Race Across the World winners on keeping final a secret
This article reveals the winners of Race Across the World.
Race Across the World winners, best friends Alfie and Owen, have told the BBC that it was a “nightmare” trying to keep their victory a secret.
The 21-year-old pair from Hertfordshire were the first to reach the final checkpoint in Lombok and have won the £20,000 prize.
They beat mother and daughter duo Eugenie and Isabel, who were just eight minutes behind them.
They have become the youngest team to be crowned the winners, on the the Bafta-winning BBC One Show.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, they said they were only able to tell close family but they had friends asking about it every day.
Alfie also said he thought they dealt with the competition better than expected.
Owen added: “I was expecting that we would have a massive bust-up, but it didn’t happen.”
Football referee Alfie and trainee pilot Owen also beat siblings Betty and James who came third, and couple Stephen and Viv, who finished last.
Mother and daughter Brydie and Sharon were eliminated earlier in the series.
Wednesday’s finale has so far been watched by 3.8 million people according to overnight viewing figures from Barb.
The first episode of the series was the most-watched across all of the show’s seasons. According to 28-day ratings, the series has reached a record audience of more than seven million people, including on catch-up.
The teams started the competition in the northernmost Japan and over 50 days travelled 15,000km across six countries in eastern Asia.
The final leg of the journey began in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Owen and Alfie had a 12-minute lead over Eugenie and Isabel.
They came up against a major hurdle after discovering the boat to the final location, the small island of Gili Meno, only runs during daylight hours, which forced them to wait until the morning to set off.
The delay allowed Eugenie and Isabel to catch up, and both teams set off on high-speed boats at sunrise.
‘Best moment of our lives’
Opening the final guest book, Alife and Owen were ecstatic and hugged each other screaming “we’ve done it”.
Alfie described the win as the “best moment of our lives” and added: “It feels like we took home some incredible memories, unbelievable experiences.”
On BBC Breakfast, Alfie added that the whole trip was “incredible”, saying he was “eternally grateful” for visiting places “that some people never get to go to”.
The following day, 24 hours and 34 minutes behind the winners, Betty and James arrived in third place.
Betty said: “I think, coming away from this experience we’ve learned how to communicate better, and we now both have an extra person to lean on if we need it. It’s amazing.”
Stephen and Viv completed the course 30 hours and 20 minutes behind the winners.
Reflecting on their fourth place finish, they said: “Gutted we’re not winning, obviously, but we’re so pleased for the boys”.
On social media, fans have praised the young men, with one person writing: “I am obsessed with them. Their kindness, their open love for each other and their friendship as young men is such a beautiful thing to see. I have never wanted anyone to win anything more.”
Another person said: “Never wanted someone to win a TV show more than Alfie. His Mum would be so proud of him.”
Earlier in the series, Alfie spoke about the death of his Mum when he was aged just five.
In Hoi An, Vietnam, he lit a floating lantern for her, pushing it out across the water, and said: “This is the first opportunity I’ve had on the race to think about my Mum.
“I’m just inundated with emotions I’ve genuinely not felt since I was a little kid. I just kind of want that sensation of seeing her again.”
Both of the young men have continued to pursue their passion for travelling – Alfie has been travelling since the show and Owen will be “doing it all over again” in September when he goes to Asia.
