Who are Dylan and Jackie Llewellyn? Meet Celebrity Race Across the World 2025 contestants
Dylan is bringing his mum along for the adventure of a lifetime.
Just when the waiting for a new series of Race Across the World, arguably one of the best shows on television, was becoming unbearable, the BBC saved us all from our winter blues by confirming the celebrity version's line-up.
The show, which will start tonight (Thursday 6th November), will see the contestants starting off on a Caribbean island before making their way through a series of checkpoints on their way to the finish line in Colombia's Peninsula de La Guajira – known as the gateway to South America.
As with previous seasons of the show, the celebs are not allowed access to smart phones or the internet and are given a show-string, which this time around sees them surviving on as a little as £30 a day – one of the smallest budgets the show has seen to date!
Joining this season's celebrity cast is actor Dylan Llewellyn, who is bringing his mum Jackie along for the ride. Here's everything you need to know about them ahead of the first episode.
Who are Dylan and Jackie?
Relationship: Mother and son
From: Reigate, Surrey
Jobs: Actor and retiree
Instagram: @djllewellyn
Dylan Llewellyn is a 33-year-old actor, best known for playing English James in all three series of Derry Girls. He has also starred in Hollyoaks, Big Boys and Beyond Paradise.
Self professed "mummy's boy" Dylan is embarking on the race with his mum Jackie, a 59-year-old retiree.
"I’d always wanted to do an amazing adventure with a family member, and I’m a bit of a mummy’s boy," he admitted to Radio Times magazine.
Why did Dylan and Jackie want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
When asked about their time on the show, the duo described it as "once in a lifetime" and "magical".
"I wanted to take part because it’s such an amazing experience to be had. I think it looks so beautiful and cool, and it's just a giant adventure and who wouldn't want to go on one of those?
"And to do it with my mum is a huge bonus. It's a once in a lifetime thing to do, and to do it with a loved one is even better," Dylan said.
Jackie added: "In my life, I'm very predictable, like to keep to a routine, safe and everything, and this is really pushing me out of my comfort zone, and I feel, at my age, I should do something like that. I just generally go to destinations for holiday I never have a journey.
"So it's throwing a different spin on my holiday experience. And also to spend time with Dylan, there's normally in life so many distractions and to have that… I don't think anyone has a relationship where there's no distractions and it's just one to one, and that's going to be magical."
Celebrity Race Across the World returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Thursday 6th November at 8pm.
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Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
