Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner dies

Woman in blue vest and shorts wearing a grey rucksack

Image source, PAImage caption,

Jo Gardiner travelled with her son in the 2020 series of the BBC One show

ByGeorgie DockerNorth West

Published24 August 2026, 10:41 BST

Updated 6 minutes ago

A former Race Across the World contestant has died, a year after her son and co-star's death in a car crash.

Jo Gardiner, 61, died "following a long and courageous battle with cancer", her family said.

Gardiner, a physiotherapist from Manchester, travelled across South America with her son Sam in the second series of the BBC show, which aired in 2020.

Her family said she was "one of a kind" who "lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves".

Jo and Sam pose together in an ornate room. He's wearing dark baseball cap and green top and rucksack and smiling, while Jo has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a white vest. She's also smiling.

Image caption,

Sam Gardiner (right) died in a crash last year

Gardiner is survived by her son Charlie.

Her son, Sam, who she appeared with on the show, died in June 2025 after his car came off the road and crashed.

The mother and son competed on Race Across The World because Gardiner wanted to experience a travel adventure with Sam, who had ADHD.

They competed against four other pairs of contestants racing from Mexico City down to Ushuaia in Argentina.

'Outrageous spirit'

Gardiner's family said "she had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive".

"She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves," they added.

"She was blessed with countless friends, drawn to her extraordinary magnetism.

"Somehow, each one felt as though they were among her very best.

"To us, she was more than all of these things.

"She was our family, our joy, our safe place and our absolute treasure."

"We know how deeply Jo was loved, and we take comfort in knowing that her laughter, her courage, her kindness and her wonderfully outrageous spirit will live on in the many people whose lives she touched."

A woman in a blue shirt and jeans sits on a garden wall with flowers behind her

Image source, HandoutImage caption,

Jo Gardiner was the "matriarch" of the Race Across The World family, producers say

The family asked for privacy while they grieved, but urged "everyone who knew and loved Jo to do exactly what she would have wanted: tell the funny stories, raise a glass, have an adventure, laugh loudly and live life to the full".

They said she was "one of a kind", adding: "There will never be another her."

A Race Across The World spokesperson said: "On behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC and the whole Race Across The World cast, we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo's son Charlie, and her wider family and friends.

"Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across The World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond.

"It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed."