Who are Jo and Kush? Meet Race Across the World 2026 contestants

The time has finally come for Race Across the World to return to screens for a thrilling sixth season – and it might just be the most demanding yet.

The new series, which kicks off tonight (2 April), will follow five teams as they race more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia, as they trace parts of the ancient Silk Road, testing themselves both physically and emotionally.

With a budget of just £26 a day, the teams must navigate their travels without smartphones, internet access or bank cards, and best friends Jo and Kush are up for the challenge.

"I feel like being a Scouser, it’s quite easy to fit in around that kind of environment [of talking to strangers]," Jo told Radio Times ahead of the series launch.

But just who are they? Scroll on to learn more about the Race Across the World 2026 contestants.

Who are Jo and Kush?

Relationship: Best friends

Jo and Kush are childhood best friends from Liverpool, who are heading into the race hoping their "Scouse charm" will help them throughout their adventure.

The 19-year-olds have been best friends for over 15 years, with their parents having met at a play group when they were toddlers.

Having been friends for so long, the pair weren't worried the race would affect them, with Kush telling Radio Times: "We were very confident that it wouldn’t get high pressure. Our friendship was strong enough to overcome any sort of challenges that it faced."

During the race, the pair agreed to compromise between sightseeing and focusing on the race.

"I think at the back of our heads we wanted to win but, for me, the experiences were far more appealing," Jo said.

Why did Jo and Kush want to take part in Race Across the World?

It was Kush's idea to sign up for the series, and Jo didn't need any convincing as they had planned to go travelling whether they were accepted for the show or not.

"I was just on Instagram [and] I'd seen the advert for it," Kush told Radio Times."I never watched it, but my mum and my brothers have [and] they loved it. I was like, 'It'll be really funny to apply just to show them, and be like, look what I've done.' I literally called Jo and I was like, 'Do you want to sign up for this? And he was like yeah sound.'"

"We didn’t have anything to lose, like, we apply and we get denied and we’ll still go travelling anyway or we apply, we get accepted and we go travelling anyway," Jo added.

• Looking to plan your next holiday? Request brochures for European and worldwide escorted tours, plus ocean and river cruises from our travel partners

Race Across the World returns on Thursday 2 April at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Seasons 1-5 are available to watch on iPlayer.

Add Race Across the World to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.