Road Trip: A Christmas Road Trip

Road Trip: A Christmas Road Trip (commonly known as A Christmas Road Trip) is the twentieth season of the travel reality competition show devised by SJ productions. The show follows a group of individuals travelling around in a select number of recreational vehicles (RV's) from a starting point to a finishing point across a predetermined route. At each city/town pit-stop, the group compete in either an individual or team-based immunity challenge to win the role of 'tour leader'. The worst performing individual in each challenge is put up for 'repatriation', along with another individual of the tour leader's choosing. Everyone other than the three stated cast a vote in the deliberation for who they wish to repatriate, with the individual receiving the most votes kicked-off the road trip. When only two road trippers remain, a jury consisting of the last seven eliminated players vote for who they wish to win the £50,000 prize. The series is hosted by Big Brother UK alumni Lincoln Mackenzie (Season 1 & All-Stars) and Sinead McGrath (Season 2 & All-Stars).

This season acts as a Christmas-special as well as the twentieth edition of the show. Due to its festive nature, the season takes place solely in Lapland, Finland and spans just 8 episodes (with a reduced cast of 10 players). The winner of the season was Croydon Levi, defeating Richard Tennant in a 6-2 vote to become Champion of the Road Trip.

Although this season chronologically takes place after the first nineteen seasons; it was the fifth season written and published to coincide with the 2021 Christmas period.

Voting History
Key
 * This person won the challenge and became the tour leader.
 * This person was safe during the episode and cast a vote for who to eliminate.
 * This person was safe during the episode but did not cast a vote for who to eliminate.
 * This person finished last in the challenge and was therefore automatically nominated for repatriation and remained on the road trip.
 * This person was nominated by the tour leader for repatriation and remained on the road trip.
 * This person finished last in the daily challenge and ultimately eliminated in the repatriation vote.
 * This person was nominated by the tour leader and ultimately eliminated in the repatriation vote.
 * This person was ejected from the tour without any repatriation vote.

Game Summary
^¹ Group 1 was randomly generated to include Birgitta, Croydon, Juliette, Jürgen and Kailani.

^² Group 2 was randomly generated to include Arianna, Beth, Pilar, Robbie and Richard.

Episode #1 - Wonderful Christmas Time
The episode begins with a joint narration from Lincoln and Sinead; "Twas several weeks before Christmas, when all through the RV, ten brand new road trippers were stirring, to give us some good f***ing TV." The ten new players commence their experience by entering the Tornio Church one-by-one. Europeans Birgitta and Juliette are quick to bond during the welcome meeting, having both travelled to one another's native countries (Sweden and France). Birgitta also shows off her fluency in French, using the discrepency of the language to joke that the two of them can be "Blondes until the end". Throughout the remainder of the welcome meeting, Pilar seems particularly excited, calling on Lincoln and Sinead to "bring out the Mulled wine", despite being in a church. Lincoln and Sinead announce to the group that given they're in Finnish winter, a professional driver has been hired to drive the delux RV from location to location this season, giving extra protection should they run into any difficult weather. The group are escorted into the RV where they meet their driver; Niklas (aptly dressed like Father Christmas). The RV undertakes a short drive to the Tornio Museum, with Croydon entertaining and pleasing the whole group with his rendition of 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas', showing off his vocal skills and getting the entire group involved.

In the final minutes of the drive, fluent Spanish-speakers Arianna and Pilar bond over their shared interests, with Arianna eager to hear more about Pilar's lavish-lifestyle in Mexico. Pilar jokes that the secret to finding happiness is to first aquire a rich man, promising to visit London and set Arianna up with a 'nice gentleman'. Arianna admits that the only thing that would make her Portugease parents more happy than her finding a husband, would be finding a 'rich husband'. As the group head into the Tornio Museum, they are given a quick tour of the history of Tornio, and how such a region was able to become habitable for life following the most-recent Ice Age around 12,000 years previous. Arianna and Pilar both jokingly remark that they should 'ask Birgitta to verify that fact', sniggering between themselves at their perhaps harsh humour. Some tension arises between Kailani and Richard during the tour, after Richard supposedly steps on the train of Kailani's christmas cloak 'several times'. Kailani openly scolds Richard, stating that she has noticed him do it multiple times. Despite Richard's attempts to apologise, Kailani remains angered, asking him to walk ahead if he's incapable of not stepping on her belongings. In a confessional, Richard calls Kailani a 'diva', laughing as he notes "she thinks she's the Queen of Christmas, but she's no Mariah Carey". Lincoln and Sinead wait for the group after they've thanked the museum guide, standing with a large bowl full of ten Christmas baubles; on each one written one of the ten contestants names. Lincoln and Sinead take turns drawing the names, with those drawn by Lincoln being 'Team 1' and those by Sinead 'Team 2'. Jürgen, Kailani, Birgitta, Juliette and Croydon are drawn by Lincoln, whilst Arianna, Beth, Richard, Robbie and Pilar are drawn by Sinead.

After drawing names, the group are told that they will participate in a team daily challenge, with the winning team all earning immunity from the first repatriation, whilst the losing team will all be nominated. The ten road trippers head into a nearby room that has been cleared for their participation. Inside, they are informed that each team will be given ten minutes each to play the popular Christmas game 'charades', in which the team who manages to score the most points will be declared the winner of the daily challenge. For Group 1, both Juliette and Croydon do terribly, failing to act out their respective rounds, and ultimately both failing to guess anyone elses charades during the ten minutes. An argument breaks out between Jürgen and Kailani during the round, with Jürgen guessing some answers in his native German (whilst trying to think of the English translation), much to the annoyance of Kailani, who calls him out for "timewasting" with "stupid answers". Jürgen openly shouts at Kailani to "shut up" in return, pointing out that he finds her attitude less than helpful. Despite Birgitta, Jürgen and Kailani all managing to score a point each, the group leave feeling less than confident with their overall performance. Similarly, both Arianna and Richard do poorly for Group 2, failing to score any points during the ten minute period. Beth and Pilar each manage to score a point, whilst Robbie is the top scorer of the day with two points acquired during the round. Thanks to Robbie's good performance, Group 2 are declared the winners with four points to three (a result that both Lincoln and Sinead say would not find any of them as first picks for family charades this year). With the results, Birgitta, Croydon, Juliette, Jürgen and Kailani are all nominated for the first repatriation.

