Celebrity Race Across the World Interview: Radio 2 host Scott Mills and his husband, Sam

Celebrity Race Across the World returns for a second series from 9pm on Wednesday 14 August on iPlayer and BBC One.

The four new famous faces embarking on an epic 12,500 km race of a lifetime are: broadcaster Jeff Brazier and his son, Freddy; actor Kola Bokinni and his cousin, Mary Ellen; broadcaster Kelly Brook and her husband, Jeremy and Radio 2 host Scott Mills and his husband (then fiancé), Sam.

Their journey begins in Belém, Northern Brazil – the gateway to the Amazon – and will pass through five checkpoints across the length of South America, to reach the finish line in the Andes, Frutillar in Southern Chile.

Why did you want to take part in the series?

Sam: When Scott and I were first asked to take part in the series, it was kind of a no-brainer, that it’s an opportunity where you can just switch off in the world and see places that you’ve never seen before. You’ll probably go to places that you wouldn’t choose to go, if you look at a map you probably wouldn’t go “Let’s go here.” Scott loves his travel magazines so Scott will plan our holidays, he likes to go to new places, but this is probably going somewhere that we will never go to again. And it’s just seeing parts of the world together. Obviously, we get married this year so for us, it’s the year of big challenges: this, marriage. So, it’s just kind of like doing it all at once and getting it all done.

Scott: Before we get married, everyone says the holiday test is you know you could be with somebody if you go on holiday with them. This is like that times a thousand. Not that I have any doubts that Sam is the one for me, but there will be times in this, I imagine, when it will get stressful. And I think I’m expecting it, I don’t know, but I’m expecting it to be big highs and probably big lows. So, if we can get through this, we can get through anything basically. I have no doubt that we will but that’s part of the reason why I wanted to do it. I also really just want to throw my phone away for a bit. I wouldn’t be able to get to do this again.

What’s the reason that you’ve chosen to do this challenge with each other?

Scott: I like to do something every now and again, where I challenge myself and do something that I thought the younger me would never do. So, whether it be Strictly, I kind of knew I wouldn’t be able to really do that but I gave it a go and I felt a sense of accomplishment because of it. Recently, I did a pantomime, I’ve never been on stage in my life, and I’ve never had to learn lines before. And then suddenly, before you know it, you’re doing 40 shows over Christmas. At one point, when I got the script, I said to Sam, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this.” I think there’s something inside me that likes the challenge, almost being scared of not being able be able to do something, and waiting to find out. And this is another one of those. It just happens that they’re coming in quick succession.

Sam: I think, as well, in the time we’ve been together, obviously, he’s done a 24-hour- treadmill challenge for Children in Need, that he didn’t think he’d be able to do. A big change was going from Radio One to Radio Two, that was a massive change.

And then the Panto. So for me, I see Scott putting himself out there, challenging himself. So, it’s nice to be able to do that with him. And also, you know, together we can do that and I can be part of that journey. I’m always there at the end congratulating him.

Scott: Yeah, he’s always there and we’ve been together quite a few years now. So he’s seen quite a lot of these personal achievements for me. And, of course, lovely supportive Sam, he’s always there with a balloon normally at the end, and a cake going “Yay!” He’s great. But he has never been part of one of these experiences, that’s another reason I wanted to do it.

Sam: Yeah, me and Scott always see each other as a great team and his weaknesses are my strengths, his strengths are my weaknesses. So, we work really well together. And I think, from my point of view, whenever Scott wakes up he’s always on his phone, that’s how he does his work. He doesn’t sit at a computer and do work, he’s always communicating, texting his team for the radio and he’s always thinking ahead, anything he sees, he tries to turn it into a radio idea. So, he’s consumed on his phone, even at the weekends. And even if we go on holiday, if we get a week holiday he’ll probably switch off for a day or two, and then he’s on his phone because he constantly likes to be in the loop. So, for me to have Scott’s undivided attention, an opportunity that he’s not going to be distracted.

You know, even if we’re just taking the dog for a walk if a call comes in or an email comes in, Scott is always the one that has to reply straightaway. So, for me to have that opportunity of Scott’s undivided attention is going to be great, because obviously, we’re just going to work together there. It’s going to be that time where we can’t escape each other but it’s nice that we could spend that time together with no distractions.

Would you say that you’re quite adventurous?

Scott: I think I’m one of the least adventurous people I know, which is why I’m doing this. Because even, for instance, things like doing even a half marathon, if you had said to my parents, Oh yes Scott when he gets to his 30s and 40s, he’ll be doing half marathons they’d be like “That’s not true.” I’m just not that person but I just like putting things in my way to see if I can navigate them.

Sam: I’m not very adventurous, in travel, or in life, really. I like what I like. So, if I go on holiday, it’s usually a beach holiday, somewhere in the sun. Food-wise, I like what I like and I don’t diverge from that. I don’t like spice. I don’t like fish, I don’t like tomatoes, mushrooms, I’m really plain. Scott always jokes that when I moved to London, I’d never had avocado before. That was the whole thing, he was like “Oh my god, you’ve discovered avocado.” I was like, “Yeah, I don’t have that in Wales.” We obviously do but it’s something that I would never have tried before. Even if I went for lunch with my mother in London, and I would have avocado and eggs, she’s like “You’ve changed.” So, this will really take me out of my comfort zone.

What kind of traveller are you? Are you used to five-star hotels, creature comforts?

Scott: I think I went camping once and that was when I was a kid with school and we went to the New Forest, not quite the same as this. If you lived on the South Coast, where I’m from, you just went camping in the New Forest, that’s what you did. Holidays are really important to me, so important. Travelling is really important to me, it’s my favourite thing to do.

Sam: Yeah, not necessarily a five-star hotel. Growing up, I went from school to uni to work. So, my holidays would just be package holidays or hotels by the sea, by the pool. I think I always had that niggling thought in the back of my head that I would love to go travelling.

You see people that go to Australia for three/four weeks, or even three months a year. And I think it’s because in my friendship group none of us took that plunge to do it. I never thought “Oh, that’s for me.” either. So, I always had that niggling thought in my head, I wish I’d gone travelling to see more of the world. I think it’s just because of the way things happen. So, to have that opportunity now is really exciting. I’m not apprehensive about the possibility of sleeping on a train, or sleeping on a bus. I feel that’s the backpacking experience, I’m having that probably 12 years too late but at least I’m having it.

Scott: Yes, it’s the same for me. When all my friends were backpacking, I was doing the radio when I was 16. And I never had a gap year because I never went to uni. I’ve never done it but all my friends have. A bit later but here we go!

Can you name the top three home comforts you’re going to struggle to live without?

Sam: Our dog, talking to friends and family and EastEnders. We watch that every night so that’s going to be a struggle, not knowing what’s going on!

Scott: We’re both close to our families, I’m close to his family and my family. I mean I speak to his dad more than I speak to most people actually. So, it’s weird not having the contact. And also I speak to my mum every day, so I think she’s going to find this quite hard.

How competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?

Scott: Like I said when I do these things, I’m more “Am I going to be able to do it?” Then “I’m going to win it.” It’s like the treadmill thing, I was like “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do it.” And the panto, “Not sure I’m going to be able to do it.” I always do it and it always seems to work out okay. I’m not win, win, win like Sam is. He really is.

Sam: I am competitive, as well as going on the show to have the experiences, it’s a competition at the end of the day so you do want to win. But also, I feel that if you sacrifice coming first, to have a great experience that you’ve never done before, that you possibly might never do, if we miss out because we diverted and went to see this waterfall for example that’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if we missed that first spot because we did that, I think we’ll walk away winning from our experience. So, I think either way, if we don’t win, we’ll still win from experience, that’s a cliche thing to say, but I want to win.

And how do you feel about travelling without mobile phones or credit cards?

Scott: It will be weird. We haven’t started yet so we haven’t been exposed to what’s going to happen. It will be odd having to be very careful about the choices that we make. But I’m quite looking forward to it. I think it will be good, but ask me again at the end!

Sam: Travelling without a mobile, obviously, it’s everything in your palm, your maps, your directions, your translator, your wallet. I’m really good with directions, so if I go somewhere once, I know my way around. Whereas Scott’s the opposite, he can go on holiday and he’ll finally get to know his way around the hotel as we’re checking out. He’ll always have to put the sat nav on to go to the train station, even though he goes there every day. So for me, I’m not worried about the directions, but I’m useless on geography and where everything is, whereas Scott’s good at that. So, although we haven’t got our mobiles and our wallets and everything, we’ll help each other with our strengths and weaknesses. But it’s still going to be difficult that you just can’t pull it out and say “Help me please!”

Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses?

Scott: As Sam said, I’m really bad at directions. Really, really bad. Sam will be the saviour there.

Sam: I think I know my way around, I’m really good at budgeting. I like to make sure that we set aside enough money all the time. So, I’ll put the washing machine on a bit later, because it’s a cheaper tariff, I like to get a bargain. So, I will make sure that we get the best price for the best bus or whatever mode of transport. So, budgeting is my strength.

