In the run-up to this year’s Celebrity Race Across the World, we invite you to meet each team competing in this year’s epic journey from Belém, Northern Brazil, to Frutillar, Southern Chile.
Image credits: Celebrity Race Across The World, Studio Lambert, Hans Georg.
Scott Mills and his fiancée, Sam
Q: Why did you want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
Sam: When Scott and I were first asked to take part in the series, it was kind of a no-brainer as it’s an opportunity to just switch off in the world and see places that you’ve never seen before. You’ll probably go to places that you wouldn’t choose to go; if you look at a map, you probably wouldn’t say, “Let’s go here.” Scott loves his travel magazines, so he plans our holidays. He likes to go to new places, but this is probably going somewhere that we will never go to again. And it’s just seeing parts of the world together. Obviously, we will get married this year, so for us, it’s a year of big challenges.
Scott: Before we get married, everyone says the holiday test is, you know, you could be with somebody if you go on holiday with them. This is like that times a thousand. Not that I have any doubts that Sam is the one for me, but there will be times in this, I imagine, when it will get stressful. And I think I’m expecting it, I don’t know, but I’m expecting it to be big highs and probably big lows. So, if we can get through this, we can get through anything. I have no doubt that we will, but that’s also part of the reason why I wanted to do it. I also really just want to throw my phone away for a bit. I wouldn’t be able to get to do this again.
Q: And how do you feel about travelling without mobile phones or credit cards?
Scott: It will be weird. We haven’t started yet, so we haven’t been exposed to what’s going to happen. It will be odd having to be very careful about the choices that we make. But I’m quite looking forward to it. I think it will be good, but ask me again at the end!
Sam: Travelling without a mobile, obviously, it’s everything in your palm, your maps, your directions, your translator, your wallet. I’m really good with directions, so if I go somewhere once, I know my way around. Scott’s the opposite; he can go on holiday, and he’ll finally get to know his way around the hotel as we’re checking out. He’ll always have to put the sat nav on to go to the train station, even though he goes there every day. So, for me, I’m not worried about the directions, but I’m useless on geography and where everything is, whereas Scott’s good at that. So, although we haven’t got our mobiles and our wallets and everything, we’ll help each other with our strengths and weaknesses. But it’s still going to be difficult that you just can’t pull out a phone and say, “Help me, please!”
Q: Has being a public figure impacted the way that you travel?
Scott: Only I think in the way that you can afford to go on nice holidays. I’m not a flash person at all, but the one thing I probably do spend my money on is holidays. That’s an important downtime for me. We go on lots of holidays together, but we also go with our families quite a lot.
Q: Sam, what’s it like having a famous fiancé?
Sam: Obviously, it allows me to do amazing things like this, travel the world, and attend amazing places and great events.
Scott: You just generally forget, and that’s kind of how I like it.
Sam: When we go to places outside of London, if we go back to my home in Wales, if we go to Cardiff for food, people will stop Scott. You kind of remember then. And I think also because Scott’s on the radio, that people will naturally just hear the voice. So, if we’re sat somewhere and we’ve been sat there for a while, just looking at the menu, and then we start talking, the table next to us will then glance up because they recognise the voice.
Scott: If I go for a night out with Rylan, I love him so much; he’s one of my best friends, but I couldn’t deal with his fame. Let’s be honest, and I would say this to his face: he does invite it: the teeth, the hair, the everything. But that is not for me. And that’s also why I think, me and him get on because we are polar opposites. But I don’t want to be a celebrity where you have to work out where the escape plan is if it all gets too much. Of course, he loves it. But it’s not for me.
Q: Have you watched any of the previous series and picked up any tips?
Sam: Yes, we’ve watched it. We got into it in lockdown, we binged it and sat back thinking, imagine having that experience. And I think one of the biggest things we’ve taken from it is don’t lose your money because if you lose your money, you’re out. If we decide to get a taxi and it costs us 10% of our budget, at least we can work that back a little bit. If you lose your money, it’s game over.
Scott: I know it’s a race, but I think you also have to take a bit of time, not too much, but a bit of time to realise where you are and take it in. Not to the point where you’ve taken yourself out of the race. But I mean, just to be like, we’re never going to get to do this again; that is part of the experience. I also think you should probably work when you can.
