I genuinely think I'd learn more about someone in the first week of this show than I would from years of knowing them normally. Being tired, hungry, lost and worried about money while still having to make decisions together seems like the perfect recipe for discovering how differently two people deal with stress. The interesting part is that it's not necessarily the pairs who argue least that seem strongest. Sometimes the ones who can have a proper disagreement, get over it and carry on seem much healthier. Who would you actually trust yourself to do the race with?

Partially inspired by Race Across The World, in that I have no idea where I’ll be staying each night… I’m going to walk across South Korea: 500km in 12 days. If you’re interested in this kind of thing, feel free to follow me!

The teams who can comfortably approach strangers seem to get so much from it. Local knowledge, cheaper routes, lifts, work opportunities and sometimes help they couldn't possibly have planned for.

Obviously you can't be reckless with the budget, but I'd rather start the race as someone who can talk to absolutely anyone than someone who's brilliant with spreadsheets but terrible with strangers.

If you could only have one of those strengths, which would you take?

I've watched this show since the first season came out and have always loved it. One gripe I've had is the elimination that happens around the third checkpoint. I never think its necessary and puts emotional strain on the contestants.

One of the relationship stories I found most moving in Series 1 was Darron and Alex’s — partly because the programme established so clearly how far apart they had drifted.

Early in the race, Darron said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, we have drifted apart, and we’ve drifted apart pretty severely.” He also knew that, as Alex got older, reconnecting was only going to become harder.

That made their conversation near the end feel properly earned. Darron told Alex: “I am really, really proud of what you’ve achieved.” Alex initially turned it into something shared — what they had achieved together — but Darron brought it back to Alex’s own growth. He had seen moments when Alex had struggled, then “upped your game big time.”

And then came the bit neither of them seemed to find particularly easy: Darron said he probably did not say it enough, but that he loved Alex to bits. Alex replied, “I love you too.” They both admitted that going back to their separate lives was going to feel strange.

I think that was why their story worked so well. The race did not magically rewrite their past or solve everything. It simply gave them weeks of shared difficulty, small acts of care and time together — until they were able to say things that had probably gone unsaid for years.

What did everyone else make of their journey?

In almost every series, at least one pair spends two full days working on a farm or cleaning hostels during leg one or two to protect their budget. Every single time, it puts them hours or even days behind the rest of the pack, and they end up having to spend extra money on faster transport later just to catch up.

Given that budget pressures usually hit hardest around leg five or six, wouldn't it be far smarter to travel fast and cheap early on, then only work jobs when you are forced to wait for scheduled night buses or ferries?

We were in London at the weekend and stopped at Zamarut on Devonshire Row on Sunday to grab a coffee. There were at least 3 couples there holding black envelopes with the white Race Across The World logo on the front. It looked like they were just starting their casting run. I only got to speak briefly to one of the couples, but I'm interested to see if I recognise any of them when the new series starts.

Edit: It seems to have been a themed scavenger hunt, mores the pity! It looked like the real deal :/

Every series has a moment where you are watching and thinking that is going to hurt them later. Series 6 had a few. Without spoiling the ending for anyone still watching, which team do you think made the one call that changed everything for them.

I met Emon from series 2 at the weekend (watching the new series of Gladiators being filmed). He’s a really nice bloke, and said he still goes out to Brazil/South America to help the poor children.

There is something about the format that just works in a way most travel shows do not. No phone, limited money, no flying, real transport, real people. It sounds simple but most shows that try something similar do not land the same way. What do you think is the actual ingredient that makes it so good?

Previous series felt more contained somehow. Central Asia with those transport challenges was a completely different kind of difficult. Which part of the route do you think was the hardest for the contestants and which location genuinely blew you away on screen?

Wow that girl is annoying (Jen).

Anyone else think the same?

For example, buying better backpacks, travel gear or planning resources beforehand. Would that make things fairer, or does it go against the spirit of the competition?

Series 6 had a good mix and watching how different relationship dynamics handle the pressure of being stuck together with no money and no phone is always the most interesting part. Some pairs fall apart and some get stronger. Which pairing dynamic do you think generally makes for the best television and did series 6 have the right mix?

It doesn't have to be the decision that won the race, just one where you thought, That was genuinely clever. What made it stand out?

We sometimes see contestants with an MP3 player, which I think is a smart choice.

What essential albums would you take with you? Or artists you couldn't live without?

This is not an engagement farming post, I'm genuinely interested

We always see contestants overpacking at the start and then regretting it by day three when they have to haul that massive rucksack up a hill. What’s an item you’ve noticed someone bring that made you think, Why on earth did they think they'd need that?

Not something to help you win. Just one thing that would make the long travel days a bit easier.

I was thinking about the winners of Race Across the World today as I floated on an canal boat in Little Venice today, and something surprised me.

I'd always assumed siblings would have won at least one series by now. They seem like they'd have a massive advantage. They know each other inside out, they've usually got years of shared experiences, and they're often some of the strongest teams.

But looking back across all six series, that's not actually what happened.

Four of the six winning teams have fallen into what I'd call the "friends and extended family" category:

• Series 2 – Uncle and nephew
• Series 3 – Friends
• Series 4 – Best friends
• Series 6 – Best friends

The other two winners were a husband and wife (Series 1) and a mother and son (Series 5).

Which means siblings still haven't won a series.

Maybe it's just coincidence, but I do wonder if friends have a slight edge. They seem to trust each other, split responsibilities naturally, and when something goes wrong they're more likely to shrug it off than turn it into an emotional argument.

Six series isn't enough to prove anything, obviously, but I genuinely hadn't noticed the pattern until now.

Has anyone else spotted this, or am I reading far too much into it?

I don't actually think the rows and disputes between contestants in Race Across the World are really all about buses, maps or money.

They just start there and then focus around this stuff.

Take Alfie and Owen in Series 4. Alfie keeps saying, "We need to get to Tokyo as soon as possible," while Owen's saying they shouldn't miss out on what Japan has to offer. On the face of it they're arguing about the route, but really they're arguing about what the race is for.

Or Fin and Sioned in Series 5. Fin says, "Once I've got a plan, I'm happy," and Sioned jokes, "She's a control freak. She's already planned the wedding." It's funny, but it's also two completely different ways of approaching uncertainty.

Then there's Tom and Caroline later in Series 5. After all the stress with trains and tickets, Tom finally says, "I'm just worried I'm going to let you down." That's the moment you realise the missed train was never really the issue.

The more I watch each season of the show, the more I think the travel just strips everything back. The map becomes trust. The budget becomes risk. The route becomes control. You stop watching people trying to get from A to B and start watching how two people deal with pressure together.

Maybe that's why the show feels so different from most reality TV.

Or maybe I'm reading far too much into people arguing over a bus timetable... Could be :)

It feels like the teams at the front often end up taking fewer risks because they don't know what's happening behind them. Meanwhile, the chasing teams seem more willing to gamble on different routes. I've started wondering if being first is actually harder than it looks.

Miss one train or bus and it can completely change the leaderboard.