Mum and son from Bury St Edmunds set to race across Asia to win £20k in latest season of BBC One’s show Race Across the World

With no access to mobile phones, the internet and bank cards, a mum and son from Bury St Edmunds are set to race across the world’s largest continent for a chance to win £20,000.

Caroline and Tom, aged 60 and 21, will be pushed to their limits – both physically and mentally – as they, along with four other teams, compete for the cash prize in the TV series Race Across the World.

The BAFTA-winning show returns to BBC One with its fifth season this evening, which will kick off at The Great Wall of China.

The five teams must navigate 14,000km across three Asian countries, including China and Nepal, to reach the finish line in Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India.

Each duo will be armed with cash equivalent to the cost of a flight - just over £1,000 per person - and the first team to cross the finish line will win £20,000.

The mum and son duo from Bury have been described as ‘unlikely travel companions’.

Tom, who has backpacked around Europe and spent six months travelling through South America, wants to show his mum Caroline the world through his eyes.

Meanwhile, Caroline never had the opportunity to travel and wants to prove she’s more than just a ‘mum’.

The first episode will be broadcast at 9pm this evening.