Celebrity Race across the World: Jeff Stelling, Junior and Princess Andre on tackling toughest route yet

In the new series of Celebrity Race across the World, sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling and son Matt join siblings Junior and Princess Andre, singer/songwriter Sam Ryder and his tour manager Kaz and singer/songwriter Ella Eyre and her childhood friend Nana, to travel 7,500km from Sarawak
in Borneo to Melbourne in Australia, on just £26 a day per person. Stelling, the oldest competitor, and son Matt, along with Junior and Princess – the youngest – reveal how they survived their adventures.

‘People have a low opinion of us – we wanted to prove them wrong’

Princess and Junior

Why did you take part?

Junior There are a lot of prejudgements and misconceptions about us. One of the reasons I wanted Princess to do it was to come out of it more independent and trusting of her decisions. I think she came out a better person. We both did.

Princess A lot of people have a low opinion of us. We wanted to challenge ourselves, prove people wrong and show the real us.

How was the experience as siblings?

Junior I moved out at 19, so we hadn’t spent that much time together in ages. I had to remind Princess, just because I’m older, I don’t know what I’m doing.

Princess I realised I couldn’t get through it if I just sat there letting Junior do all of it!

Did you miss your phone?

Princess The worst time was at night, when you just wanted to distract yourself to make time go quicker. By the end of the second week, I realised there’s so much more to life. It forced me to socialise and take in things around me. When they said we could have our phones back, I was like, “I don’t want it!”

Junior I was excited – there’s so much noise, being in the family we’re in, there’s so much negative stuff written about us – I was happy to get away from that. When I got my phone back, I was shaking, thinking, “How do I use this?” It felt so unnatural.

Were you good with money?

Junior I live alone and pay the bills, so I know how to budget. But some of the currencies had too many numbers for me to calculate.

How did the experience change your outlook on the world?

Junior This has toughened us up and made us want to explore more. It also put things into perspective, seeing how happy people could be leading simple lives. We met people whose toilet was a hole in the ground and they showered using a bucket. People were smiling, kids were playing, they had each other. It made me appreciate life – and I was extremely grateful to come back to my home comforts.

Princess I’ve just been looking back at some photos – it was one of the most amazing journeys of my life and I grew in confidence.

‘There’s now a herd of goats named after the Stelling family’

Jeff and Matt

Why did you take part?

Jeff It’s one of my favourite things on TV. We always said that if we did one reality show, it would be this.

Matt In 2020, the route of the regular RATW was across Latin America. I’d just spent six months there, so I introduced the show to Mum and Dad to show them a taste of what I’d done. We were hooked.

Jeff, how did you feel about roughing it and coping without your phone?

Totally unprepared. I thought I’d be physically better than I was. Sleeping on the floor, with four-legged friends, was a shock to the system. It is the hardest thing I’ve done. At times, the target was just getting to the end of the day, but I got fitter as it went.

It was also eye-opening to realise how much I depend on my phone. By the end, it was almost a merciful relief. Now, when I go for a countryside walk, I’ll leave it at home.

How did the experience test your relationship?

Matt I was nervous we’d clash, but we bounced off each other well. Any father and son will have disagreements, but we always managed to smooth things out.

Jeff Put any two people together who are 70 and 26, and inevitably they’ll have different approaches. There was always a compromise – often, that was me saying, "We’ll do it your way, Matt…”

Any memorable encounters with wildlife?

Jeff Thanks to a farmer we met, there’s now a herd of goats named after the Stelling family. Poor old baby goat Matt has since been taken by a dingo, so he’s no more.

What did you learn about each other?

Matt Dad’s one of the oldest people to have taken part. I was slightly worried about the toll on his body. But he kept pulling out surprises. He was great for a heart-to-heart, good at picking me up and sensible about money.

Jeff He thrives on responsibility and enjoyed making key decisions. And you know what? I’ve made decisions on his behalf his whole life, so I was happy to let him.

Are you planning to travel together again?

Jeff No. Matt’s just bought a new house, so he can’t afford to go anywhere at the moment…

'There's no hiding'

We rarely see celebrities completely unfiltered, says executive producer Sophie Hales

Are there any big changes this year?

We’re starting it slightly differently. It will take viewers by surprise, as it did the celebrities. It’s the wildest and toughest celebrity series and I believe we’ve travelled further than ever.

What makes the celebrity version special?

It’s unfiltered. There’s no hiding; they are living and breathing it all and it’s very revealing.

What is it like receiving that footage from the producers on the ground?

It’s a treat because it’s as good, if not better, than you expect. There’s four teams out there, and a camera person films 12 to 18 hours a day over several weeks. Our edit teams watch everything and pick the best.

What’s the secret behind the show’s success?

By and large, everyone we’ve come across on the race has gone out of their way to help the racers. It’s an antidote to difficult times in the world. It’s a pleasure to watch and, importantly, it makes you smile – and cry at times.