Race Across the World series six winners crowned

Warning: This article reveals the winners of Race Across the World

Childhood best friends Jo Diop and Kush Burman, from Liverpool, have crossed the finish line first to become the series six winners of Race Across The World.

The BBC One show saw five pairs embark on the journey of a lifetime, racing a distance of around 12,000 km (7,450 miles) across Europe and Asia.

The Liverpool lads travelled the fastest overall from Palermo in sunny Sicily, Italy, to the snow-covered Hatgal in northern Mongolia - via the ancient Silk Road.

The winners - by three hours - will now share a cash prize of £20,000.

Kush said he planned to use the money to help his mum "get on to the property ladder", while Jo said he hoped to travel to Senegal to "learn where I come from".

"It's had an impact on us, it's changed our perspective," he reflected.

"It's been a test, we're just two Scouse kids," offered Kush.

"But I think this has proved, we are more than capable," added his old friend.

They fended off competition from fellow finalists, sibling side Harrison and Katie from Manchester, daughter-and-dad duo Molly and Andrew from Maghera, Northern Ireland, and English in-laws Mark and Margo.

Cousins Puja and Roshni, from London had been eliminated earlier in the competition.

Having passed through checkpoints in Greece, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, Thursday's finale saw the remaining contestants head north from Kharkhorin.

They traversed the Khangai Mountains to reach the shores of Lake Khövsgöl - aka the Blue Pearl of Mongolia.

As usual throughout the competition, all pairs were banned from travelling by air and given a total budget at the start of £1,297 per person - the cost of a one-way plane ticket.

They could not use their smartphones or bank cards while seeking out their own transport, food and accommodation.

But they were given opportunities along the way to work to earn more cash, if needed.

Race Across The World is one of the BBC's most successful shows – this year's opening episode was watched by an audience of 7.4 million, including catch-up platforms.

Winners Jo and Kush were the youngest duo in this series of Race Across the World.

The Merseyside mates applied in January 2025, after finishing their A-levels, and eight months later they were on a plane to the start line.

"It was such a cool experience to be able to go to all of them places and the activities that we do are genuine, they're real people," said Kush.

"Getting an insight into that was such privilege.

"But it was also a race and it's super tough especially the elimination leg."

They began the elimination leg in last place, meaning they had to get a move on to avoid being sent home at the halfway point of the journey.

"The stress was high, because it was like, go hard to go home at this point," said Jo.

"That feeling of being last is horrible, and I think it was like a wake-up call."

We saw the Liverpool lads unwinding during the race by playing basketball and enjoying an evening of Mongolian throat singing.

But a trip to a judo gym in Kazakhstan led to a more emotional moment for Kush, as it brought back memories of his late stepdad, Matt.

Viewers saw Kush in tears as he explained he was just 14 when Matt took his own life during lockdown.

In one emotional moment, he said: "I really wish I could show him who I am now."

"Usually when we talk about my dad it's in a more light-hearted context of, like, 'do you remember this?'," he said.

"But when it's talking about the feelings and emotions behind it, it can be quite tough.

"But the response from the public's been so heart-warming."

In the final episode, they worked briefly in a Mongolian bar to help pay for a taxi.

They let themselves down, ever so slightly, by being unable to name all of The Beatles after having stumbled upon statue of the Fab Four (George Harrison you were missing, lads).

Daughter-and-dad duo Molly and Andrew finished second, while inseparable brother-and-sister duo Katie and Harrison finished third.

In-laws Mark and Margo were delighted just to finish, in order to honour the "last wishes" of his wife and her sister, Julia - who died from the rare blood cancer myelofibrosis in 2022.

"We haven't won the race, but we've won our race," said Margo.

"Thank you Julia," added Mark.

The first series of Race Across the World won the 2020 Bafta TV Award in the best reality and constructed factual category.

The show - which has spawned several celebrity spin-offs - is produced for the BBC by Studio Lambert, who are also behind The Traitors, Gogglebox and Squid Game: The Challenge.

Applications for series seven are open now until 31 May 2026.

All six series of Race Across the World are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.