Sam: I also think from the last series, the relationship between Harry and his mum was really heart-warming – how they worked together, how they bounced off each other and how they helped each other get through each different bit, each of them struggled at different points. Looking back at that, I want people to go away and say, “Sam and Scott have got that nice relationship where they help each other and just kind of get on”.
Jeff Brazier and his son Freddy
Q: Why did you want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
Jeff: I wanted to take part because, firstly, the travel element is an absolute privilege. The last celeb group went through 24 countries, apparently. What’s not to love about that experience? But also to share it with my son and to be able to make those memories. He’s not a child anymore, he’s a young adult – I feel like at some point he’s going to move out and I’ll lose him. So, I guess I’m just trying to squeeze every last bit out of him that I can.
Freddy – Is it something you’re looking forward to doing with your dad?
Freddy: Yeah, definitely. I can’t wait, I think it’s amazing, it’s a wonderful experience. And I’m so grateful I’m able to take part in this.
Q: Is the time that you’ll get to spend together one-on-one really important to you both?
Freddy: Yeah, 100%. It’ll be nice to spend that time with Dad, just me and my dad. Dad’s got a busy life; he works a lot, and there aren’t loads of times where we’ve done stuff, just the two of us. But when we do, I’m really lucky, whether it’s going to the cinema or going to the driving range, it’s all good.
Q: Would you say that you’re both quite adventurous?
Freddy: Yeah!
Jeff: Yes and no. I am a really safe sort of person. I guess I’m not an adrenaline junkie, I’m not a major thrill seeker whatsoever, but I do own a campervan. And I like to get out and sort of adventure in that context. Fred is a massive risk-taker and free, in a lot of ways.
Q: Do you think you’ll cope well during a crisis? Are you calm under pressure?
Jeff: Really calm.
Freddy: I would say I am as well, but I don’t know if Dad would agree.
Jeff: Well, I can’t wait; I feel like I’m going to learn so much about Fred. Because we’ll be in situations that you usually might avoid, or be like, “Nah, I’m going to let somebody else sort of deal with this.”
Freddy: I think it will be a challenge because I must say I’m not the most patient person. I think a lot of people in the family can vouch for that. And this is really a game of patience as well, waiting hours and hours for trains.
Jeff: Being stuck on buses for a long time. Yeah, we’re going to be tested.
Freddy: I don’t actually know how some of the teams sit at train stations for hours; I’d have to go on a walk. I’d have to do something.
Q: Are there any particular stories that stick out from times when you’ve travelled together before?
Freddy: Go on, I know you want to tell it.
Jeff: I love telling this story because Freddy has always looked like he’s short of confidence in lots of ways. We all went to Scotland, and I contacted a guide who took us off the beaten path while it was really raining. It was not a great day to be doing what we were about to be doing, and 20 minutes in, we realised that we were climbing a cliff face. Bobby, his brother, turns around, and he’s like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to go down, I’ll meet you later or wherever.” And the guy’s like, “The only way down is up,” and carried on. And I was like, Oh, I’m about to learn a lot about my sons here because this is gruelling; this is absolutely the last thing that they would really want to be doing. And all I know is that despite the wind and the rain, the danger of it at times, and the complaints that I got from his brother, this one didn’t moan once.
He looked like he took it all in his stride, and I was like, there you are, look at that strength and that grit and that ability to withstand and that ability to support others while everyone’s going through it. I saw it all in that whole day’s experience, and I don’t like to let him forget it.
Freddy: Not too big myself up or anything, but I climbed a mountain the day before that as well. And I think that it’s actually what helped because I could not feel my feet because of the day before.
Jeff: That wouldn’t have helped; that would have made it even harder.
Freddy: No, because I couldn’t feel it. I could not feel my feet the whole walk, though I could feel my legs.
Jeff: A defining moment. So, I want to see some of that Freddy, and I’m sure I will. See some real grit from this one.
Freddy: I’d better get on the running machine tonight, then.
Kelly Brooks and her husband, Jeremy
Q: Why did you want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
Kelly: I think Jeremy and I were looking for a new adventure to go on together. We love to travel, and this just seemed like the dream to get to the airport and not know where you’re going. It is like a dream to go to the airport, be given a plane ticket, and just go.
Jeremy: It will be challenging, though.
Kelly: It’s challenging and exciting. You can’t really plan anything, and it’s just an authentic experience.
