Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner dies after cancer battle

Jo Gardiner, a former contestant on the BBC One show Race Across the World, has died at the age of 61 following a long battle with cancer, her family announced. Gardiner, a physiotherapist from Manchester, appeared in the second series of the show in 2020 alongside her son Sam, who died in a car crash in June 2025. The mother-son duo raced from Mexico City to Ushuaia in Argentina, competing against four other pairs. Gardiner's family described her as 'one of a kind' who 'lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves', and remembered her 'wonderfully outrageous spirit'. She is survived by her other son, Charlie. The show's producers, Studio Lambert, and the BBC paid tribute, calling her the 'matriarch' of the Race Across The World cast family, noting her lasting legacy. The family has requested privacy but encouraged friends to celebrate her life by telling funny stories and having adventures.