Jo Gardiner’s family announced she died Sunday following a cancer battle, a year after her son Sam’s fatal car crash.
The ‘Race Across the World’ star, 61, passed away on August 24, her relatives confirmed in a statement that described the Manchester physiotherapist as “an intrepid adventurer, brave, kind, witty and endlessly loving.” Gardiner and her son Sam had competed together on the BBC competition’s second season in 2020, traveling across South America and winning viewer affection for their bond.
The family statement, released Sunday, painted a vivid portrait of a woman who drew people to her with uncommon force. “She had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive,” they wrote. “She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves.”
The tribute continued with raw emotion about her role within their circle. “Somehow, each one felt as though they were among her very best,” the family wrote. “To us, she was more than all of these things. She was our family, our joy, our safe place and our absolute treasure.”
Her relatives asked mourners to honor her spirit rather than sink into grief alone. “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,” they shared.
The statement took a characteristic turn toward the adventurous ethos Gardiner embodied. “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,” the family wrote. “She was one of a kind. There will never be another her.”
Gardiner is survived by her son Charlie. She had been diagnosed with diabetes at an early age, and her family are now raising money for Diabetes UK in her honor.
In the viral moment that first brought the mother-son pair national attention, Gardiner and Sam, then 24, competed in ‘Race Across the World’ during its 2020 second season, trekking across Latin America in a journey that millions followed. Their dynamic made them integral to that series’ success and established Gardiner as what the show’s production would later call “the matriarch of the Race Across the World cast family.”
Sam died suddenly in June of last year in a single-vehicle collision while home in Manchester for a family gathering, driving his Volkswagen Golf when the car came off the road. At the time, Jo and Sam’s father Andrew released a statement saying, “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident.” They described a young man who “left us far too soon,” adding that “words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives.” The parents pledged to hold onto “the memories that made him so special,” noting that “Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went.” Their statement concluded: “He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. We will miss him endlessly, but we’ll also remember him with smiles, tall tales, and a depth of love that will never fade.”
Following Sam’s death, participants from every series of the show came together to run the Great Manchester Run this year in his honor. Emon Choudhury, winner of season two, said at that event, “Sam was one of those people you never forget. The kind of person who could light up a room without even trying.”
A ‘Race Across the World’ spokeswoman shared a statement with the outlet on behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC, and the show’s cast. “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,” she said. The spokeswoman noted that following Sam’s death, “we paid tribute to how integral Sam and Jo had been to series two,” and that “millions of people remembered their transformative journey across Latin America in 2020.”
The production’s remembrance fixed on Gardiner’s maternal devotion. “At the time of filming, Sam described his mum as amazing – and that is how we will always remember her,” the spokeswoman added. “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.” The statement closed: “It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed.”