The VERY amicable exes Racing Across The World: Divorcée teams up with former husband of 31 years for incredible experiment - after living in his 'cupboard under the stairs' when her new partner died
- Yin and Gaz were among the contestants starting their journey in China
- READ MORE: Race Across the World winner Alfie Watts dubbed a 'legend'
Most people wouldn't want to be left alone in a room around the world with their ex - let alone stay in a cheap hostels while travelling the globe with them.
But that's exactly what one separated couple on Race Across the World has set out to do.
The award-winning BBC series, in which five teams are challenged to make their way from the starting point - which this year is the Wall of China - is back. Pairs in the running must make their way to the finish line at the southernmost tip of India, Kanniyakumari; a near through 14,000km trek.
With no smartphones and bank cards to help them, contestants are armed only with the basics, including a map and cash equivalent to the flight; in this case, £1,140.
And Gaz, 54- who has been living with his ex-wife Yin, 54, while helping her grieve the loss of her partner after their divorce - is among the contestants.
The duo - who also have a daughter together and were married for 31 years - have known each other for nearly four decades, and used to have a takeaway business.
And while it 'may sound weird', they say there is no one else the couple could tackle this adventure with.
'I wouldn't probably do this with anyone other than Yin,' Gaz said.
Gaz, 54- who has been living with his ex-wife Yin, 54, while helping her grieve the loss of her partner after their divorce - is among the contestants
The duo - who also have a daughter together and were married for 31 years - have known each other for nearly four decades, and used to have a takeaway business
'I know that sounds weird, because we're not together, we're not husband and wife but we're still best mates. And I think even now, could I do this with my brother? No. Could I do this with any other mates? No. And Yin was pretty much the same.'
Yin explained that when she saw an advert for the series, she asked her ex to join her.
'In that moment thought, you know what? I really want to do that,' she revealed.
'The last year has been quite a personal journey for me. Gaz and I, although we used to be married, we've been separated for about three years. And then when we split up, I found another partner, but he passed away suddenly in September.
'The last year has been tough, but one of the things that Chris gave me was a real sense of adventure, and he really liked traveling. We talked a lot about traveling and so when this came along I thought why not, something inside me made me fill out the application form.'
Gaz decided he was game for joining Yin, and 'before they knew it, the journey had begun'.
And while it 'may sound weird', they say there is no one else the couple could tackle this adventure with
Yin has added that she sees the experience as a 'gift' from her late partner, Chris.
'I know he's gone, but I do think that he has had a meddling hat in this. He would be laughing hysterically but also cheering us on, wishing he was there, seeing all the different things and getting the new experiences,' she remarked.
'This whole process so far has also been a vehicle for us to talk about when we were married, but in a really nice way.'
Yin and Gaz first met in the 80s, and say they 'fell in love pretty quickly after working together'.
The 'rave culture' aesthetics at the time meant Gaz was sporting long hair and a goatee when he met Yin's very 'traditional' Chinese parents.
'They said to me, "why have you brought a drug dealer into our house",' she chuckled while recounting the memory in the first episode of the show, as the contestants must make their way to the first checkpoint in the stunning ancient Chinese region of Hunangling.
'I did look a bit like a dodgy character,' he admitted.
'Gaz was a great husband, a brilliant husband,' Yin reflected, when speaking of their past romance. 'He's my best friend now, but at the time of the marriage break up I probably hated him!'
Yin and Gaz first met each other in the 80s, and say they 'fell in love pretty quickly after working together'
Explaining their eventual split three years ago, Gaz said that 'little elements of their relationship deteriorated' and they 'became two separate people living in a house together'.
'Before you know it there's no going back,' he concluded.
'I still get people saying to me, "are you and Gaz going to get back together?" Absolutely not!' she laughed.
Yin has been living in a cupboard under the stairs at Gaz's place - but hopes doing the show together will help her find her own path.
'I've been staying with Gaz for coming up to a year now so I know that at some stage in the future, I need to move out. We're not married,' she expressed.
'And I think, what I'm hoping is that I'll gain in confidence, and that race will show that we can always rely on each other and that Gaz is always going to be there as a safety net and a support.'
'We have been through a lot of good experiences in our life and our marriage but also a lot of bad experiences,' Gaz agreed.
'I don’t think anything that the race throws at us can be as good or as bad as potentially what's happened in the past. I hope it will give us a zest for life as we are getting on a little bit.'
Yin has been living in a cupboard under the stairs at Gaz's place - but hopes doing the show together will help her find her own path
At one point during the first episode, they even joke about finding Gaz a wife while on their travels
The exes also say that their daughter is 'really proud of them'.
'She's been there from day one, when Yin applied,' Gaz said.
And while the pair have split, it's clear that they still joke around like an old married couple - with Gaz saying he hopes Yin 'lets him spend money'.
Yin, meanwhile, fondly remarked how her ex is 'impulsive and doesn't shut up'.
'They are also some of the best things about him though,' she added.
At one point during the first episode, they even joke about finding Gaz a wife while on their travels.
'I think there’s something quite nice about testing your resilience, and the older you get, you obviously get used to a more comfortable lifestyle, and I suppose it's that kind of "do I still have that in me"?' Yin said.
'And ultimately, I just think it's going to be quite a laugh. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm doing it with my best mate. I know I'm going to have a real laugh and a really good time.'
The pair are also happy to make a 'great memory for their daughter'.
'She’ll see us as us, and not as mum and dad. She’ll see how we interact in the wider community and she can show her children and their children, long after we’ve gone,' Yin continued.
'We’ll always look back on it as we’ve done it together, as best friends, its so unique and will be such a wonderful story,' Gaz added.
'It's not lost on us that were very lucky. It's a memory that will stay with us forever.
