Roman and Harleymoon Kemp Reveal the Secret Chaos Behind Their Celebrity Race Across the World Victory — From Tarantulas to Near-Disaster at Sea

They crossed Central America, outran rivals by mere seconds, slept beside tarantulas, and even survived a storm strong enough to capsize a boat. But now that the cameras have stopped rolling, Roman and Harleymoon Kemp are finally revealing the truth about  Celebrity Race Across the World’s most chaotic, emotional and downright dangerous hidden moments.

The sibling duo — and surprise champions of the 2025 series — say the show viewers watched on BBC One only scratched the surface.

“Some of the scariest things that happened… didn’t even make it to air,” Harleymoon admitted.

 A Win They Never Expected — And Nearly Gave Away

The Kemps only won one leg of the entire race — the final one. And even that came down to heart-stopping seconds.

Harleymoon confessed she never believed victory was theirs:

“On the first night, I honestly thought Roman wouldn’t make it.”

Meanwhile, Roman said he struggled with the same sinking feeling he had on I’m A Celebrity:

“You just have to survive the first couple of nights.”

And in a surprising twist, Roman said that if their final sprint to the finish had been against fellow racers Dylan Llewellyn and his mum Jackie:

“I probably would’ve let them win. It would’ve been a horrible moral choice… but I love them.”

 Terrifying Nights: Spider-Infested Beds and a Jungle ‘Chicken Shed’

One of the most shocking unseen moments came early in the race, when the siblings stayed at a remote Guatemala ecolodge.

To viewers, it looked idyllic.

In reality?

“It was basically a chicken shed in the jungle,” Harleymoon revealed.
“The beds were covered in bugs. Spiders everywhere. We even saw a tarantula outside the door.”

Roman compared it to the horrors of I’m A Celebrity — but worse:

“There were tarantulas in our beds. Actual tarantulas.”

 A Storm at Sea — and the Moment Roman Thought They Might Die

As teams raced toward Colombia, they were banned from crossing the deadly Darien Gap — forcing the Kemps into a 9.5-hour boat journey during a violent storm.

Roman didn’t sugar-coat it:

“It was one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever done. And I’ve skydived and bungee jumped.”

He held onto Harleymoon’s life jacket the entire way.

“If we go over, I’ve got you. I can swim. That’s what I kept telling myself.”

 Rows, Breakdown Buses, and a Near Fight With a Ticket Clerk

For all their closeness, the siblings admitted they weren’t always the ones clashing.

One un-aired moment involved a bus that broke down before leaving a car park — and a ticket clerk who refused a refund.

Roman laughed as he recalled:

“Harley was nearly punching the bloke behind the desk. And honestly — it was a fair argument.”

Another confrontation happened during a frantic search for a checkpoint:

“This man asked us, ‘What’s it worth to you?’ while we were running for our lives,” Roman said.
“I wanted to hit him — obviously I wouldn’t — but in my brain? Oh my God.”

 Harleymoon’s Medical Emergency That Never Aired

One of the darkest moments was completely hidden from viewers.

On a remote island in Guna Yala, where only one family lived, Harleymoon experienced severe pain in the night.

“The pain was so bad I went blind. I was crawling on the floor trying to find the medic,” she said.
“It lasted all night. That’s why I wasn’t in the next scene.”

 A Finale Decided by Six Seconds

At one point, Tyler West and Molly Rainford were literally steps ahead of the Kemps.
They even boarded a boat six seconds before Roman and Harleymoon.

Then fate intervened.

Their boat’s motor stalled.

The Kemps sprinted up a rocky path and scribbled their names into the check-in book just seconds before their rivals appeared over the hill.

 How the Race Changed Them Forever

Since the show ended, Harleymoon has turned off all notifications. No Instagram. No WhatsApp.

“The race grounded me,” she said.

Roman agreed:

“You realise how much of life is noise — things that don’t matter. There are so many kinds of happiness we forget even exist.”

And despite the chaos, danger, illness and close calls, one thing has stayed with both of them:

“I hope we keep seeing each other more,” Harleymoon told her brother.

It seems that, for the Kemps, the real journey didn’t end at the finish line.