Feeling tense after the challenge, all ten road trippers sit down to an evening meal courtesy of a local restaurant. Over dinner, Croydon and Richard bond and laugh at their mutual failed performances in the challenge, although Croydon tells Richard he has nothing to worry about given his team won. Richard is frank in admitting that he's almost certain he knows who he'll be voting for, noting that Kailani's personality has already caused her to butt heads with several others in just four hours of starting the trip. Croydon appreciates this, thanking Richard for looking out for him and requesting that he speaks to the rest of his team to keep votes off him, which Richard agrees to. On the other side of the table, Robbie openly celebrates his score being the highest of the day, joking that he is to thank for the days result. Birgitta becomes increasingly frustrated by this, ultimately shutting Robbie down by telling him that 'gloating' isn't a likeable trait, pointing out that nobody else on his team has acted in this way and that to suceed in the game he needs to show grace in victory. Robbie seems nervous in this moment, choosing not to reply, instead complaining in a confessional that Birgitta came off like a "bitter teacher", and that he's sure she's just nervous she'll be leaving the tour first. Birgitta is comforted by Juliette, who whispers to her that they just have to remain calm with the loss and take the result as it comes. However, before anybody can continue talking, Lincoln and Sinead stand to make an announcement. They let the group know that the five daily winners will be the only five to vote in the first repatriation, but that they will only vote between two of the losing team. Sinead confirms that the five losers will take part in an individual challenge the following day, in which the top three will earn themselves immunity, whilst the bottom two will both be nominated, with one of those two being the first to leave the Christmas Road Trip.

Episode #2 - Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
On the first evening of the road trip, the ten contestants are driven thirty minutes southwest to the town of Kemi. On the short drive, young cast members Arianna and Juliette bond over their mutual love of dating shows. The girls joke that this cast wouldn't be suitable for a dating season, with the only 'of age and single' man being Croydon. Juliette jokes that if there's enough alcohol she'll happily hook up with a woman, to which Arianna in a confessional jokingly suggests would be more successful, as the women "far outweigh the men this season on looks". The road trippers arrive at their overnight location, which they are ecstatic to see is Kemi's famed Snow Castle, the largest snow fort anywhere in the world. Lincoln and Sinead tell the group that they'll need to pair up for rooms, leaving it necessary for one man and one woman to couple up (whilst the rest can pair up with somebody of the same gender). Beth naturally is selected as the 'man' to pair up, happily accepting Birgitta's proposal that they share as the 'mature ladies' of the tour (which Beth corrects her as being "the 'MILFs'"). Niklas helps the group bring their bags inside the Snow Castle, giving them time to settle in before the losing group from the previous daily compete for one final chance at avoiding the first repatriation.

In their room, Kailani and Pilar are joined by Arianna (who is sharing with Juliette next door). The three girls get comfortable on the fur blankets, taking their time to socialise and talk through their expecations for the remainder of the day. Kailani admits her nerves to the two girls that if she's unable to win immunity that she could very easily be the first to leave the road trip. Despite her fears, both Arianna and Pilar claim to have no intentions of voting her out, requiring just one more to hold a majority. After some more talking, Pilar confesses that she feels closest to the two girls, and that it would be in their best interest to align as a power trio for the remainder of the game. Both Arianna and Kailani agree, jokingly calling themselves the 'Three Christmas Spirits' as an alliance name. In a confessional, Kailani claims to feel more confident now she's found a "solid alliance", but notes that she needs to work on either Beth or Robbie to secure her safety should she lose, believing there to be no chance that Richard would do anything but vote her off given the opportunity. Down the coridoor, mixed-sex roomates Beth and Birgitta laugh together as Beth 'de-drags' in order to shower, admitting that she'd rather be 'a boy' for the remainder of the day as she's not competing. Birgitta asks Beth what pronouns/names should she use for her out of drag, to which Beth tells her he/she/Beth/Queen of Christmas are all acceptable, much to Birgitta's amusement. Birgitta opens up to Beth about her closeness with Juliette, feeling as though the three of them could be a strong group, which Beth agrees with. However, Birgitta confesses to being nervous with the amount of time that Juliette has spent with Arianna, with her fears only growing now that they're roomates. Beth concurs with this fear, claiming that she gets gameplayer vibes off Arianna. The two 'MILFs' later head to Juliette's room, wanting to both check in on her and keep her from socialising too much with Arianna.

