Race Across the World viewers have been left divided after the winners of the BBC’s Bafta-winning series were announced this week.
This year’s contestants raced to the final checkpoint in Kanniyakumari, India after travelling thousands of kilometres across China, Nepal, and finally India – without smartphones or bank cards – in a bid to win the show’s £20,000 cash prize.
The thrilling conclusion was the closest all teams had been throughout the 51-day and 14,100km race across Asia, with those in second place finishing just 19 minutes behind the victorious pair.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Race Across the World season five
In the final sprint to the finish line, Caroline and Tom became the first ever mother and son pairing to win Race Across the World, with sisters Elizabeth and Letitia coming in second, teenage couple Fin and Sioned placing third, and brothers Brian and Melvyn finishing fourth.
Brian and Melyvn’s fans were aghast to see them finish behind the other pairs. The brothers, originally from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, had been separated in their youth as Brian was sent to boarding school while Melvyn remained at home.
As the race went on, the pair’s relationship visibly deepened, with the brothers even joking that they now want to be sent to the same retirement home. Viewers dubbed Brian and Melvyn the “people’s champions” and called for the pair to have their own travel programme.
“Yes, gutted they didn’t win the race, but I think they won a lot more than the race,” one fan reflected on X/Twitter. “Would love to see them do a programme together.”
Meanwhile, another person echoed: “Brian and Melvyn walked away with something money can’t buy. They found each other again and I hope they continue to work on healing their past trauma.”
Another person added: “The real winners came last. Hope it sparked something for them.”
Elsewhere, other Race Across the World viewers leapt to Caroline and Tom’s defence. Throughout the competition, the mother and son from Hargrave, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, had been accused of being too posh for the programme.
“Slightly gobsmacked by so many people being spiteful about a young man with cerebral palsy who was kicked out of school and works as a labourer because they think he’s posh,” they said. “Well done Tom and Caroline. Decent, genuine people.”
Meanwhile, another fan declared: “Well, I for one was really rooting for Caroline and Tom, would’ve been happy for any winner this season but I do think they are so so deserving and they charmed me. Congratulations!”
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