Manchester Race Across the World Star Jo Gardiner Dies, Aged 61
BBC News reports on the passing of Jo Gardiner, a former contestant on the BBC One show Race Across the World, who died "following a long and courageous battle with cancer" at the age of 61.
Gardiner, a physiotherapist from Manchester, traveled across South America in the show's second series (2020) with her son, Sam. Her family remembers her as "one of a kind" with an "outrageous spirit" who lived life to the fullest and touched countless lives.
Her son, Sam, tragically died in a car crash last year. The family asks for privacy while they grieve but encourages sharing funny stories and living life to the fullest, as that was what Jo would have wanted.
"She had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive," her family said. "She lived fully, fiercely, and never did anything by halves."
A spokesperson for Race Across The World expressed their deepest sympathies to Gardiner's son, Charlie, and her family and friends. They described Jo as the "matriarch" of the show's cast family, leaving a lasting legacy in many lives she touched.