The next morning, the road trippers awaken to the loud sound of singing throughout the coridoors of the Snow Castle, resulting in complaints from several members who had hoped for a slight lay-in. Tempers rise after it is discovered that the source of the singing is none other than Beth, who decided that 8:00am would be the perfect time to practice her 'Christmas caberet' act. Despite Beth's intentions being to make individuals laugh, it is apparent that the entire group feel soured towards her as a result of the noise. After breakfast, the previous daily winners are taken to a seating area outside where they're each given blankets and hot chocolate to keep warm, being joined by Lincoln and Sinead who tell them they'll be grateful to just be 'observers' for this daily challenge. Pilar sits next to and snuggles into Richard (in a purely platonic manner), thanking him for helping her keep warm in the Finnish winter. Richard and Pilar quietly discuss who they'd like to see win the challenge today, to which they answer Croydon and Kailani respectively. Unbeknownst to the other, both individuals speak positively about their preferred choice, trying to influence them to not consider voting that person out should they be unable to win this challenge and avoid facing repatriation. Robbie pipes up and jokes that due to their poor showing in the previous daily, both Richard and Arianna should be on "hot chocolate run", refilling the others' cups during the challenge. Although Richard laughs this remark off, Arianna is less forgiving, calling Robbie an 'ass', telling him that he "doesn't need another woman to put him in his place for the second time in twenty-four hours". Robbie complains that Arianna clearly 'cannot take a joke', but Arianna requests that if he wants her to laugh that he "actually be funny" next time. The five currently nominated players join the group outside, standing in a designated 'challenge area' where they wait to hear the rules from Lincoln and Sinead.

Lincoln and Sinead inform the five players that their challenge is simply to build a 1.8 metre tall snowman, with each of them provided with two stick-arms, coal, a carrot, a scarf, a top hat and a metre long ruler. Sinead states that the only rules are that their snowman must resemble a typical depiction of a snowman (using all their items) and that they may not interefere with each other's snowmen. However, Lincoln confirms the catch is that two high-powered fans will be blasting the fivesome from either side, blowing snow and cold air directly onto them to make the task even harder. The first three to finish will be given immunity, with the two losers facing-off in the first repatriation vote. As the challenge begins, all five are clearly shocked by the ferocity of the fans, stalling them in building their snowmen. The competitors are cheered on by the five onlookers, all hoping for different outcomes based on who they've bonded with thus far. Birgitta, Jürgen and Kailani get off to an early start, but it quickly proves apparent that Jürgen's snowman is too top-heavy, causing it to collapse on itself, putting his progress in last place. In panic, Jürgen charges to gather more snow, 'accidentally' slamming into Kailani, knocking them both to the ground and causing her to drop some snow. A stunned Kailani begins shouting at Jürgen, calling him out for "shoving a woman", which he chooses to ignore rather than entertain another mid-challenge argument with her. Despite this setback, Kailani is able to continue her progress and finish her snowman in second place behind Birgitta, granting both women immunity as they head over cold and dishevelled to join the other five onlookers. Of the final three, Juliette's calmer approach proves more effective, enabling her to beat out Croydon and Jürgen (who is never able to recover from his snowman collapsing), leaving both men to face the first repatriation. Beth overly celebrates Juliette's victory, glad to see his friend and ally (through Birgitta) safe, picking her up and running around the snow with her in her arms whilst she laughs.

Whilst Lincoln talks through both Croydon and Jürgen facing the votes, Kailani can be heard audibly scolding Jürgen under her breath to Pilar and Robbie. Despite both individuals trying to calm her down, Lincoln asks an irritated Kailani if she's alright, leading to a sudden rant aimed towards Jürgen, in which Kailani calls him 'a bitch' and 'a man who shoves women', pleading with those eligible to vote to "send his punk ass home". Jürgen nervously defends himself, insisting that it was a mistake running into her, and that she needs to stop 'attacking' him in challenges. Kailani puts her hand up to Jürgen without looking at him, telling him to enjoy the challenge because "it'll be (his) last one". With that, Sinead tells the group that they'll have just a few hours to determine their votes to repatriate between Croydon and Jürgen (with only Arianna, Beth, Pilar, Richard and Robbie eligible to vote). In this time, Richard continues campaigning for day one friend Croydon, which is noticed by Arianna, who decides to stir the pot by passing this information onto Jürgen. Jürgen is irritated by Richard, telling Arianna that he to has had an issue with Kailani, and that together they could have worked against her. Despite comforting Jürgen, Arianna admits in a confessional that she isn't fussed about the result, and instead wants to keep the men from teaming up. Shortly after 1:00pm, the sun sets over Kemi, with the ten individuals gathering around a winter campfire outside the Snow Castle. One-by-one, the five eligible individuals hang their baubles onto the Road Trip Christmas Tree, with the bauble featuring the name of the individual they'd like to repatriate. In a 4-1 result, Richard and Croydon's campaigning (as well as the awkwardness around shovegate) are enough to eliminate Jürgen, with only Arianna throwing a pity-vote against Croydon. A disappointed Jürgen stands by Lincoln, who then reveals a shocking twist; all eliminated players this season will make up the jury, meaning Jürgen (despite his short stay) will have a say in who wins the Christmas Road Trip. Kailani's smile somewhat fades with this announcement, irritated to know it isn't the last she's had to see of him. Jürgen packs his things and exists the Snow Castle, leaving just nine other competitors inside to sleep within its icey walls.

Episode #3 - Four Walls of Sugar and Flour
The morning after Jürgen's repatriation, the entire group pack their belongings and leave the Snow Castle for the RV station outside. Allies Kailani and Pilar are the first two into the RV, soon being joined by Robbie who takes his seat next to the two women. Fearing for ally Arianna after her public spat with Robbie the previous day, Pilar uses the opportunity to bond with Robbie, with Kailani also involved in the conversation in order to move his attention elsewhere in the game. Both women spend the conversation telling Robbie that he should hang out with the two of them ("plus Arianna") more, claiming that the younger people on the tour need to stick together. In a confessional, Robbie talks about being a 'free agent' in the game, believing that at this stage he's willing to work with anyone should they make him a good enough offer. As the conversation draws to a close, the other six members of the road trip join the trio inside the RV, with Niklas driving them three hours East to the municipality of Posio. Pilar openly lauds over Juliette's winter attire, calling her "sexy snow queen" over and over much to everyone's amusement. Juliette is more than happy to accept these compliments, as Pilar goes on to claim that "we need to normalise telling people they look hot without it being sexual".

