Alfie Watts, who won the fourth series of BBC's Race Across The World alongside his best friend Owen Wood in 2024, has spoken out against a common misconception about the show. The 22-year-old, who covered more than 14,000km from Japan to Indonesia over 50 days, said the idea that contestants need a 'sob story' to take part is 'utter nonsense'.
In a social media post, Alfie explained that producers look for a 'purpose' rather than a tragic backstory. 'When you apply, producers need to understand WHY you should do it, and that is driven through purpose,' he wrote. 'Whether it's because you've had a fractious relationship with the person you're doing it with or whether it was your dad's dying wish for you to see the world. The semantics don't matter. The purpose? That's what matters.'
Alfie, who lost his mother at a young age and has been open about his grief, urged viewers not to 'diminish people's lives down to a simple sob story' when the sixth series airs in April. 'People don't choose the tales they tell, and Race Across The World isn't an adequate substitute for tragedy in someone's life, it simply drives their why,' he added.
The sixth series, starting on Thursday, will see five teams race over 12,000km across Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, from Palermo in Sicily to the remote village of Hatgal in northern Mongolia. With no smartphones, internet access or bank cards, and a daily budget of just £26 per person, they will compete for a £20,000 prize.
Since winning the show, Alfie has become a travel content creator and will co-host a spin-off programme airing after the main series. He reflected on his journey from working double shifts at Sainsbury's and as a teacher to achieving his 'wildest dreams', saying: 'It's testament to never giving up, knocking down doors that wouldn't open.'
