Race Across The World star Jo Gardiner has died aged 61, a year after her son and co-star Sam died following a car crash.

The duo competed in the BBC’s global travel competition during its second series in 2020, journeying across South America together.

Ms Gardiner died “following a long and courageous battle with cancer”, her family said in a statement.

The physiotherapist, from Manchester, was “an intrepid adventurer, brave, kind, witty and endlessly loving”, they added.

The statement continued: “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.

“As we grieve, we ask for privacy, but we also ask everyone who knew and loved Jo to 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.

“She was one of a kind. There will never be another her.”

Ms Gardiner is survived by her son Charlie.

Her other son Sam, with whom she appeared in the TV show, died in June 2025 at the age of 24, after his white Volkswagen Golf R estate came off the road and rolled before landing on its side.

The landscape gardener had been working on an isolated estate on the west coast of Scotland and was home in Manchester for a family gathering.

The mother and son competed on Race Across The World because Gardiner wanted to experience 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.

In a statement, a Race Across The World spokeswoman 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.

“Following the tragic death of Jo’s son Sam last year, we paid tribute to how integral Sam and Jo had been to series two.

“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.

“At the time of filming, Sam described his mum as amazing – and that is how we will always remember her.

“Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across The World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond. It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed.”

Ms Gardiner, who lived with type 1 diabetes, was an ambassador for Diabetes UK and her family has set up a JustGiving page in her name, with all donations supporting Diabetes UK.