Throughout the three hour journey, the group continue bonding and getting more comfortable with one another. Croydon openly decides to question Beth on her 'morning cabaret', which once again this morning woke up several members within the Snow Castle. Beth laughs at the questioning, eager to talk about how she rises every morning with "a show tune". However, Croydon scolds Beth by suggesting that such behaviour isn't 'tour friendly', going on to claim "that behaviour will get you voted out next". This threat isn't taken well by Beth, who sarcastically remarks that Croydon must be threatened by somebody "with a more soulful voice". The pair continue to bicker, causing Birgitta to speak up and take ally Beth's side, asking Croydon why he's causing conflict without reason. Both Birgitta and Beth remark that Croydon is 'trying to be the Christmas villain', and that he should be more careful as he's "the only person on the tour who has shown to be capable of losing two challenges". In her confessional, Beth declares regret in voting against Jürgen rather than Croydon, expressing worry that he could be trying to paint her as the easy target for the next vote. Arriving in Posio, the nine contestants meet with Lincoln and Sinead who explain that they'll be wrapping up and heading on a winter walk through Riisitunturi National Park, viewing the forrests frozen snow-covered trees and walls of frozen ice. Robbie assists Juliette as they walk around the park, noting that her 'sexy snow queen' outfit is hardly appropriate for walking through shin-deep snow. Juliette appreciates the help from Robbie, feeling as though her kind manner has quickly made her one of the more popular players in the game. Robbie opens up to Juliette about his ex-girlfriend having hailed from Canada, demonstrating his mild-grasp on French that he's retained from their dating, with Juliette helping him with his pronunciation.

After the winter walk through the snow forest, the final nine are led by Lincoln and Sinead to a nearby lodge where they'll be spending the night as well as using to compete in their next daily challenge. The group find nine gingerbread house sets laid out on tables, as well as an assortment of decorative sweet-treats and icing. Sinead explains that each contestant will have one hour to build a gingerbread house, which will then be judged by a local gingerbread house-building champion. The individual with the best house will be declared the winner, choosing who to nominate against the individual deemed to have made the worst structure. As the challenge commences, Beth admits to being nervous, noting she does more eating than cooking around Christmas, with Kailani and youngest-player Robbie also fearing for their chances given that they've never tried making a gingerbread house before. Alternatively, mum of two Birgitta and self-described 'Yulephile' Richard fancy their chances, also noticing that Croydon seems to be doing much better than in previous tasks. As the challenge draws to a close, both Kailani and Robbie seem to be in a panic as their structures collapse, leaving them hardly any time to fix their houses. Unsurprisingly, Arianna, Juliette and Pilar are declared 'safe', leaving the other six as the highest and lowest of the challenge. Lincoln announces Beth's messy but stable house to be in seventh place, with Kailani just edging out Robbie for eighth place after her house was seen to be neater, automatically placing last-place Robbie up for repatriation. Sinead calls out the judge to have given third place to gingerbread novice Croydon, and the win ultimately going to Richard over Birgitta. Richard is asked to immediately name his nominee to face-off against Robbie, to which he selects Kailani, claiming to have selected the person who finished second from the bottom. However, Kailani laughs this reason off, telling Richard to instead blame it on their argument and 'mutual dislike' for one another.

Kailani and Robbie are told they have just a few hours before sundown, at which point one of them will become the second person ousted from the road trip. Kailani immediately approaches Croydon, who she knows has a close relationship with nemesis Richard. The two speak about the vote, with Croydon telling her that he's yet to make up his mind but open to hearing her pitch. Kailani decides to play deceptively, lying to Croydon that Robbie had told herself and Pilar on the RV that he wanted to go after both him and Richard, claiming that he had lied that they were trying for an all-male alliance. Although not entirely convinced by her story, Croydon tells Kailani that he doesn't feel closeness with Robbie, and that he wouldn't be surprised if she's able to easily rally votes against him. In his confessional, Croydon calls Kailani a 'tornado', but claims that her instability is a reason to keep her, as she would act as a shield for those wanting to get rid of louder players. Allies Birgitta and Juliette talk together in the cabin about the vote, claiming that Kailani is "causing problems" for group harmony. However, Kailani overhears this, confronting and calling-out Birgitta for supposedly disliking her from 'day one'. Birgitta tells Kailani that she's argumentative, to which Kailani in return points out that she herself has had several fights. The fight is eventually calmed down by Pilar, who pulls Kailani to one side and tells her to stop getting into confrontation, as Birgitta could easily get herself, Juliette and Beth to tie the vote, enabling Richard to send her home. Robbie is less aggressive in his campaigning, instead offering everyone his loyalty should they be able to save him. At nightfall, the group head outside and stand under the spectacular aurora borealis, casting their baubles against Kailani or Robbie to leave the game. Arianna and Pilar predictably save friend Kailani by voting against Robbie, whilst Juliette casts her vote against 'troublemaker' Kailani. Despite their fight, Birgitta opts to instead go after Robbie for his lack of predictability, being joined by Beth and Croydon who come together to repatriate him in a 5-1 vote. Robbie seems surprised to leave over the more volatile Kailani, but accepts that she clearly had better social connections than he did. After saying his goodbyes, he departs down the dark path into the winter forest, leaving the final eight stood below the green glow of the northern lights.

