Alfie Watts impressed the nation in 2024 when he gained Race Throughout The World together with his buddy Owen Wooden, trekking from northernmost Japan to the Indonesian island of Lombok.
Now, the 22-year-old, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, is about to embark on his newest journey problem – driving a tuk-tuk from London all the way in which to Norway to boost £100,000 for YoungMinds, a psychological well being charity.
The journey begins on Could 24 and can see Alfie journey by 12 totally different nations throughout 30 days.
And now, the TV star – who has spent the final 18 months planning the journey – tells the Day by day Mail why this problem is ‘quite a bit more durable’ than the much-loved BBC present.
‘On the finish of the day, every thing falls on my head,’ Alfie explains. ‘If the undertaking does not work, it falls on my head. If we do not elevate as a lot cash as I need to, no person’s going to clearly criticise it, however that also falls on my head.’
He admits he feels ‘much more accountability’ this time round.
‘Earlier than I simply went – there have been digicam crews there for me, I wasn’t in command of them, I wasn’t paying them, I used to be simply there,’ he explains.
‘However this very a lot seems like I am proudly owning my very own version of Race Throughout The World, and legal responsibility is mine.’
Race Throughout The World winner Alfie Watts (pictured) is about to embark on his subsequent journey journey – driving a tuk-tuk from London to Norway
The TV star’s remaining vacation spot will probably be North Cape, in Norway (pictured)
As a part of the problem, Alfie is taking the scenic route from London to Norway in his tuk-tuk, travelling throughout Germany and Poland, then by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, earlier than heading up by Sweden and Finland to the North Cape.
The journey is ‘about 700 miles longer’ than essentially the most direct route, he says, however will probably be ‘rather more rewarding’.
Alfie hopes to ‘cowl as many cultures and many alternative nations’ as attainable, whereas ‘elevating consciousness concerning the ever-present points round psychological well being that younger folks face on a regular basis’.
‘It is much like Race Throughout The World within the sense that I’ll be going by loads of nations, shifting at fairly a heavy velocity, speaking to folks, having deep conversations and issues like that,’ he provides.
However there isn’t any comparability in terms of price.
Alfie and Owen got simply £1,390 every to get all of them the way in which from Japan to Lombok through the TV collection. ‘We had been on a correct price range,’ Alfie says.
His tuk-tuk journey, nevertheless, has include a ‘bone-shaking’ price ticket of £55,000 – excess of the £12,000 he initially anticipated.
‘It is a very costly problem,’ he admits. ‘Sponsors like eSIM supplier Airalo and M&S have been a giant assist, but it surely’s nonetheless costing us quite a bit out of our personal pockets.
The avid traveller hopes to elevate £100,000 for YoungMinds, a psychological well being charity
He thinks the problem will probably be each ‘comparable and totally different’ to his Race Throughout The World journey
‘However I see it as an funding. I consider it’s the precise factor to do.’
Main bills embody a cameraman, comply with automotive and editor again house. Insuring the tuk-tuk has additionally proved tough, with solely a handful of firms keen to cowl such an uncommon car.
That’s maybe unsurprising, given Alfie describes tuk-tuks as ‘very poorly engineered’ and ‘not very superior’, with loads of scope for issues to go flawed over the 200-mile-a-day plan.
‘Every little thing may go flawed,’ he says. ‘The tuk-tuk may break down, I do not know what number of spare components we will discover for a tuk-tuk in Germany!
‘The comply with automotive may break down too. That is much less of an issue, however most likely extra seemingly.’
Fortunately, Alfie has taken a crash course in fundamental repairs.
‘We’ve given ourselves sufficient time that if one thing does go flawed and we’d like a selected half, we are able to have it shipped to us and nonetheless get again on observe,’ he says. ‘And whereas they’re not refined, tuk-tuks are constructed to maintain going – they will journey 1000’s of miles throughout India.’
Nonetheless, he acknowledges the dangers. ‘There might be incidents on the street. We might be pulled over for being too sluggish. There’s a lot that may go flawed.’
Alfie additionally reveals how the journey will price a ‘bone-shaking’ £55,000
In the end, although, it’s the folks he’s most enthusiastic about.
‘I can’t wait to stroll right into a bar in Poland, discover somebody who speaks English, and have a dialog about how psychological well being differs from London to wherever we’re,’ he says.
Alfie has deliberate nightly stops, reserving lodging upfront at every stage of the journey.
As soon as the problem is full, the staff will tow the tuk-tuk again to the UK.
‘We’ll drive to Norway with a trailer,’ he explains, ‘then fly out extra drivers to deliver it house.’
And, with the Race Throughout The World finale airing on BBC One tonight, Alfie will little doubt be tuning in for inspiration forward of his personal problem.
He finishes: ‘This has all come from Race Throughout The World – that wanderlust, that need to journey and to consider in what we’re doing. All of it stemmed from the present.’
