Two friends, Alfie Watts and Owen Wood, recently completed the BBC program Race Across the World. The St Albans school mates were one of five duos who had to race across Asia without their phones or access to bank accounts. Despite the stress of the adventure, their friendship remained intact.
After completing the race, Alfie Watts and Owen Wood reflected on their experience. They both agreed that the person they went through it with was the most important part of the journey. The duo mentioned that they might not remember every detail of the race but believed they did not have any arguments during the challenge.
The BAFTA-award winning series returns to BBC One on Wednesday. Contestants will navigate six seas and eight borders to reach the finish line on the Indonesian island of Lombok. The first team to arrive will win a cash prize of £20,000. The friends admitted that not having access to technology was a challenge but they were still able to communicate with locals to find the best places to eat.
Alfie Watts, a referee for Hertfordshire Football Association, mentioned that without Google Translate, they had to use their ingenuity to navigate through Asia. Despite the lack of technology, both competitors agreed that interacting with locals was a valuable experience. The duo found that people in Asia were much friendlier than they were used to at home.
In an interview with BBC News, Alfie Watts said: “The lack of technology made us rely more on our instincts and adaptability which was challenging at times but also rewarding.” Owen Wood added: “We learned so much about ourselves and different cultures during this journey.”
The first episode of the eight-part series will air on Wednesday evening on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Viewers will follow
