Dad and daughter contestants Molly and Andrew from Northern Ireland have admitted their participation in the upcoming series of BBC's Race Across The World is 'a joke gone too far'. The pair, who applied on a whim after seeing an advertisement on Facebook, say they never expected to be selected for the show.
The new series sees five teams race over 12,000km across Europe and Asia, following the ancient Silk Road from Palermo in Sicily to Hatgal in northern Mongolia. The route passes through Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, with temperatures ranging from 30°C to -20°C. Teams must survive on a budget of less than £26 per person per day.
Junior doctor Molly, 23, and her geography teacher father Andrew, 54, say they have always been close. Molly explained that she wanted to show her dad she is more capable than he realises as she prepares to start her medical career. Andrew described Molly as his 'best friend after my wife' and said he was delighted to share the experience with her.
The duo acknowledged that their journey began as a joke. Molly said: 'We were sitting watching it on TV one night, and the option to apply came up... The next day, the ad popped up on daddy's Facebook, and so we put an application in thinking nothing of it, and it's kind of just been a whirlwind since then.' Andrew added that he has always wanted to go backpacking but never had the opportunity until now.
Andrew and Molly are carrying good luck charms including a crucifix and rosary beads, and their backpacks are adorned with their town's colours. While they would like to win, Andrew stressed that the experience is more important: 'I would hate to have the idea that winning is the only thing, because then you're missing out so much.'
Race Across The World returns to BBC One on Thursday, April 2 at 8pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
