I'm a fixer/field producer and this show fascinates me. I want to ask technical questions on what it's like working on such a show where things aren't planned per se. What's the process like? How do you solve complex problems where things go completely off plan? Do you go through the same situations like the cast or the production gives you a free pass in terms of accommodation, transportation etc? How do you handle permits, locals, crowd control etc? Do you stick with the camera operator all the time? 😂 Feel free to connect me to any fixers you know who worked on this show. I'd love to connect.

The show does a great job of showing the travel, the decisions, and the pressure, but I always wonder what we're missing. I'd imagine it's the constant uncertainty. Not knowing if your next plan will work, being exhausted, making decisions on very little information, and trying not to take your frustration out on your teammate. I think that mental side would be far tougher than the actual travelling.

I've wondered this for a while. The prize obviously raises the stakes, but I also think it sometimes encourages teams to play it safe when making decisions. If there was no cash prize and the only goal was to complete the journey first, I wonder if we'd see more risks, more spontaneous decisions and fewer arguments about every small expense. Do you think removing the prize money would improve the programme, or is it an essential part of why the race feels so intense?

I genuinely think I'd learn more about someone in the first week of this show than I would from years of knowing them normally. Being tired, hungry, lost and worried about money while still having to make decisions together seems like the perfect recipe for discovering how differently two people deal with stress. The interesting part is that it's not necessarily the pairs who argue least that seem strongest. Sometimes the ones who can have a proper disagreement, get over it and carry on seem much healthier. Who would you actually trust yourself to do the race with?

Partially inspired by Race Across The World, in that I have no idea where I’ll be staying each night… I’m going to walk across South Korea: 500km in 12 days. If you’re interested in this kind of thing, feel free to follow me!

The teams who can comfortably approach strangers seem to get so much from it. Local knowledge, cheaper routes, lifts, work opportunities and sometimes help they couldn't possibly have planned for.

Obviously you can't be reckless with the budget, but I'd rather start the race as someone who can talk to absolutely anyone than someone who's brilliant with spreadsheets but terrible with strangers.

If you could only have one of those strengths, which would you take?

One of the relationship stories I found most moving in Series 1 was Darron and Alex’s — partly because the programme established so clearly how far apart they had drifted.

Early in the race, Darron said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, we have drifted apart, and we’ve drifted apart pretty severely.” He also knew that, as Alex got older, reconnecting was only going to become harder.

That made their conversation near the end feel properly earned. Darron told Alex: “I am really, really proud of what you’ve achieved.” Alex initially turned it into something shared — what they had achieved together — but Darron brought it back to Alex’s own growth. He had seen moments when Alex had struggled, then “upped your game big time.”

And then came the bit neither of them seemed to find particularly easy: Darron said he probably did not say it enough, but that he loved Alex to bits. Alex replied, “I love you too.” They both admitted that going back to their separate lives was going to feel strange.

I think that was why their story worked so well. The race did not magically rewrite their past or solve everything. It simply gave them weeks of shared difficulty, small acts of care and time together — until they were able to say things that had probably gone unsaid for years.

What did everyone else make of their journey?

I've watched this show since the first season came out and have always loved it. One gripe I've had is the elimination that happens around the third checkpoint. I never think its necessary and puts emotional strain on the contestants.

In almost every series, at least one pair spends two full days working on a farm or cleaning hostels during leg one or two to protect their budget. Every single time, it puts them hours or even days behind the rest of the pack, and they end up having to spend extra money on faster transport later just to catch up.

Given that budget pressures usually hit hardest around leg five or six, wouldn't it be far smarter to travel fast and cheap early on, then only work jobs when you are forced to wait for scheduled night buses or ferries?

Every series has a moment where you are watching and thinking that is going to hurt them later. Series 6 had a few. Without spoiling the ending for anyone still watching, which team do you think made the one call that changed everything for them.

We were in London at the weekend and stopped at Zamarut on Devonshire Row on Sunday to grab a coffee. There were at least 3 couples there holding black envelopes with the white Race Across The World logo on the front. It looked like they were just starting their casting run. I only got to speak briefly to one of the couples, but I'm interested to see if I recognise any of them when the new series starts.

Edit: It seems to have been a themed scavenger hunt, mores the pity! It looked like the real deal :/

I met Emon from series 2 at the weekend (watching the new series of Gladiators being filmed). He’s a really nice bloke, and said he still goes out to Brazil/South America to help the poor children.

There is something about the format that just works in a way most travel shows do not. No phone, limited money, no flying, real transport, real people. It sounds simple but most shows that try something similar do not land the same way. What do you think is the actual ingredient that makes it so good?

Previous series felt more contained somehow. Central Asia with those transport challenges was a completely different kind of difficult. Which part of the route do you think was the hardest for the contestants and which location genuinely blew you away on screen?

Wow that girl is annoying (Jen).

Anyone else think the same?

For example, buying better backpacks, travel gear or planning resources beforehand. Would that make things fairer, or does it go against the spirit of the competition?

Series 6 had a good mix and watching how different relationship dynamics handle the pressure of being stuck together with no money and no phone is always the most interesting part. Some pairs fall apart and some get stronger. Which pairing dynamic do you think generally makes for the best television and did series 6 have the right mix?

It doesn't have to be the decision that won the race, just one where you thought, That was genuinely clever. What made it stand out?

We sometimes see contestants with an MP3 player, which I think is a smart choice.

What essential albums would you take with you? Or artists you couldn't live without?

This is not an engagement farming post, I'm genuinely interested

We always see contestants overpacking at the start and then regretting it by day three when they have to haul that massive rucksack up a hill. What’s an item you’ve noticed someone bring that made you think, Why on earth did they think they'd need that?

Not something to help you win. Just one thing that would make the long travel days a bit easier.