Episode #4 - Candy Canes, Silver Lanes
In the early hours of the morning, Richard and Croydon whisper to one another from their beds within the lodge, discussing the fallout of the game following Robbie's elimination over Kailani. Croydon explains to Richard his reasonings for ousting Robbie over Kailani, telling his ally that Robbie may have been coming after them, whereas Kailani is less likely to be able to make moves inside the game. Richard tells Croydon that they need to extend their numbers, knowing the two of them will be unable to find longevity in the game if they don't hold a majority of the votes. Hours later, the entire group arise to get dressed and prepare to move onto their next location. Birgitta begins serving up breakfast for several members of the tour, pouring out bowls of porridge for herself, Beth, Juliette and Richard. Arianna; who had been waiting with her bowl, feels irritated by this, calling out Birgitta for being a "selective server". Birgitta laughs off Arianna's insult, telling her that she's more than capable of serving her own breakfast, to which Arianna tells Birgitta to not let porridge get in the way of her blatant loyalties within the game. After the fight, the lodge remains in somewhat of an awkward silence until Richard loudly asks "please remind me not to serve anyone breakfast in future", causing laughter amongst the group as they take their belongings to the RV.

Niklas drives the group two hours north towards Rovaniemi; the most populous municipality and the capital of Lapland. On the journey, Pilar decides to stir the pot by loudly asking Birgitta about the drama at breakfast, wanting to paint a target onto the back of the other alliance outside the 'Three Christmas Spirits'. Birgitta defends herself by claiming that she hadn't noticed Arianna was waiting with her bowl, a claim that Pilar says is hard to believe. Birgitta yawns at Pilar's words, announcing that she is bored by those who want to stir up trouble for their own entertainment, instead suggesting that as it's Christmas they should all be 'happier'. Pilar sits back and smiles to herself, glad to have defended her friend and also to have further painted a target onto Birgitta's back. Despite not caring about Pilar's words, Birgitta decides to quietly move over to Arianna, having a private conversation with her about their earlier spat. Arianna explains her anger with Birgitta's actions, which Birgitta accepts are valid and that it could have been "misconstrued". Birgitta assures Arianna that she has no personal issues with her, and that it would be wrong for them as grown women to continue fighting, which Arianna agrees with. Both women awkwardly hug it out, but feel glad to have somewhat buried that hatchet between them. Richard tries to get the mood up in the RV by singing christmas carols, but quickly finds that nobody is going to join in.

In Rovaniemi, the group are geared up into stronger winter gear as they're escorted on snowmobiles towards their next daily challenge. A short drive towards a clearing leads the groups to Lincoln and Sinead, who are stood before eight oversized candy canes, each scaled to be two times bigger than a respective road tripper. Lincoln explains to the group that in this challenge they will initially be paired up and handcuffed to their candy cane, and must race to raise their cuffs up the candy cane, getting it over the top and freeing themselves. Arianna and Juliette are the first to be drawn to face-off, with their battle taking some time to get going as both women try to work out a strategy for getting free. After a few minutes, Juliette is able to shimmy up her cane, freeing herself first. The next matchup sees Birgitta and Beth both struggle for fifteen minutes, before Birgitta is able to build a small mound of snow at her feet and boost herself up and over the cane. Despite trying to copy Birgitta's tactic, Croydon loses to Kailani, who shocks everyone as she easily uses the handcuffs to leverage herself up the cane, winning in the quickest time yet. Finally, Richard's strength outmatches Pilar's skinny frame as he too climbs up the cane, becoming the fourth winner of round one. Sinead then announces that the four winners will be paired-off, as will the four losers. Arianna loses her second match-up to Croydon, who learns from his mistakes the previous round, as does Pilar, who is able to beat a struggling Beth, who jokingly announces that her weight isn't doing her any favours. For the winners, Kailani beats Birgitta, who is unsurprised after being the slowest winner of the first round. Meanwhile, Richard is able to win against Juliette, congratulating his friend on a good showing nevertheless. Lincoln informs the group that one of Kailani and Richard will win the final match-up, giving them the power to nominate somebody else for repatriation, whilst the loser between Arianna and Beth will automatically be nominated themselves. Despite Arianna's early lead, Beth is able to attempt Birgitta's strategy of building a mound, using it to jump high enough to pull herself over the edge, giving Arianna last place. Enemies Kailani and Richard then face-off, with Kailani's continued dominance showing itself in the final round, giving her the win and the right to nominate somebody against ally Arianna. Kailani takes a moment to consider, knowing that going after Beth could be the wisest thing to keep Arianna safe. However, she decides to play it personally and selfishly, instead taking the opportunity to go after nemesis Richard, nominating him in what she calls "tit for tat".

Following Arianna and Richard's nominations, the group are given several hours to discuss the vote before eliminating one of them from the game. Pilar talks to Kailani about this being a 'difficult situation', unsure whether she made the right move in nominating Richard over Birgitta or Beth. Kailani tells Pilar that she "knows what (she's) doing", and to have more faith in her strategic decision. Elsewhere, Croydon begins the campaign to save his number one ally Richard, realising that Birgitta's alliance holds the balance of power for this round. Richard tells Croydon that he's confident he has both his and Juliette's votes, and that Birgitta may be inclined to oust Arianna after their fight that morning. Despite his confidence, Birgitta is brought to one side by Kailani and Pilar, who try to make ammends with her after their rocky relationship thus far. Pilar suggests that the girls form a complete alliance, with Richard and Croydon being viable next targets. Birgitta seems open to this idea, confirming her concerns that Richard is one of the biggest threats in the game, going on to explain that Croydon had already approached her about voting Arianna out. In a confessional, Juliette admits to being conflicted about the vote, having a closeness to Arianna as well as Richard, but feeling as though she "trusts Arianna more". Juliette voices these concerns to Birgitta and Beth, who worry that Arianna may in fact be the bigger threat to them than Richard. As the group reconvene to cast their votes, Pilar and Croydon come to blows after they expose one another's campaigns on behalf of the nominated, accusing the other of having 'alliances' with Arianna and Richard respectively. As the votes are revealed, the vote ends in a 3-2 against Arianna, with Birgitta and Beth siding against Juliette's friend in order to isolate her and bring her back into their trio. Arianna is left devastated at her early exit, hugging Pilar goodbye and telling her that Kailani should have gone after Birgitta or Beth instead, believing that doing that would have kept her in the game. After Arianna departs, Pilar and Kailani are left worrying that they are now at the bottom of the game, seemingly seeing a pact brewing between Birgitta's girls, Croydon and Richard.

