Celebrity Race Across the World: When's the new start date, who are the contestants, and where do they go?

The BBC One hit series Race Across the World is returning for a second instalment in 2023, but this time with a slight twist.

For those new to show, Race Across the World sees several teams race from one destination to another, usually passing through multiple countries. The catch is, they cannot use the luxury of smartphones, internet access or credit cards, and only have a very limited budget to travel with. 

So what’s different about this spin-off? You may recognise some of the faces taking part, as it’s a celebrity special.

The first episode will be hitting our screens soon, so you won’t have to wait long to watch. Read on to find out when it airs, who are the celebrity contestants, and where they will be racing. 

Who is taking part in Celebrity Race Across the World?

There are four celebrities lined up to take part in this series, and they are joined by either a parent or sibling to make up their team of two.  

Harry Judd, the drummer from boyband McFly, will be joined by his mum, Emma.

Singer Melanie Blatt, former member of girl group All Saints, is also paired up with her mum, Helene.

Another parent-son team is TV weather presenter, Alex Beresford, bringing his dad, Noel, along on the journey.

And the last pair is British racing driver and pundit, Billy Monger, taking on the challenge with his sister, Bonny.

Where are the celebrities racing?

In this series, the celebrities are taking on a 10,000km race from Africa to the Arctic. They begin in Morocco's imperial city of Marrakech, passing through five checkpoints before reaching the finish line in Tromsø, Norway, often called the 'Capital of the Arctic'. 

The route spans a whopping 24 countries, venturing along the Mediterranean coast, through historic European cities, past the Alps and into the Baltic States, so you know it’s going to be full of fascinating cultures and landscapes, as well as a great number of challenges for the contestants. 

When does Celebrity Race Across the World start?

The first episode was scheduled to air on 13 September, but following the devastating earthquake in Morocco on 8 September, the series was postponed.

The new start date for Celebrity Race Across the World is 20 September, at 9pm on BBC One. It will also be available to watch on iPlayer after each episode has been shown. 

To get in the mood, you can catch up or re-watch the previous three series now on BBC iPlayer. 

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