Jeff Brazier has revealed that overpacking was his biggest mistake during his time on Celebrity Race Across the World, recalling that he and his son Freddy carried a tent that was used only once across the five-week journey.
The television host appeared in the show's second series in 2024, racing alongside his son Freddy, who was 19 at the time. The father-and-son duo travelled from the Amazon rainforest to the Andes at ground level. The fourth series of the BBC programme returned on November 4, with episodes broadcast each Wednesday and available on iPlayer immediately afterwards.
Overpacking and the tent that went unused
Speaking to the Mirror, courtesy of Mecca Bingo, Jeff shared the realisation that came after a hot and long four-hour walk, following an incorrect assumption that they would be able to take a taxi from a farm where they had stayed.
He said: "We were obviously, with every step, begrudging the amount of things that we'd unnecessarily brought with us. We'd also carried around a tent that we actually used once the whole five weeks that we were away. So, got that wrong!"
Jeff added that the most surprising thing was the desire to travel light, noting that those who could "just rock up with three outfits and just rotate them" were always dirty and sweaty.
Common mistakes and the value of errors
Jeff also pointed out common errors in the current series that can slow contestants down, such as getting on the wrong bus. He said: "It happened to Fred and me, and I could see that it happened to some of the new contestants in this series as well."
He added that some rules of the game take time to sink in, saying: "But you're meant to make mistakes in the early parts, and most people have."
Memories over winning
Despite finishing in third place overall, Jeff looks back on the experience positively, with the main highlight being the memories made alongside his son.
He said: "The best thing was just the adventure and the memories that you can make with one of your children. That's what it's all about."
He described visiting Brazil, Paraguay and Chile, and watching Freddy lead and get things right, noting it was "really lovely to see him flourish." Jeff concluded: "But you get to the end, and it'll be the same for probably every contestant that ever didn't win this show, and that's how you realise that it wasn't about winning. It was about collecting as many amazing memories as you could."
Celebrity Race Across The World continues at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
