Jo Gardiner, star of the sophomore season of Race Across the World, has passed away at the age of 61.
Gardiner’s family announced the tragic news of her passing in a statement shared with BCC News, revealing that she breathed her last after fighting a “long and courageous battle with cancer.”
The statement of the grieving family read, “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,” the statement concluded.
Studio Lambert and the BBC also issued a statement, mourning the unexpected passing of Gardiner, writing, “We offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie, and her wider family and friends.
Referring to her time on Race Across the World along with her son Sam, they shared that Jo’s son “described his mum as amazing” when they were filming the show.
“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,” they remarked.
It is pertinent to mention that Jo Gardiner, who competed in Race Across the World along with her son Sam, embraced death a year after she lost Sam in a car crash.