Episode #5 - Away in a Manger
After Arianna's surprise elimination, the final seven head to their alpine lodge, filled with Christmas decorations for a festive stay. Despite a majority of the group seeming in high spirits upon entering the lodge, Pilar appears angered at the turn of events that led to her ally's elimination. Pilar once again takes the opportunity to call out the group, appearing to target Birgitta by congratulating her on controlling the game, noting that she has everyone 'answering to her'. Birgitta shakes her head at this belief, telling Pilar (and the group) that she cannot be bitter that her friend left, and instead needs to accept that she and Kailani failed to oust Richard. Eventually the argument dies down, allowing Beth and Birgitta to once again be roomates within the lodge. Birgitta proposes to Beth that the two of them cement a final two deal, with Juliette as their third, and both remaining men acting as two additional votes to secure their majority. Beth agrees to the proposal, admitting that she is a little concerned with Juliette after she voted to keep Arianna, proving that she plays emotionally rather than strategically. Birgitta assures Beth this won't be an issue, and that they need to concentrate on getting Pilar and Kailani out next. Downstairs, a saddened Pilar is unable to sleep and sits by the fireplace. She is soon joined by Croydon, who comes to check on her, feeling guilty that she is sat alone. He also apologises for their earlier fight, insisting that in the heat of the moment he was doing all he could to save Richard, suggesting the two of them are similar as they both have strong loyalty for their friends. Pilar appreciates this, but warns Croydon that both he and Richard will be handing unlimited power to Birgitta if they allow her, Beth and Juliette to proceed forward together.

The next morning, the group leave their things in the lodge as they'll be staying in Rovaniemi for several more nights. Joining one another in the RV, they are driven fifteen minutes to the local Christmas village, where they're given some free time to walk around and sample some festive Finnish food and drinks. The group naturally split into their three respective trios/duos, occasionally crossing paths as they walk through the market. Richard ends up becoming overly familiar with a Glögi stall; serving the Finnish version of Mulled wine. In his state, he becomes emotional and recounts tales of an ex-boyfriend to another bar patron, who repeatedly (and to no avail) tells Richard that he doesn't speak English. Croydon leaves Richard and ends up joining up with Beth and Juliette, who are trying on some handmade scarves at another stall. Croydon laughs as he is asked to rate each of the girls 'looks' out of ten, leading to the pair giving an impromptu fashion show in the middle of the market, gathering a small crowd of bemused Finn's. In her confessional, Juliette speaks positively about the market, feeling as though it confirmed to her that despite her vote against Richard being in the minority, that both boys and her own alliance appeared to have not let it cloud their judgement of where her loyalties lie. After two hours at the market, the group move down the village where Lincoln and Sinead wait for them. As part of a Christmas treat, the group watch a Finnish live performance of the nativity, detailing the birth of Christ and the visit of the three wise men. The peformance ends with a fifteen second freeze frame, with each character in a specific position.

Lincoln and Sinead announce to the group that this nativity performance will be the basis for their daily challenge, as one by one they'll need to recreate the final freeze frame using pieces representing each character in the nativity (including animals). Sinead explains that when a competitor thinks they have every piece in position, they can hit a buzzer to stop their time. If a contestant has all the pieces right, their time will be taken; if wrong, then they will need to continue until they are correct. The individual with the fastest time will be declared the winner, whilst the slowest will automatically face repatriation. However, when starting the challenge the group are shocked to see that the 'pieces' are in fact lifesize plastic models of each character, making them more difficult to move into position. A non-sober Richard understandably struggles for the first time in the challenge, leaving him feeling nervous that he could once again face repatriation. After everyone has competed, Lincoln reads out the results, announcing that Birgitta has won the daily challenge by a huge margain, being four minutes ahead of the next fastest time. Despite Richard's poor showing, he is relieved to hear that he finished just six seconds faster than Juliette, who will automatically face the vote. Unsurprisingly, Birgitta selects Pilar as her nomination, stating that she is picking the person who is most opposed to her within the game.

Saddened at her unfortunate position, Pilar is comforted by ally Kailani, who agrees with her pessimistic view that she is likely heading home. Being safe from the vote, Beth takes time to relax with Croydon, who she is bonding well with since their less than positive first impression of one another. Beth admits to having a slight crush on Croydon, but claims he's far too young for her. Croydon entertains the crush, saying that as the two vocalists on the tour they should 'combine their talents to form a duet', causing Beth to fan herself in what she calls "a hot flush". Although finding a new friend in Beth, Croydon notes that he and Richard remain at Birgitta's mercy if they remain a duo within her alliance, not feeling overly confident that his friendship with Beth would be enough to change the game when the numbers lessen. As a result, Croydon leads himself and Richard to speak with down and out Pilar, wanting to hear her pitch for keeping her another round. Pilar claims to both men that by removing Juliette, they would be bringing the game down to three duos, and ultimately make it an even playing field. Pilar also reminds Richard that Juliette had voted against him despite their 'friendship', and that once she and Kailani are out of the game that he would most definitely be the next to leave. The final seven regroup in the Christmas market, where those eligible place their bauble votes atop the Road Trip Christmas Tree. Beth and Kailani are shown to support their allies, leaving it tied 1-1 and the decision coming down to Croydon and Richard, who have been hedging their bets by playing both sides over the last twenty-four hours. In the end, Birgitta, Beth and Juliette are left stunned as the boys blindside Juliette in a 3-1 vote, once again shifting the balance of power in the game and removing the least disliked member of the tour in doing so. Birgitta and Beth choose not to address either of the boys, instead spending the remaining time comforting a tearful Juliette. A relieved Pilar and Kailani hold back their celebrations, quietly thanking both boys for 'making the right call'. As Juliette departs, the final six stand silent in the market, knowing the fallout from this blindside is likely to cause yet more Christmas conflict.

Episode #6 - Christmas Cookies
The final six return to their lodge, walking inside somewhat silently as they all prepare to debrief on Juliette's blindside. A celebratory Pilar offers to pour everybody a glass of eggnog from the fridge, still feeling high after being saved by Croydon and Richard from certain elimination. The whole group appreciate Pilar's gesture here, finding it helped to rid the post-vote awkwardness that typically dominates their evenings. After pouring everybody a glass, the celebration is cut short by Birgitta, who opts to start ranting about 'dishonesty' and 'liars' amongst the group. Birgitta continues ranting on and on for several minutes, becoming tearful at Juliette's "unfair" repatriation, suggesting that of everybody she least deserved to be 'screwed over'. Although several members of the group try to appease Birgitta, they ultimately let her storm off crying, all somewhat annoyed by her extreme reaction to losing an ally. Taking advantage of the situation, Pilar follows Birgitta to her room, bringing a glass of eggnog with her to ensure that everybody gets theirs. Pilar uses the time to assure Birgitta that there are no hard feelings about being her nomination in the previous round, claiming to understand that it was simply how "lines were drawn". Instead, Pilar notes that it could be a fresh start for the two of them, giving them an opportunity to rewrite alliances in the game. Birgitta agrees with this assesment, warning Pilar that Croydon and Richard hold too much power by playing the middle-ground.

The next morning, Beth and Croydon appear as the first two up and ready to start the day. Over breakfast, Beth continues to have flirty banter with Croydon, who seems more than happy to play along. The two amuse others by making sexual innuendos whilst making breakfast for the group, with Beth privately admitting that having someone attractive to flirt with and be a friend goes a long way in the game. In a confessional, Richard jokes that whilst he is somewhat nervous with how close Beth and Croydon are getting, he is confident that if it came down to it that Croydon would oust Beth from the game. He goes on to remark that Beth's "pervy older queen" role will only make up so much for "a lack of funny jokes". All the road trippers head in the RV, being driven a short distance to a local cooking school for their next daily challenge. Everyone is greeted with baked Christmas goods on arrival by Lincoln and Sinead, who soon reveal that the challenge will involve baking and decorating a personalised Christmas fruit sponge cake, as well as ten identical 'Christmas cookies'. Given just four hours, the group will be judged anonymously and scored for their Christmas cake and cookies, with the best bake being declared the winner, nominating somebody to face the worst bake for the next repatriation.

Throughout the challenge, Beth and Croydon continue with their innuendo-ridden banter, seemingly giving everybody the impression that they are now close allies. A silent Birgitta takes her time throughout the challenge, having had experience with baking at Christmas for her kids at home. Richard also seems confident, claiming to often bake for ex-boyfriends and family members during the holidays. Pilar also surprises the group by appearing to be doing well, determined to win after being nominated to face the last repatriation vote. Several hours into the challenge, smoke begins to appear from Beth's oven, who has spent more time joking around with Croydon and entertaining the others than she has checking her bake. Opening the oven, Beth finds her cake has miraculously both burnt whilst also remaining raw in the middle, with raw cake mix pouring through its crisp outer shell. Knowing this disaster is unsalvageable, Beth begins wheezing with laughter, fanning the smoke alarms as she apologises to the horrified owners of the school kitchen. Noting that her cookies are also overdone, a panicked Beth declares that to serve them would be "the biggest act of war in Finland since the Soviet's tried to carve it up". At the end of the four hours, everybody presents their bakes for judging, whilst Beth decides to place some digestives on a plate that she covered with green icing after her bakes instead found their way to the bin. The judges name Beth as being the clear loser of the day, with equally distracted Croydon finished in fifth place, and Kailani in a more distant fourth. Richard is surprised to find his bakes have been placed in third, leaving it down to Birgitta and Pilar to take the top two spots. The judges ultimately give the win to Birgitta's winter wonderland cake, calling it a "professional level" of decoration and taste. Birgitta is asked by Sinead to name her nomination for repatriation, knowing that whoever she picks will face-off against her closest ally Beth. Rather than to go after Pilar (and by extension Kailani) again, Birgitta names Croydon as her nomination, believing that he "made his bed" when he decided to vote Juliette out of the road trip. The entire group is shocked by this move, namely Croydon and Beth, who are upset knowing that for one of them this evening will be their last.

With just an hour to go before the vote, a saddened Beth and Croydon take time alone to talk outside as they sulk over Birgitta's decision. Beth openly calls the move "annoying", not wanting to continue the game if her friends keep being voted out. Croydon agrees with this assessment, unsure why Kailani or Pilar weren't nominated in his place. Elsewhere, Birgitta tells the other members of the tour that she feels Croydon is the biggest liar amongst them, and that she hopes both Kailani and Pilar will honour being spared by voting him out. Richard tells the girls that he's unable to cast a vote against Croydon, and in keeping his loyalty he has no choice other than to vote Beth, but that he respects their decisions either way. Pilar and Kailani talk quietly amongst themselves, realising that they hold complete power for the evenings repatriation. Kailani admits that she would rather oust Beth, arguing that Croydon had saved Pilar at the previous vote and they need to repay him. However, Pilar questions whether Beth has the ability to win challenges, and if now could be a better time to remove somebody who is more tuned in to the strategic side of the game. At the vote, the two girls and Richard cast their baubles for who they'd like to leave, all unifying in a 3-0 vote against an unphased Beth. A distraught Birgitta is unable to hold back her sadness at the result, losing another ally on the night of her daily win. Beth hugs both Birgitta and Croydon goodbye, leaving it no secret that she is rooting for one of them to take the win. Beth departs via a local taxi, singing caberet tunes as she ventures out into the cold one last time.

