Celebrity Race Across the World stars reveal what winning would mean to them
As Celebrity Race Across The World gets set to announce its winners in tonight's finale, the contestants have been sharing what winning would mean to them.
Father and son Jeff and Freddy Brazier, Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy Parisi, Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan, and Kola Bokinni and his cousin Mary Ellen all had their own reasons for wanting to be challenged on the epic route through South America.
Viewers have seen their bonds deepen and their horizons broadened by the experience, but of course only one pair can win - and with just minutes between them going into the final leg, it's anyone's guess who could be the series champion.
Here's what each pair had to say about why they would love to win Celebrity Race Across The World.
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Kola Bokinni and Mary Ellen
They might have got off to a slow start in the first few legs, but last week the Ted Lasso star and his cousin finally found themselves in first place after literally racing the Braziers up the road to the checkpoint.
Bokinni has opened up on his tough family experiences after losing his dad to dementia, and the healing journey the race has taken him on.
Asked what winning would mean to them, Mary Ellen said: "Oh, the world. I don't think I've ever won anything so to win the race would be absolutely incredible. If we come in first place and with pennies to our name, after all the setbacks we've had and being two kids from Peckham it would mean the absolute world. It would be amazing.
Bokinni added: "It would mean that we have improved massively and that everyone else had gone in the opposite direction. Comparing the first leg with now - other people are losing time and we’re gaining time. We’ve always said this but we're Team 90th minute. We could be absolutely tragic for 88 minutes but for the last two minutes we bring it back."
Jeff and Freddy Brazier
The father and son have been navigating differences in their relationship as TV presenter Jeff has tried to encourage youngest son Freddy to be more independent.
Although there have been a few awkward discussions between the pair - including Jeff giving Freddy a deadline to move out of home - viewers have loved seeing their bond grow.
Jeff said: "I thought that winning the race was the reason I was there, and Freddy and I have absolutely done our best as a team to put ourselves in a position to win it. It really isn't about winning. It really is about what you achieve from it, regardless of the outcome. We’ve been given confirmation that we have a special relationship and that there are some things that we do that are really good and really positive and really stand out. This has given us a lot of positive confirmation as to what we need to carry on doing in the future.
"The journey itself exposes your naivety from thinking that you can influence the decision. It’s the terrain, it’s other people, it's circumstance and pot luck at times that will determine how it all shakes up in the end. All the teams were fantastic in their own way. There was a lot of resilience shown. There's a lot of growth between everybody. We won the day we signed up. You don't win because you get up a volcano first."
Freddy agreed: "We’ll finish and that’s all that matters - finishing together."
Kelly Brook and Jeremy Parisi
Sticking to a budget has been the main point of conflict between luxury-loving Brook and her competitive husband Parisi.
They have managed to compromise over saving cash while still having amazing experiences and the couple have even discussed future plans for moving to rural Italy for a few years inspired by their trip.
Brook said: "I really want everyone to experience what it is to win. When you open that book and you sign in, it is a lovely feeling. Even if you're just ranking. It’s a lovely feeling, knowing that all your decisions have paid off. So, for us to actually win the whole thing would just be incredible. It would be the cherry on the cake. It would just be absolutely incredible."
Parisi added: "It has been five long weeks. I just want to finish it. Even if I need to carry Kelly in my bag or on my back. I will walk there. If I need to do a marathon, I will."
Brook agreed: "We’re going to finish no matter what. Even if we run out of money. We’ve just got to get through it now. I’ve said to Jeremy that I'm thinking we should run the London Marathon next year. It'd be nice to have something to look forward to and something to train for. And he looked at me and said, ‘We're not going to win’. I’m married to a maniac. Mo Farah will be running with Jeremy close behind!"
Scott Mills and Sam Vaughan
Radio 2 DJ Mills took on the race with Vaughan just months before their wedding, and the couple have said it was the ultimate test of their relationship ahead of marriage.
Like Brook and Parisi, they have had clashes over budget, but the couple have enjoyed putting their phones and busy schedules aside and concentrating on each other.
Vaughan said: "It’s the start of one of our biggest years because we're getting married later this year. We're doing this together and it would be a nice testament of how well we work together and probably cement our relationship and show that we are the perfect team together.
Mills said: "It would take a while to sink in, if I'm honest. I wanted to have this experience with Sam more than anything else. It’s not really about the winning. For me. I just want to do this because it's the best show on television and to be asked to be part of it is enough."
Vaughan agreed: "The cliche thing is even if you don't win, you've still won in regards to the experience."
Celebrity Race Across The World airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/celebrity-race-across-world-contestants-winning-105606016.html
