV weatherman Alex Beresford and his dad Noel, All Saints singer Melanie Blatt and her mother Helene and racing driver Billy Monger and his sister Bonnie.
Starting off in Marrakech, North Africa, ending 10,000km away in Tromsø, the gateway to the Arctic, the pairings must navigate the route across 20 countries on land and sea, without mobile phones and on a very limited budget. Here, Harry, Alex, Melanie and Billy reveal all about their epic journey…
McFly star Harry Judd (joined by mum Emma)
From the age of 17, Harry Judd was touring the globe as the drummer for chart-topping boy band McFly - but this time he’s joined on the road by his mother Emma.
"Mum is a very positive, upbeat person, so she’s great company," says Harry, 37, although the pair hit an early stumbling block when miscommunication sees them miss a bus from Marrakech.
"I’d normally take the lead on a trip like this but it was important I knew when to step back and allow mum to step forward,’ says Harry. "It was nice seeing mum realise how capable she was."
Harry admits the hardest thing about the journey was being so far away from home.
"When we got to the first checkpoint of Pinhão in Portugal, I was missing my wife Izzy and kids terribly and had a bit of a cry," admits Harry. "To focus my mind, mum gave me some tapestry and so ensued three weeks of obsessive stitching. It’s the new rock and roll!"
Harry enjoyed trekking across the world with his mother…
"We experienced some amazing things, saw incredible sights and met some wonderful people but probably the thing I enjoyed most was spending 10 hours on a train some days sitting with mum and talking the whole time. That was the most special thing for me."
Racing's Billy Monger (joined by sister Bonnie)
Racing driver Billy Monger was riding high in British Formula 4 in 2017 when a high-speed collision resulted in him having both lower legs amputated. Now a TV pundit for Sky’s Formula 1 coverage, Billy was up for taking on a race of a different kind…
"As a double amputee, I knew it would be a little tricky navigating different climates and the accessibility of certain places," says Billy, 24, who’s joined on the show by his sister Bonnie. "Also, sometimes my prosthetics weren't fitting well — it was like travelling with only one pair of shoes, so you’d pick up some blisters."
Having to stick to a tight budget, Billy and Bonnie find a way to make some money…
"We took a job doing ‘tanning’ in Marrakech to get a taste of the culture," says Billy of the traditional process of softening leather in bird droppings. "But we didn't fully understand what the job entailed!"
As all the celebrities hurry to the first checkpoint of Pinhão in Portugal, it’s safe to say Billy’s got his eye on the prize…
"As our competitive streak came out more, it was all about speed, efficiency... and wanting to win," he says. "Ultimately, though, it was a travel experience I wanted to share with my sister. There were tough moments but good memories, too. It’s definitely a trip we won’t forget."
Weatherman Alex Beresford (joined by dad Noel)
Used to early starts as Good Morning Britain’s former weatherman, not having a routine proved a shock to Alex Beresford’s system, especially when dad Noel wanted to make decisions…
"I wanted to press on from Marrakech but dad wanted to stay, so we did," says Alex, 42. "I was trying to enjoy my time there but, ultimately, I was thinking about the race and I’m very competitive so I was panicking we’d get left behind.
"I've got so much respect for my dad but there were points where I had to overrule him — although I knew there was only so far I could push it before he gave me a clip round the ear!"
Alex struggled with not having access to a mobile phone.
"Not being able to talk to my wife and son broke me at times," he admits. "My family and friends wrote us letters that we’d open at each checkpoint. They always made me cry but that’s how I got through it."
And he enjoyed getting to bond with dad Noel…
"It was a huge privilege for all of us to see our family members go on their own journeys," he says. "We pushed them to the limit at times but they were able to dig in. Dad was an amazing travel partner — I don't think I could’ve gone with anyone else."
All Saints' Melanie Blatt (Joined by mum Helene)
Melanie Blatt found fame in the 1990s as a member of chart-topping quartet All Saints. Despite performing to thousands with the band — whose hits include "Never Ever" and "I Know Where It's At" — Melanie hoped taking part in the show would help her regain her confidence.
"I've always been plagued with self-doubt in terms and I hoped doing this show would enable me to handle things better," says Melanie, 48, joined on-screen by mum Helene. "Mum’s the leader of our family, so I was expecting that to happen on the race but she took a step back, which was new territory for us."
To earn some extra cash, Melanie and Helene get a job in a local bar doing the washing-up, where Melanie treats staff to a sing-song…
"They said to me: 'We won't pay you until you sing', so I gave them a verse [of "Never Ever"] by the kitchen sink,’"she reveals. "The biggest challenge was being on camera 24/7. It’s not natural for mum to do any of this, so I felt protective over her."
Melanie learned a lot about herself from being on the show.
"It definitely gave me more confidence to be alone in the world, dealing with situations," she says. "But lots of our money was spent on food and taxis, so I obviously still have a problem with budgeting!"
Celebrity Race Across The World starts on Wednesday, September 20 at 9 pm on BBC One.
