Best friends Jo Diop and Kush Burman have been crowned the winners of Race Across the World 2026, becoming the first pair to reach the final checkpoint in Hatgal, Mongolia. The series, which began airing in April, followed five pairs as they travelled over 7,400 miles from Palermo, Sicily, to Hatgal over 51 days.
The final, broadcast on Thursday (21 May), saw the four remaining teams sprint through a snowy forest to the finish line. Jo, 19, and Kush, 20, from Liverpool, arrived first, securing the £20,000 prize. “I can’t put it into words bro!” Kush exclaimed, while Jo added, “The dream from the start was opening the final book and seeing it empty, so that actually happening... it’s hard to get my head around it.”
Father-daughter duo Andrew and Molly finished second, followed by siblings Katie and Harrison, and in-laws Mark and Margo. Viewers were particularly moved by Mark and Margo’s story; the pair had clashed for 40 years before the death of Julia, Margo’s sister and Mark’s wife, brought them together. Julia, who died in 2022 from a rare cancer, had wanted them to be friends.
Jo and Kush, who entered the show as “a bit of a joke” after finishing their A-levels, quickly became fan favourites. They told BBC News they plan to spend their prize money on more travel. “We'd have to spend a little bit on ourselves,” Jo said. “I'd probably get a nice pair of Jordan 4s for a new outfit and a nice little holiday, and stash the rest.” He added he would also “contribute to a future house for my mum”.
The series faced a schedule change last week when the semi-final aired a day early to avoid clashing with Eurovision. Narrated by John Hannah, the BBC show first aired in 2019 on BBC Two before moving to BBC One for its third series in 2023. A reunion with the 2026 contestants will air after the final at 9pm on BBC One.
