Race Across The World stars blow third of budget
Already one Race Across The World pairing has splashed out almost a third of their budget after the first leg.
There is always one pairing each series who are more reckless with their funds. In series three, Claudia and Kevin famously ran out of money while racing across Canada because they kept splashing out on expensive taxi journeys. Also, in the celebrity series, Mel Blatt made no secret of her love of luxury.
The five Race Across The World teams are working to a tight budget as they start off with £1,390 per person - the cost of airfare - for the 15,000km race. Their budget works out at about £27 per person for each day of the race, according to the show. And of course, not all the teams will make the final finish line.
This year Race Across The World has divided fans with a big rule change but of course the main rules still apply: no smartphones, no internet, no planes. It is time for them to get creative whether they're travelling via trains, buses, coaches, ferries, boats or even relying on the kindness of strangers with hitchhiking. This time round as they're in Japan, they are banned from taking high-speed bullet trains.
We take a look at where the stars are in the race after the first leg and how much they have got left?
Eugenie and Isabel
Mother and daughter Eugenie and Isabel came in first place after reaching the check point in Nara City but it has come at a major cost. They didn't do any work during this leg and they spent almost a third of the budget.
"We spent 32% of the budget," Isabel lamented. Isabel had advised her mum that they avoid Tokyo to save money. Having come in first place, mum Eugenie praised her daughter for being a "smart cookie" for her decision.
But in avoiding Tokyo, they ended up spending the most out of the five teams and the pair only have 68% of their budget remaining. Isabel addressed their lack of funds and revealed their plans to work on the next leg. She said: "Our money is very low. The main thing we need to do on the next leg is work."
This was a huge talking point from the episode with many fans sharing their thoughts online. "To take a huge diversion, burn through 32% of their budget and still come first on the first leg, Isabel and Eugenie are awesome!" One person wrote on social media.
Others added: "The budget of Isobel her mother.. going to that island was insanely expensive."
"It's ironic that Isabel suggested avoiding Tokyo because it's expensive, and then they end up blowing more of their budget than the others."
"I’m rooting for Eugenie and Isabel. They may have got almost a 3rd of their budget left but still."
Alfie and Owen
Best friends Alfie and Owen were delighted to come in second place, two minutes after the winners - or as Alfie put it "joint first". "I'll take that. It's not just second, it's second by two minutes," Alfie reasoned. "So it's as close to joint first as you are going to get." Owen agreed saying: "Yeah it's solid."
"Isabel and Eugenie were low key at the start line and high key at the finish line," Alfie said.
Betty and James
Brother and sister duo Betty and James placed third, with 82% of their budget remaining thanks to jobs along the way. So far they have £2,2993.45 in the bank which will stand them in good stead for the next leg of the race. Betty said: "I'm pleasantly surprised at how well we have worked together.
The siblings took control of their budget problems by taking on a job in Tokyo to clean a luxury fleet of rickshaws. Betty complained to her brother James at the time: "God he's going to check it to a tee." She compared it to the time when their dad used to make them clean their bikes. They earned just over £48 for the job.
Stephen and Viv
Retired married couple Stephen and Viv come in fourth place - and that was a "big shock" to them both because they had taken a relaxed approach. They were seen taking it easy - even spending time at a nudist spa - and immediately they won over fans with their unusual approach to the show.
As well as taking it easy on the first leg, they maintained 79% of their budget at the end. They had an impressive total of £2,197.99, which included them taking on some work along the way. Plus they had managed to persuade a kind stranger who they did some work for to give them a lift some of the way during the race.
Looking back, Viv said: "This leg we focussed on the enjoyment side, the leisurely pace, the scenery. We were quite convinced we would be in last place." Stephen said coming fourth had come as a "big shock" to them.
Brydie and Sharon
Daughter and mother competitors Brydie and Sharon plan to save money as much as possible throughout the race as they admitted they wouldn't be afraid to skip a shower here and there. They also plan to take jobs where they can to keep themselves on track.
On route to the check point, the mother and daughter wanted to stop off to replenish their funds. They stuck to their "shoestring" strategy and squeezed in a shift waiting tables at a seafood restaurant, where all the food is caught by free-diver women. The mother and daughter were totally impressed by the strong and powerful women they met. "I love how inspiring those ladies have been," Brydie said. "They're still rocking it."
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This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/race-across-the-world-stars-budget-131828446.html
