Celebrity Race Across the World: Scott Mills says series was a test of his relationship

Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills has said taking part in Celebrity Race Across the World with husband Sam Vaughan was the “ultimate test of our relationship”.

The pair got married shortly after filming the BBC show, in which four couples race across South America on a limited budget.

Sam, from Bridgend, described their early relationship as being a bit like the fictional characters Gavin and Stacey – as they went back and forth between London and Wales to see each other.

He said using buses to visit Scott prepared him for the race as, with cash tight and flights not allowed, public transport became a popular mode of travel.

“It was a kind of real life Gavin and Stacey. I was on the buses every week, going from Cardiff to London,” Sam told Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales.

“Or I would get a train from London,” said Scott.

“So I prepared for the show as well,” said Sam.

Scott said he was surprised he was able to keep his involvement on the pre-recorded TV programme a secret from his radio show listeners.

“I just said I was going to do some wedding prep and ended up away for five weeks. It was like a honeymoon in reverse,” he said.

The couple are seen in the show competing against broadcaster Jeff Brazier and his son, Freddy; actor Kola Bokinni and his cousin, Mary Ellen; along with model and actress Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy.

The race, which began in Belém, northern Brazil, will see the competitors pass through five checkpoints across the length of South America – before finishing at Frutillar in southern Chile, covering a distance of about 7,700 miles (12,400 km).

Scott said: “What was nice – and probably something we will never have again – was we just had that time where we were in the moment, with no phones or distractions, and the only thing to think about was the race.”

Sam said the most challenging part of the race was the language barrier.

“We didn’t want to go down the tourist route and see the beaches because, being from Wales, I’m used to having the beach on my doorstep,” he said.

“I wanted to go more inland, but I didn’t think that through.

“We very quickly learnt that no one there spoke English.”

Despite the language difficulties, the couple credited the kindness of local people for helping them to navigate their journey.

They said being involved in the race taught them about the “kindness of strangers” and being patient.

Scott said he would never grumble again about a seven minute wait for a Tube train at London’s underground stations, after waiting nine hours for a bus.

Sam said: “With people’s kindness for us, I kind of look out for people now, the tourists, when I go to London.

“If I see someone in the Tube station kind of panicking… I will go out of my way and try and help them… because a few months ago that was us.”

Celebrity Race Across the World continues on BBC One on Wednesdays and is also available on the iPlayer.