Bbc race across the world star brought to tears minutes into episode

Bbc race across the world star brought to tears minutes into episode


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Race Across the World star Sioned was brought to tears just minutes into Wednesday's (21st May) episode as she admitted "I feel bad". The fifth series of the hit BBC programme


returned to screens last month, with five new pairs attempting to reach the southernmost point of India after starting at the Great Wall of China. This season's participants, devoid of


smartphones and bank cards, are relying solely on the small budget provided in order to win an impressive £20,000 prize pot. At the start of tonight's episode, it was confirmed that


Caroline and Tom had closed the gap to the leaders Brian and Melvyn at the end of the fourth leg. Fin and Sioned arrived in third place, over 24 hours later than the previous pair, while


Elizabeth and Letitia were in fourth place. It was soon revealed that the mountain village of McLeod Ganj was the fifth checkpoint. The hill station is home to His Holiness the 14th Dalai


Lama and a Tibetan community that sought refuge in India in 1959. Today, the town draws thousands of devotees who come in search of blessings and Buddhist wisdom. To reach the checkpoint,


teams had to navigate through one of the most populated regions on Earth, before climbing nearly 7,000 feet into the foothills of the Himalayas. They could take advantage of India's


well-connected cities, including capital Delhi and Agra, two points on the famous tourist route, the Golden Triangle. Or if they wanted to avoid crowds, the teams could begin their ascent


sooner, passing through the more tranquil hill stations of the north. Teenage couple Fin and Sioned made their way through Varanasi to try and get a train, but were forced to get a bus as


the trains weren't running. While waiting for the bus, Sioned, 19, became emotional as she saw young children living in poverty on the streets of the busy city. "It upset me,


seeing the kids. They were so dirty, so skinny. I've not come across a lot of poverty before, nothing to this degree. I feel bad," she tearfully said. Fin quickly rushed to comfort


his girlfriend, saying: "It's okay, you can't do anything about it. It's not your fault it's like that. You're gonna make me cry now." Fin continued:


"The hardest part is we've never seen children struggle that badly. To see people begging and to see kids on the streets, it's a lot to take in." Sioned became emotional


again as the couple navigated their way through the busy city of Uttar Pradesh. To make matters worse, their driver took them in the wrong direction. "Since stepping foot in India,


there's a sensory overload and it causes me to break down. I'm out of control, and I don't like the feeling of not being in control," Sioned admitted. "Mentally,


emotionally, physically. The race is the toughest thing I've ever done." At the end of the episode, Fin and Sioned were in fourth place behind current leaders Caroline and Tom.


RACE ACROSS THE WORLD IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON BBC IPLAYER