Race Across the World: planning the un-plannable

Production consultant Lucy Heaven on leaving nothing to chance – except what the contestants actually do.

The people behind today’s biggest shows – in conversation with C21’s Mark Rowland

There’s usually a big, simple idea behind an unscripted hit. Race Across the World certainly has one – but that’s where simplicity stops. It has to be the most fiendishly difficult production challenge in unscripted television.

On Race Across the World, the likely routes are recce’d, but what actually happens can’t be. This year’s UK celebrity version has just launched on BBC One with Sam Ryder, Ella Eyre, Jeff Stelling and Princess Andre – plus relatives or friends – racing 7,500km from Borneo to Melbourne. And the show’s also produced in Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Spain.

Production consultant Lucy Heaven has the tough job of coordinating the international versions. She took a short breather to talk me through what’s involved.

Here’s just the start of what we find out:

Shortlisted pairs are handed around €5 and given 45 minutes to get as far from the audition as they can. This escape challenge is the casting test in every international version of Race.

Checkpoints have had to move – for political unrest, conflict and an earthquake. How the international productions rebuild the race around them.

At least 36 hours’ rest at every checkpoint, and still no phones. “They’re in a bubble. It’s back to analogue days.”

Next Thursday: Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters – Plimsoll’s Andrea Jackson on Shark! and Skyscraper Live, and what risks are worth taking to make a hit.