Race Across The World contestants Yin and Gaz, a former married couple turned friends, have emotionally reflected on how competing on Race Across The World brought them closer together after their divorce.
The BBC One reality travel series returned in April for a fifth season. Yin and Gaz, who were married for more than 30 years before splitting three years ago, appeared on the series after receiving a blessing from their daughter Autumn.
The challenge – a 14,000km race from The Great Wall of China to the Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India – concluded on 11 June, with mother and son Caroline and Tom winning the £20,000 cash prize. Sisters Elizabeth and Letitia came in second place, teenage couple Fin and Sioned came third, and brothers Brian and Melvyn finished fourth.
Yin and Gaz had been the first duo to be eliminated from the competition after they travelled 250km in the wrong direction, which meant they were 44 hours behind the leaders.
Appearing on a reunion episode on Wednesday night (18 June), Yin and Gaz reflected on how competing on the programme strengthened their bond post-divorce.
Gaz told the cameras: “It probably has brought us more together. What we want in life for the pair of us is to just be happy.”
“Whether I or Yin find love again, we will always be in each other’s lives because we are just great friends.”
Yin looked touched as Gaz added: “It probably looks bizarre to the outside world, but to us it’s normal. All I’ve ever wanted was the best for Yin and I’m just very proud of how Yin has become.”
Yin emotionally discussed how the competition had a transformative impact on her, since it prompted her to reconnect with her siblings after years apart.
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She broke down in tears as she said: “Since leaving Race, I recognised that I was struggling already with what China means to me personally,” she said. “My heritage is Chinese and I do identify as a Chinese person. Where I struggle is, with my upbringing, it was in a very traditional household. I didn’t leave home on good terms with my parents.”
She continued: “When I came back from race I reconnected with my siblings and recognised that has to be addressed. ‘The real gift that Race gave me was to address that then move forward with my life.”
Yin revealed that after her divorce from Gaz, she was in a three-year relationship with a partner who passed away suddenly in September 2023.
She said: “One of the reasons to come on Race was to give me energy to see what is out there. The relief and lightness I now feel…it was the catalyst to enable me to move forward.”
During a recent appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, Yin and Gaz discussed what led to the breakdown of their marriage, with Gaz admitting he had become insular.
He praised Yin for helping him, saying: “She’s an amazing person and I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for Yin.”
“It wasn’t that bad but it got to the point where I didn’t like myself, I didn’t like what I was doing, I just didn’t want to be around anybody, very insular.”
“Yin was the one that kept pushing me.”
