'I went on Race Across The World - here's what happens behind-the-scenes that you don't see on TV'

The prospect of having to navigate 14,000km without phone or flights is daunting to say the least, but it’s what makes so compelling. With in a bid to snatch the £20,000 prize.

As part of the show, viewers have already seen sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, , brothers Brian and Melvyn, partners Fin and Sioned; and mother and son duo Caroline and Tom, begin their journeys, though there’s plenty more action yet to come. However, here’s what you won’t see on your TV screens…

Nights in local hotels

After reaching the checkpoints, contestants spend the night at local hotels, though this part of the trip isn’t typically shown on TV. Opening up about the details, series four winner Alfie Watts explained what actually happens once the teams reach the checkpoints.

Posting in a group, he explained that hotel stays can be longer than viewers might expect, often for “safety” reasons. “It does change depending on finishing times to make sure nobody leaves at an utterly ridiculous time - mainly for safety,” he wrote, reports .

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Unseen crew members

While viewers may become familiar with each duo over the course of a series, the teams are actually accompanied by two members of the production crew during filming.

“They had to do the same journey as them, sleeping alongside them on the bus,” executive producer Mark Saben . “So they were almost like a family, with its ups and downs. And while we had done recces, the teams found bits of the which were totally surprising.”

The crew members therefore experience similar experiences to the contestants, who are reminded that there needed to be space for them when travelling on transport.

“You are always with two crew members and a medic, with a local fixer close behind. The crew really don’t contribute, despite what people think – however nonsensical our decisions might be,” series two contestant Jenna Lambra-Stokes wrote in .

“I remember crossing into a different time zone and almost missing a vital transport link, and the crew just had to roll with it. It’s the same with our jobs directory – all genuine jobs on offer in the local areas, simply compiled.”

Practice routes

Traveling thousands of kilometres with no phone is by no means an easy accomplishment, which is why . Doing so also allows them to understand if the contestants will be able to cope with the budgets they are given.

According , two crew members carry out a recce of the route, though only one is informed about what is upcoming. This gives the other the opportunity to experience the show as if they were a contestant. “The other person has no idea and that person is in charge of making the decisions,” said series producer Lucy Curtis.

Elsewhere, line producer Maria Kennedy told how some people will be on the road “for a couple of months” in order to put the show together. “[They tell us:] 'Here are going to be the sticking points. This is quite tricky. This bit is amazing',” she said.

“They do it all on a budget as well so they're not like going out and spending loads of money and having a great jolly. They're literally looking at the budget and seeing if it's possible to get by on less than 50 quid a day.”

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