Race Across the World Fans Reveal Their Biggest Grievances About the New Season

The fifth season of Race Across The World is well underway.

The BBC reality travel show has tasked five partners to race across China, Nepal and India And their task is to achieve this with the smallest budget ever seen in the series — less than £1,000 per individual.

While this season of Race Across The World has once again been a hit with viewers, there have been grumbles from certain quarters .

The complaints largely centre around the show’s balance between the personal back stories of the duos and the high-wire drama of getting from A to B on the cheap.

Many fans think the so-called sob stories have occupied too much screen time, as @fish-and-cushion posited in a buzzy Reddit Discussion that affectionately nicknamed the show "Sob Story Across The Globe." (Ouch).

@bobblebob100 concurred that the emphasis on contestants' backgrounds might come off as 'somewhat annoying', yet also noted: 'However, that blame lies with the producers rather than the participants. The contestants seem to simply answer the questions posed by them.'

‘The sob stories have ruined it for me. It’s nice to see couples bond and improve their relationships (or argue) but the constant sob stories are ridiculous,’ @_I__yes__I_ echoed.

@purpletshirtz suggested that they believed the program's duration could be more effectively used exploring the details of the race, noting: "It seems like we're not getting enough focus on their journey."

'Ie where they rest every evening, their dining spots for meals, whether it’s a hotel, hostel, et cetera, how they handle illness, what happens when they gather at a nice hotel. We're still uncertain about the schedule for this series. However, the behind-the-scenes program provides far more information and, in my opinion, is also more engaging.'

Are the RATW's 'sob stories' becoming a problem?

Our Deputy TV Editor Tom Percival offers his insights...

To be honest, I don't understand all the fuss over the 'tear-jerkers.' One of the greatest aspects of Race Across the World is how the competition empowers participants to share what motivates them for embarking on this amazing adventure.

Even though I understand why some folks believe this series has extra background compared to earlier ones, the show would become extremely boring if our only task was observing characters quietly moving between trains, planes, cars, and then repeating the process. That'd be akin to watching somebody perform their daily work commute!

No background story reveals information about the teams, their connections, and their personal journeys. It shows us whom to cheer for, who has traveled the farthest, and who still has the most ground ahead of them. Without those emotional narratives, you might as well eliminate the entire series altogether.

Nevertheless, some supporters aimed to uphold the emotional aspects of the series, with @IceKalisto stating: “I believe what sets this show apart from other travel programs is the storytelling. Getting acquainted with the team members truly adds intrigue.”

'I enjoy the tales as well,' tweeted @Constant_Oil_3775. 'Listening to everyone's stories is fantastic; it would also be wonderful to hear from the people these stories come from.'

Race Across The World is broadcast on Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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