Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner dies

1 day ago 9

Woman in blue vest and shorts wearing a grey rucksack

ByGeorgie Docker

North West

A former Race Across the World contestant has died, a year after her son and co-star's death.

Jo Gardiner, 61, died "following a long and courageous battle with cancer", her family said.

Gardiner, a physiotherapist from Manchester, travelled across South America with her son Sam in the second series of the BBC show, which aired in 2020.

Her family said she "lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves".

Jo and Sam pose together in an ornate room. He's wearing dark baseball cap and green top and rucksack and smiling, while Jo has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a white vest. She's also smiling.

Gardiner is survived by her son Charlie.

Her son, Sam, who she appeared with on the show, died in June 2025 after his car came off the road and crashed.

The mother and son competed on Race Across The World because Gardiner wanted to experience a travel adventure with Sam, who had ADHD.

They competed against four other pairs of contestants racing from Mexico City down to Ushuaia in Argentina.

Gardiner's family said "she had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive.

"She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves," they added.

"She was blessed with countless friends, drawn to her extraordinary magnetism.

"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."