Like millions of viewers, I'm gripped by the latest series of Race Across the World on BBC One — and there's one pair that stands out for me, Tom and his mum Caroline.
I have to admit, when the show started, I found them a bit hard to warm to, but they’ve blossomed through the series.
After initially finding them a tad annoying, I then started to feel sorry for 21-year-old Tom as everything kept going wrong for him.
They got miles behind in the race, they looked like they were going to be the first pair to exit the competition, and at one point, Tom even managed to leave their money behind in a hotel room in China.
His poor mother, clearly desperate to give her young son a confidence boost by trusting him with the cash, looked mortified. They also seemed to have absolutely no luck in making much-needed transport connections, always just arriving at a station a fraction late or finding everything booked up
But suddenly they’ve found their stride. Tom at last has started to believe in himself, and Caroline seems to be having the time of her life.
In episode 5, the pair had a real heart-to-heart as Caroline and her son worked in India.
Caroline spoke movingly about how she had lost confidence as she didn’t work raising Tom. He listened intently as she told him how she didn't value herself and had lost purpose. He told the cameras it was the first time his mother had confessed she felt her life was on a downward slope. He expressed his hope that she would now value herself.
You just feel winning Race Across the World would mean something to them. You had to share their joy when they finally won a leg in episode 5, signing their name in the hotel book first as they reached the fifth checkpoint in McLeod Ganj.
The dynamics are fascinating within each team
What’s made the current series so enjoyable is that all the teams are likeable. It’s fascinating watching the change in dynamics. Take the young couple, Sioned and Fin. At the start of the adventure, she was very much running the show and at times became frustrated with Fin's lack of organisation.
However, the dynamic totally changed when they reached India, as Sioned became overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. Fin stepped up and made sure they successfully navigated their way to the next checkpoint.
Brothers Brian and Melvyn have noticeably gotten closer, talking more openly about their troubled childhoods. Elizabeth and her sister Letitia, though, still don’t quite seem to be able to fully bond, and it will be interesting to see if they can.
But for me, Tom and Caroline deserve to win. They've come alive during this series.
Race Across the World continues on BBC One on Wednesday nights at 9 pm, with the episodes also available on iPlayer.
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