Manchester physiotherapist and former Race Across the World contestant Jo Gardiner has died, a year after her son and co-star’s death in a car crash.
Gardiner died “following a long and courageous battle with cancer,” her family said.
Gardiner travelled across South America with her son in the second series of the BBC show, which aired in 2020. Her family told the BBC she was “one of a kind” who “lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves”.
Gardiner is survived by another 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.”
The family asked for privacy while they grieved, but urged “everyone who knew and loved Jo to do exactly what she would have wanted: tell the funny stories, raise a glass, have an adventure, laugh loudly and live life to the full.”
They said she was “one of a kind”, adding: “There will never be another her.”
The Race Across The World team said in a statement: “On behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC and the whole Race Across The World cast, we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie, and her wider family and friends.
“Following the tragic death of Jo’s son Sam last year, we paid tribute to how integral Sam and Jo had been to series two. Millions of people remembered their transformative journey across Latin America in 2020 and we hold that memory in our hearts as we fondly recall Jo’s passion for life, her kindness, her strength, and above all her utter devotion to Sam and her family.
“At the time of filming, Sam described his mum as amazing – and that is how we will always remember her. Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across the World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond. It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed.
“Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across The World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond.
“It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed.”
Image: Race Across the World/Instagram
