Race Across The World contestant Jo Gardiner dies aged 61 just one year after her co-star son was killed in a car crash
Race Across The World contestant Jo Gardiner has died aged 61 following a long battle with cancer, her family have announced, coming just over a year after her son and co-star Sam was killed in a car crash. The physiotherapist from Manchester appeared alongside Sam on the BBC show's second series in 2020, travelling through South America together and finishing in fourth place; both the family and the BBC production team have paid tribute to her warmth, resilience and devotion to her children.
Ms Gardiner died on Friday 21 August, with her family describing her as "an intrepid adventurer, brave, kind, witty and endlessly loving" and asking well-wishers to celebrate her life rather than mourn quietly. Sam, whom she adopted with her ex-husband Andrew and who had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), died in June 2025 aged 24 after his car left the A34 near Gatley, Manchester, and rolled; he died in hospital three days later. A fundraiser set up in his memory for the National FASD charity raised more than £20,000, and Ms Gardiner is survived by her other son, Charlie.
- Race Across The World's Jo Gardiner dies aged 61 after cancer battle
- Death comes a year after son and co-star Sam died in crash
- Pair featured on BBC show's 2020 series, finishing fourth
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Jo Gardiner and her son Sam appeared together on the BBC series Race Across The World, a programme that follows pairs travelling long distances overland without flying or using smartphones, relying instead on a limited budget. Gardiner, a physiotherapist from Manchester, took part in the show's second series in 2020 with Sam, whom she had adopted with her ex-husband; the pair travelled through South America and finished fourth.
Sam had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a lifelong condition caused by alcohol exposure before birth that can affect learning, behaviour and physical development. He died in June 2025, aged 24, after a car crash near Gatley in Manchester, and a fundraising campaign set up in his memory for a charity supporting people with the condition went on to raise a significant sum.
Gardiner had been living with cancer for some time before her death. Her passing, coming roughly a year after Sam's, has prompted tributes from her family and from the BBC production team behind the show, who have spoken of her warmth and resilience. She is survived by her other son, Charlie.