The Race Across the World teams will reach their final checkpoint next week (May 10) in their journey across Canada. We’ve watched the pairs make mad dashes for trains and buses, hitchhike in some of the most remote locations in the country and fall out and make up along the way.
But only one pair can win the £20,000 prize and the glory of winning the race across the second-largest country in the world. And I think it’s clear who should win. Here’s the definitive ranking of the Race Across the World teams…
First of all, I’m glad Claudia and Kevin are gone
I hate to say it, but I was so glad that Claudia and Kevin were finally eliminated last night (May 3). The father and daughter team had a sweet story of trying to reconnect, as Claudia didn’t really know her father growing up. However, this lack of connection has made their team very hard to root for. Claudia and Kevin seemed shocked when they completely blew through their £2,498.13 budget, but we’ve seen them splurge on taxis and hotels time and time again.
Compared to the other teams, I think we’ve seen Claudia and Kevin pick up shifts the least as the race went on. I understand they didn’t have the strongest relationship to begin with, but a lot of the time it seems that Claudia doesn’t even want to be there. When they were rude to Tricia and Cathie at the bus station last week, that was my final straw.
And I’m not the only one glad to see them gone. One viewer wrote: “There is not one redeeming quality about Kevin and Claudia.” A second person said: “Genuinely love every single couple on #raceacrosstheworld… apart from Kevin and Claudia.”
They were always the first team to take the easy route and I would’ve been fuming if they made it to the finale. Sorry but good riddance! Over the cliff you go…
Race Across the World: Ladi and Monique should stay in third place
With brothers Marc and Michael leaving the competition earlier, the final three are definitely the strongest on the show. But for me, Ladi and Monique are at the bottom of the final three. I’m not saying I haven’t rooted for Ladi and Monique while watching, but I don’t think they’ve done enough to be the team who truly deserves to win.
Another father and daughter team, Monique wants her dad to stop seeing her as a little girl and gain some independence, and it’s been wonderful seeing her doing it. And you’re lying if you didn’t shed a tear last night when Monique realised the reason she and Ladi have struggled the most to hitchhike is likely because of the colour of their skin. When they finally got a lift from the Jamaican truck driver, it was a beautiful TV moment.
However, I don’t think Ladi and Monique have done enough to win. In terms of strategy, the pair have been good at recovering their budget but we haven’t seen them reach a checkpoint first. The pair will start the final leg in third place – and I think that’s where they should stay. I wouldn’t be totally unhappy to see them win, but I don’t think they’ve done enough to be the winners in my eyes.
Zainib and Mobeen are a close second
Zainib and Mobeen have probably had the most unique journey of all the racers. The way they’ve managed to take unique routes, make time for activities and keep their budget intact has been really impressive. They’ve reached the final checkpoint first the most amount of times and the husband and wife couple definitely have a sweet relationship.
Zainib and Mobeen are most likely to win, but I’m rooting for the underdogs.
When the pair opened up about their struggle with infertility, I couldn’t help but tear up and I think we’re all hoping the night in the camper worked for the pair. While the married couple have got into a couple of arguments along the way, they’ve remained a strong team. However, it kind of feels like we’ve watched everything fall into Zainib and Mobeen’s laps!
They’ve got lucky with room and board opportunities while working along the way. They’ve got a bus trip paid for and quite a few lucky lifts. With a 12-hour lead, and the most budget, Zainib and Mobeen are most likely to win, but I’m rooting for the underdogs…
Race Across the World: Tricia and Cathie are my winners
For me, Tricia and Cathie are the stand-out pair – and they deserve to win the most. From the very first episode, I thought that Tricia and Cathie supported each other the most and have always been strategic with planning. They began with the lead, reaching the first two checkpoints firsts, but bad luck across the most remote parts of Canada set them back.
We’ve watched Tricia, who has sight loss, triumph time and time again, and Cathie has been a major support in that. In an interview on Lorraine, Tricia said she is expecting to lose her sight, and wanted to take this trip before she does. On top of that, during the race, Tricia found out her husband’s kidney transplant failed and bravely chose to stay in the competition on her husband’s wishes.
The pair have been best friends since they were 13 – and you can tell. Yes, they’ve had a couple of scuffs along the way, but I don’t think any other team works as well as they do. Tricia and Cathie will head into the final leg with a budget of around £600, and they are around 12 hours behind Zainib and Mobeen. We’ve seen them face personal setbacks, work hard to raise their budget and they’ve been each other’s rocks the whole way through.
You’ve got to admit, it would be some great TV to watch Tricia and Cathie get their lead back and steal the competition from under Zainib and Mobeen’s noses, and I think they are the couple who needs to win…
Read more: I’m hooked on Race Across the World: The contestants aren’t in it for 15 minutes of fame
Race Across the World continues on Wednesday, May 10 at 9pm on BBC One.
Who do you think should win? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.