The BBC Just Revealed the 2026 Celebrity Race Across the World Lineup, and One Sibling Pairing Has Everyone Talking
The BBC Just Revealed the 2026 Celebrity Race Across the World Lineup, and One Sibling Pairing Has Everyone Talking
The BBC has finally lifted the curtain on the fourth series of Celebrity Race Across the World, and this year’s lineup might be the most talked about yet. Four famous pairs are about to race 7,500 kilometers from the jungles of Borneo to the streets of Melbourne, Australia, with no phones, no credit cards, and just 26 pounds a day between them.
The new series kicks off on BBC One on Wednesday, October 28 at 8pm, and a brand new trailer dropped this week to build the hype. It will run for six hour-long episodes, also streaming on BBC iPlayer, and the BBC is calling it the most formidable test the celebrity version has ever faced.
Meet the 2026 celebrity pairs
Ella Eyre and childhood friend Nana
Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter Ella Eyre is trading the stage for the road. Best known for her number one hit Waiting All Night, Ella will take on the race with her childhood friend Nana. Friends since they were kids, their bond will be tested in ways no studio session ever could.
Jeff Stelling and son Matt
Veteran sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling is swapping the comfort of the television studio for the jungles of Borneo. After a quarter of a century presenting Soccer Saturday, Jeff is one of the most recognisable faces in British sport. He will race alongside his son Matt, and the father-son dynamic promises to be one of the emotional cores of the series.
Princess Andre and Junior Andre
This is the pairing everyone is already talking about. Princess Andre and her brother Junior, the children of pop star Peter Andre and former glamour model Katie Price, will race together as a brother and sister team. Princess has become a rising influencer in her own right, while Junior is carving out a path in music. Both grew up in the spotlight, but nothing they have done before will have prepared them for the kindness-of-strangers reality of this race.
Sam Ryder and best friend Kaz
Eurovision star Sam Ryder, the singer who brought the UK its best result in years with Space Man, is joining the race with his best friend and tour manager Kaz. Sam has charmed the country with his warmth and positivity, and touring experience means he is no stranger to the road. But touring in a bus and racing across continents on 26 pounds a day are two very different things.
A 7,500km journey from Borneo to Melbourne
The race begins in Kuching, a vibrant city in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in north west Borneo. From there, the four pairs will travel through the island’s vast wilderness, crossing prehistoric jungles and Borneo’s heartlands.
To reach the finish line, the teams must pass five checkpoints across three countries and two continents, ending at the sunbaked southern tip of Australia in Melbourne. This is the furthest the celebrity edition has ever travelled from the UK, which is why the BBC is billing it as the toughest series yet.
The brutal rules that make it must watch TV
For those new to the show, the format is what makes it so addictive. The pairs hand over their phones and credit cards at the start. They get a map, a budget of just 26 pounds per person per day, and an emergency satellite phone they can only use in a genuine crisis. Everything else, from buses to boats to beds, they must figure out themselves.
It means the celebrities have to rely on local transport, their own resourcefulness, and above all, the kindness of strangers they meet along the way. Past series have produced unforgettable moments of generosity, and with a route this long, the 2026 teams will need every bit of help they can get.
A look back at the previous winners
The celebrity version has already delivered three classic series. In 2025, broadcaster Roman Kemp and his sister Harleymoon Kemp raced from Isla Mujeres in Mexico to the La Guajira peninsula in Colombia and won. The 2024 crown went to BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan on the Brazil to Chile route, while the very first celebrity winners in 2023 were broadcaster Alex Beresford and his dad Noel.
Produced by Studio Lambert, the show has picked up a BAFTA along the way, and the 2026 series looks set to raise the bar again.
When does Celebrity Race Across the World 2026 start?
Mark your calendars: the new series begins on Wednesday, October 28 at 8pm on BBC One, with all episodes available on BBC iPlayer after broadcast. The lineup was first announced at the start of the month, and this week the BBC confirmed the start date and released a new trailer giving fans their first taste of the drama to come.
So who has what it takes to make it 7,500 kilometers from Borneo to Melbourne first? The singers, the broadcaster, the siblings, or the Eurovision star? We will find out this autumn.
Further reading: Julie Hesmondhalgh Just Revealed Her Celebrity Traitors Co-Star Was Pregnant the Whole Time | Katie Price + Suella Braverman Handcuffed Together for New Channel 4 Series
Sources: Radio Times | TV Guide
