Who are Anita Rani and Balvinder Singh Nazran? Meet Celebrity Race Across the World 2025 contestants
Celebrity Race Across the World is back with another adventure-filled episode as the pairs travel from a Caribbean island through a series of checkpoints on their way to the finish line in Colombia’s Peninsula de La Guajira – known as the gateway to South America.
As with previous seasons of the show, the celebs are given a budget of the price of plane ticket if they were to fly the same route, which this time around sees them surviving on as a little as £30 a day – one of the smallest budgets the show has seen to date. They are also not allowed access to smart phones or the internet to help them navigate their journey.
Hoping to surpass the other celeb pairs and reach the finish line first are Anita Rani and Balvinder ‘Bal’ Singh Nazran. Here’s everything you need to know about the duo ahead of the first episode of Celebrity Race Across the World.
Who are Anita and Bal?
Anita Rani and Balvinder Singh Nazran. BBC/Studio Lambert
Relationship: Father and daughter
From: Bradford
Jobs: Radio and television presenter and semi-retired businessman
Instagram: @itsanitarani
Anita Rani is a radio and television presenter, best known for co-presenting Countryfile for the past 10 years and for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour which she has presented since 2021. In 2015, the 47-year-old appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and made it as far as the semi-final.
She will be taking part in the race alongside her 69-year-old dad Balvinder Singh Nazran, who is a semi-retired businessman.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, Anita shared that the father and daughter duo had their first bicker only an hour into the race after she “ran into the road” according to Bal.
“The cameras were rolling and Dad was telling me off about something and I turned into teenage me, stomping and pouting,” said Anita.
Why did Anita and Bal want to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World?
Anita said her dad signed up to do the race so they could spend valued time together travelling, something they missed out on when she was young.
“We didn’t really do holidays as kids, because my parents were too busy working. I don’t think Dad had much choice [about signing up]!” she told Radio Times magazine.
Bal added: “She said, ‘Dad, are you up for an adventure?’ I presumed it was a weekend away, but I’m not afraid of adventures and I wanted to get to know Anita better. We’re very similar: outgoing and independent, with the same sense of humour.”
Celebrity Race Across the World returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Thursday 6th November at 8pm.
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