Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner dies a year after son

Gardiner, who had cancer, is remembered as ‘one of a kind’ after competing in BBC show with son Sam in 2020

Tributes have been paid to the Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner, who has died a year after her son and co-star Sam was killed in a car crash.

The physiotherapist from Manchester died after “a long and courageous battle with cancer”, relatives said. She was 61 and is survived by her other son, Charlie.

She and Sam competed in the second series of the BBC’s global travel competition, journeying across South America together in 2020.

Relatives remembered her as “an intrepid adventurer” who was “brave, kind, witty and endlessly loving”.

Her 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. 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 that those who knew and loved her “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 added: “She was one of a kind. There will never be another her.”

Sam Gardiner died in June 2025 at the age of 24 after his car came off the road, rolled and landed on its side.

The mother and son competed on Race Across the World because Jo wanted to have 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.

A spokesperson for the programme said: “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.

“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.”

Jo Gardiner had type 1 diabetes and was an ambassador for Diabetes UK. Her family has set up a JustGiving page in her name and said all donations are to support the charity.