Scott: I’ve always been quite rubbish with money, Sam is Captain Spreadsheet, so he’ll do that. He’s very good at budgeting and I will take that on board. However, when we’re tired and hungry am I going to listen to him?

How are you at talking to strangers?

Sam: We’ll make each other do it. I think Scott, despite being on the radio, he is very shy. So, he will be like, “No, you do it.” And I’ll be like “No, you do it.” I’m hoping his Eurovision experience of going to different countries that he wouldn’t necessarily go to and have to talk to people where English is not their first language will be his strength. I’m hoping that his spirit from that will be pulled in. But I think, obviously, if you don’t talk to anyone, then you’re going to suffer. So, I think for me it’s make or break. The worst they can say is no.

Scott: I think I will try to make people understand us, and make us some new friends, hopefully. I really enjoy soaking up new places and this is one of the places in the world that I have not been. But you’re right sometimes with Eurovision, it is whoever wins, so you know, within a year you’re plonked in Azerbaijan. But I’m the one person that if we’re allowed, if we have time, I will go walking about and just look and experience it. I love it. And trying to help what we’re trying to do by understanding a bit more about the culture and the people.

Can both of you name the most annoying habit you’re going to struggle with each other?

Sam: Scott will probably go for ease and comfort over budget, so he’ll push for taxis or maybe better trains. I think that’s something that will annoy me, Scott will just go for the easiest option on this route.

Scott: That’s true. Sam likes to over prepare. For instance, I don’t know what I’m doing next week. He’s so organised and I’m not, but that’s what I think makes us a good team.

Sam: I like to have everything planned, so if you ask me what me or Scott are doing in three week’s time, I’ll know. Whereas if you ask Scott what he’s doing, he’s like ‘I don’t know. I live by the day.’ So, Scott’s strength is he can live by that day, and he’s not fazed by not knowing what’s going to happen. So, whereas I’ll panic going, we haven’t got a strategy, we don’t know what we’re doing. He’ll be like “Yeah, that’s fine.” Because that’s his nature, he doesn’t need to know what’s happening in three weeks.

Sam: I think I’ll probably annoy you because I need to know the route we’re going.

Scott: That’s it, he needs to know everything, He wants sometimes to know answers to things that haven’t got answers yet.

Sam: You only get one checkpoint at a time. You can only plan one journey at a time.

Scott: That’ll be annoying for him.

Have you watched any of the previous series and picked up any tips?

Sam: Yes, we’ve watched it. We got into it in lockdown, we binged it. And we sat back thinking imagine having that experience. And I think one of the biggest things we’ve taken from it is don’t lose your money. Because if you lose your money, you’re out. If we decide to get a taxi and it costs us 10% of our budget, at least we can work that back a little bit. If you lose your money, it’s game over.

Scott: Oh yeah. I think what I would say is, I know it’s a race but I think you also have to take a bit of time, not too much, but a bit of time to realise where you are and take it in. Not to the point where you’ve taken yourself out of the race. But I mean, just to be like, we’re never going to get to do this again, this is part of the experience. I also think you should probably work when you can, is what I’ve taken from it.

Sam: I also just think from the last series the relationship between Harry and his mum was just really heart-warming. How they worked together, how they bounced off each other and how they helped each other get through each different bit, each of them struggled at different points. Looking back at that, I want people to go away and go, Sam and Scott have got that nice relationship where they help each other and just kind of get on.

What’s your strategy going into the race?

Sam: Our main strategy is not to rush. So, despite it being a race, I think if you rush, like anything in life, if you rush into decisions, you will probably regret them. If you sit back, just think about it and double-check, then you might get further because you haven’t made a rash decision.

Scott: Just to take a bit of time for ourselves, as well as realising that we are trying to beat three other couples. But this is an important thing for me, where we’re both just not on our phones, we’re living in the moment and we’re talking, we’re chatting. And we’re probably actually finding out things still about each other on this trip.

Have you packed anything for this trip that you can’t live without?

Sam: I can’t go anywhere without a pack of custard creams. Scott and I went on a weekend away, and I opened my case and there was a pack of custard creams there and he was like “Sam, we’re in Spain.” I’m like you never know, you might not be able to get them. It’s just something for comfort.

Scott: I’ve packed a jar of coffee because I’m pretty terrible in the mornings without it, I know it’s an addiction.

Sam: I’ve also packed a journal because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I want to document every day. Although five weeks away sounds like a long time. It’s going to go so fast because we’re going to be moving. So, I just want to kind of have that memory to look back on.

Would you say you cope well in a crisis? Are you calm under pressure?

Scott: No, absolutely not. Sam is, very much so. I’ll be like, “Oh, there’s no bus so, we’re never going to get one again.” And he’ll be like, “It’s okay. There’ll be one in 3 hours.” He calms me all the time. We’re a good team I think well, we’ll find out.

