Who are Yin and Gaz? Meet Race Across the World 2025 contestants
The thrilling series is back!
Race Across the World is back, and this time, five new pairs are taking on a challenging journey from Beijing in China to Kanniyakumari, the southern most tip of India.
Among the pairs are Yin and Gaz, whose interesting history will certainly pique viewers' interest as the season begins.
Starting tonight (23rd April), the pair will find themselves at the Great Wall of China before they head to their first checkpoint in Huangling.
But who are Yin and Gaz? Scroll down to learn more about the pair as they embark on Race Across the World.
Who are Yin and Gaz?
Relationship: Friends
Yin and Gaz are an unlikely duo to some, and they plan on using their dynamic and combined skills to win the race.
As they support each other through their highs and lows, Yin and Gaz expect to embark on journeys of self-discovery throughout.
The pair - both 54 - run a Chinese takeaway together, and have known each other for 35 years.
For Gaz, he wouldn't have done the show with anyone else other than Yin. Speaking of his decision, Gaz said: "Could I do this with my brother? No. Could I do this with any other mates? No. And Yin was pretty much the same."
Prior to embarking on the race, the pair took a trip to the Lake District to prepare.
"We quite like out-of-bounds holidays anyway," Gaz explained "It was chucking it down with rain, we went on hikes, and we took the bags.
"We've also been going out for walks just to get some exercise, but also with our backpacks and all our gear on. We've been going to the gym and generally keeping fit and getting used to the weight on our backs. We've also cut down our intake of food!"
Are Yin and Gaz married?
No. As will be explained in the launch episode, Yin and Gaz were once married, but have separated.
After their separation, Yin began a new relationship, but he sadly passed away in September and Gaz stepped in to support her during that tough time.
"We were previously married and we'd been together for over 30 years," Yin told RadioTimes.com. "We had a marriage breakup and then I had a partner for three years after that. He died suddenly in September 2023 and I went to quite a dark place, and Gaz was the person that was there to support me through that."
Why did Yin and Gaz want to take part in Race Across the World?
After seeing the advert for season 5, Yin knew she really wanted to take part.
She explained: "When this came along, I thought, 'Why not?' Something inside me made me fill out the application form. I said to Gaz when he got home, because I was living with Gaz at the time because he was looking after me during my grieving period, and I just said, 'Do you fancy going on Race Across the World with me?'
"He was like, 'Yeah, whatever.' He probably just said it more to amuse me, because he obviously knew what I was going through at that moment. But before we knew it, he'd filled out the application and the journey had begun!"
Race Across the World returns on Wednesday 23rd April on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