Jeremy: You don’t have this kind of experience every day. So, I think this was the right moment to do it.
Q: Have you got a strategy?
Kelly: We haven’t actually got any strategies at all, have we?
Jeremy: We spoke about this. I think we’ll probably have a strategy on the first day we arrive there. It’s so easy to say a lot of things before the race, but when we arrive there, there will be something we never knew.
Kelly: Our strategy might be to save money. We’re going to walk everywhere. And then, after half an hour of walking with a rucksack, we will be exhausted. We don’t know how we’re going to feel. So, I think we know our strengths and weaknesses, and we are just going to limit any expectations and just embrace whatever it is that’s thrown at us. And just try and be measured and calm. No panic.
Jeremy: Yeah, we need to give our best. That is the most important thing.
Q: Have you packed anything for the trip that you can’t live without?
Kelly: To be honest, I’ve packed things that I never thought I’d ever need in my life. I’ve packed a mosquito net, memory pillow, fleece sleeping bag liner, and water filter. When I go online shopping now, all the things that are suggested to me have completely changed. I’m like, oh my god, who am I?
Q: Any luxuries or anything that will remind you of home?
Jeremy: I’ve got a Dragon Ball diary for notes and money.
Kelly: To be honest, there’s not a lot of room to put anything. I’ve got my little digital camera. I’m going to take loads of pictures, and I’m going to try to get into my photography while we’re out there.
Q: What do you imagine your biggest challenge is going to be on the trip?
Kelly: I think it’ll be the different climate changes. Packing well is going to be challenging, and I think the food might also be challenging.
Jeremy: Yeah, the food. Not being ill. Good food is probably going to be hard. Maybe sleeping in clean places?
Kola Bokinni and his cousin, Mary Ellen
Q: Why did you want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
Mary Ellen: Kola called me and was like, “Hey, Mary, do you want to be a part of the show with me?” I was like, “Oh my God, you thought of me?” I just want to create memories with my cousin, I suppose, and go on the adventure of a lifetime.
Kola: It’s not so many times that you get to do something like this. Obviously, I’ve travelled with my job, but I’ve always had to play other characters. But to do something, and it’s me, and with my family, and I’ll get to see what we’re all about and test our mustards a little bit. So, that’s the reason why I wanted to do it, to just experience a different side of life and the world.
Q: What kind of travellers are you both? Do you like your creature comforts or five-star hotels?
Mary Ellen: I mean, I think we all love a 5-star hotel, don’t we? We love a spa hotel especially. But I can sleep standing up. I will be very happy anywhere, just as long as I’m safe and there are no spiders.
Kola: As long as at the end of the day I can get a nice massage and jacuzzi.
Mary Ellen: You haven’t always been that way.
Kola: Is that not available? Is there a travelling masseuse coming with us? Basically, yeah, I’ve gotten used to a lot of creature comforts.
Q: How competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?
Mary Ellen: I really want to win this. I’ve never really been competitive, but the closer I’m getting to the race, I’m a bit like, “Do you know what? I’d be pretty psyched if we won”. Again, I’d be the type of person that if I really took to someone, I’d be like, “Oh, go on. You go ahead.” But, nah, not this time. I really want to win, just to let you know. I do want to win. It would be a great achievement.
Kola: It just takes a lot to win; you’ve got to be willing to race.
Mary Ellen: And sleep on the side of the road.
Q: Where would be your dream destination to race through?
Mary Ellen: My dream would be Southeast Asia, like Indonesia, Cambodia, all those places, or South America. Because if we’re in South America, we can be salsa-ing the whole time. And then the third would be India. I don’t know, it’s really tough. I’d love to go to South Africa too.
Kola: There are loads of places that would be amazing. I haven’t been to all those places that Mary just mentioned, I haven’t been there. So you know, to see that side of the world, as long as there’s no flying dragons, you know, I’ve seen some stuff on TikTok. Like spiders in the sky, just a sky of spiders, stuff out of your nightmares. Like dragonflies as big as this table.
Q: Tell us a secret about your famous partner that will surprise viewers.
Mary Ellen: One thing that I discovered about him that I was really shocked about was that he knows almost every song from every musical you can think of. He also has a whole playlist dedicated to it. This macho man isn’t so macho!
Celebrity Race Across the World starts on Aug 14 on BBC One and iPlayer.
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