A former Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner has died after a "long and courageous" battle with cancer, six years after she appeared on the second season of the BBC show in 2020. The 61-year-old physiotherapist from Manchester appeared on the show with her son Sam and competed against four other pairs racing from Mexico City down to Ushuaia in Argentina.
Sam died in a car crash last year (June 2025). According to the BBC, the mother-son duo participated in the show because Gardiner wanted to experience the world with her son, who had ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). The family of the adventurer confirmed the sad news.
The family added that Gardiner's extraordinary magnetism blessed her with countless friends, noting that "she had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive." They said, "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." Gardiner's family requested privacy as they grieve, while a Race Across The World spokesperson also expressed deep grief over her sad demise.