Sam: I’m calm under pressure, depending on the situation. But I’m kind of an optimist. So, if some crisis is happening I’m like, “It’s fine. It’s fine. We can do Plan B. We can do Plan C. There’s other opportunities.” Scott is a pessimist, if we miss a bus, and there’s a bus in say an hour, Scott will be like “We might as well go home, race done. We’ve just missed the bus.” I’m like “Yeah but there’s another bus in an hour.” “Yeah, but there’s no point now, we’ve lost. We’ve lost.” So that’s kind of where we’ll also bounce off each other. But for me, in a crisis, I’ll try and look at the positives out of it.

And what does the rest of your family make of you doing this trip together?

Sam: A bit jealous. Obviously, when Scott was asked to do it they were all like “Oh, can I do it with you?” I was like “No, it’s me!” But like with anything that we do, they’re really supportive and really excited about it. And kind of a bit worried that we’re obviously off grid for five weeks, two months before our wedding. So, I’ve put some responsibilities to my mother, that she’s got to answer some of the questions because obviously when we come back, there are seven weeks till the wedding and some decisions need to be made. So it’s a lot of pressure. Most of it is done. It’s just the odd bits. But yeah they’re really excited about it and supporting us through it.

Scott: When I told my mom she was like “What, no phone?” I was like “I mean, that’s the idea. To kind of switch off.” But it took my mum a while to get her head around it.

Has being a public figure impacted the way that you travel?

Scott: Only I think in the way that you can afford to go on nice holidays, I’m not a flash person at all, but the one thing I probably do spend my money on is holidays, that’s important downtime for me. We go on lots of holidays together but we also go with our families quite a lot as well.

Sam, what’s it like having a famous fiancé?

Sam: Obviously, it allows me to do amazing things like this, and travel the world and go to amazing places and great events.

Scott: You just generally forget and that’s kind of how I like it.

Sam: When we go to places outside of London, if we go back to my home in Wales, if we go to Cardiff for food – people will stop Scott. You kind of remember then. And I think also because Scott’s on the radio, that people will naturally just hear the voice. So, if we’re sat somewhere and we’ve been sat there for a while, just looking at the menu, and then we start talking – the table next to us will then glance up because they recognise the voice.

Scott: If I go for a night out with Rylan, I love him very much, he’s one of my best friends but I couldn’t deal with his fame. We have to have an emergency exit wherever we go if it’s too much. Let’s be honest and I would say this to his face, he does invite it: the teeth, the hair, the everything. But that is not for me. And that’s also why I think, me and him get on because we are polar opposites. But I don’t want to be a celebrity where you have to work out where the escape plan is if it all gets too much. Of course, he loves it. But I see this a lot with him and I’m like, that’s not for me.

Do you think celebrity matters when you’re undertaking this kind of this challenge?

Scott: I very much doubt it. No, I don’t think it will at all. I think that things like this are a good leveller as well, for people to just go “Do you know what, a few people know you in the UK, the worlds massive. Unless you’re an international film or pop star it doesn’t really matter, does it?

What will be the most surprising thing viewers will learn about you?

Scott: The thing is on the radio it is you but it’s the best version of you. It’s you at a party. Now, you can’t be like that 24/7, that’s exhausting so I think that people will see the real me. The thing is with radio as well is that it’s so personal. There are people who have listened to me for years, or grown up with me. You’re a voice there every single day so people, unlike television maybe, people really feel like they know you. But they don’t really because they’re only getting three hours. And they’re getting the best of you for three hours every day. But you feel like a friend to them.

People will see the ‘actually I’m a bit tired today or I’m in a bit of a mood or I’ve got a headache or this is all quite a lot to take in’. You never see that side of me because it’s not there on the radio. So, I’m looking forward to people seeing me as an actual person.

Where would be your dream destination to race through?

Sam: I think last year was quite good because you had all the different aspects. You had hot weather, you had cold weather, so you kind of experienced all the elements. So, I think places that will challenge us. But for me, it’s just experiencing different places that I would never go to.

If there’s one thing that you hope that this race will change about you or your relationship what would it be?

Scott: Just to live in the moment a bit more I think.

Sam: Even if we don’t win, and we get to that finish line, at least we’ve got to that finish line together. And the decisions that we’ve made are together. So, I think in the year that we’re getting married, and doing this challenge, it’s just to cement us as a relationship even stronger. Hopefully!

Scott: You see we don’t even really argue we have disagreements and are a bit snappy and tired but we don’t argue. So, I’m interested to see if that remains the same.