Episode #7 - Twelve Dog Open Sleigh
The morning after Beth's elimination, all the road trippers sit around the breakfast table socialising with the exception of Birgitta, who has somewhat secluded herself from the rest of the group after once again being angered by the result of the vote. Wanting to again take advantage of her isolation, Pilar heads over to check on Birgitta, explaining to her why she decided to vote for Beth over Croydon. Birgitta accepts Pilar's reasonings, appreciating that she wanted to repay him after he had saved her over Juliette the previous round. In her confessional, Pilar notes that the next to leave the game will almost certainly be Croydon or Birgitta, with the decision being whatever she and Kailani go with. Whilst packing their belongings in the lodge, Kailani and Pilar privately talk in their room, reaffirming their desire to go to the final two together. Kailani tells Pilar that she'd ideally like Richard to be the next to go, discussing how the two of them ignore one another and have done since their fights early on. Both girls agree that whatever happens they need to ensure they don't come last, but feel confident that there is no scenario in which both face the vote this round, as it is clear that Birgitta would rather work with them than the boys.

The final five join Niklas inside the RV as he drives them two hours north to Sodankylä, where their destination is Kakslauttanen's Igloo Village Resort. The group are told to shack-up with another member of the tour, leaving just one of them to have their own private igloo for their two-night stay. Richard jokes that he and Kailani should become roomates and talk through their differences, causing her to roll her eyes at his joke. Richard then uses this as a means of pointing out that "she can't take a joke", to which Kailani explains that she couldn't tell it was a joke "because no one laughed". The two continue making bitchy jibes at one another, before eventually being separated into their igloos by Croydon and Pilar respectively, leaving Birgitta to sleep solo. That evening, Birgitta sneaks into Pilar and Kailani's igloo in order to share hot chocolate and discuss the game together. Birgitta proposes to the girls that they lock in a final three deal, as it would not be wise for the women to go forward against another duo at the final four. She goes on to promise the pair that if she wins she will nominate Croydon for repatriation again, but that she would be perfectly happy to vote Richard out should the girls deem him more worthy of leaving first. Kailani jumps at this offer, laughing as she begs the other girls to get Richard out, noting she cannot stand to hear his voice another day. The three women toast their glasses of cocoa, suggesting that within this igloo is the first Christmas Champion of Road Trip.

At sunrise, the group join Lincoln and Sinead out in the icey Sodankylä landscape, where each of them finds a sleigh with twelve Huskies adjoined. Lincoln explains that each competitor (after given a crash course) will compete in a dog-sled race course, that he assures them is "below beginners level". Each competitor must collect hanging puzzle pieces through their course, building said puzzle upon reaching the end. Sinead confirms that the individual with the fastest overall time (of course and puzzle building) will be declared the winner, earning themselves a spot in the final four and the right to nominate somebody for repatriation. Alternatively, the slowest time will automatically be nominated, giving them a one in two chance of leaving the game tonight. Kailani is first to go on her run, taking it cautiously slower to ensure she collects all her puzzle pieces, finishing her puzzle in a respectable time. Croydon follows suit, being visibly quicker than Kailani on both portions of the challenge, leaving her concerned that she could fall into last. This concern grows stronger after Richard has a strong run, with everybody certain that he is currently in first place. Pilar adopts a tactic of screaming wildly as she is pulled along by her dogs, later claiming that it was both "encouragement for the dogs" and her "shitting herself". Nevertheless, Pilar's screams cause her dogs to move faster, with her puzzle building skills coming to life at the end of the challenge. Last to go, Birgitta aims to go for first place, knowing that she just has to do better than suspected current last-place individual Kailani. However, during the course Birgitta attempts to grab one of her dangling puzzle pieces, and in doing so is ripped from her sled, getting her leg caught as she's dragged along behind it screaming. Production and safety individuals intervene, allowing the dogs to be halted as a shaken Birgitta is helped back aboard her sleigh. Birgitta takes the course much slower from here on out, unable to make-up lost time as she completes her puzzle. To no one's surprise, Birgitta finishes in last, automatically putting her up for repatriation. However, her hope is restored after it is announced that Pilar has beaten Richard by over twenty-seconds, giving her power to select the second nominee. Pilar takes a moment to consider, knowing that nominating Richard would certainly tie the vote 1-1 due to Kailani's hatred of him. However, she worries that in breaking the tie she would lose Richard's jury vote and leave Croydon (who she isn't as close to) in the game. Playing cautiously, Pilar announces Croydon to be her nominee, somewhat upsetting Kailani, who had hoped tonight would be Richard's last.

With nothing to lose, Birgitta takes the chance to have an open forum with the group about why they should vote Croydon out. She reminds the girls that Croydon has shifted sides multiple times thoughout the game, all without having to get his own hands 'dirty'. Croydon answers back by claiming Birgitta has had more influence than him, naming several members of the jury as being 'supporters' of her, although Birgitta points out that many others she has had conflict with. Croydon then stirs the pot by telling Kailani and Pilar that if they don't oust Birgitta, he will ensure she wins the game, as it would mean she was able to claw her way back from the bottom. Later on, Kailani sits with nominee Croydon, admitting that she finds herself in a tough position, coming clean that she had wanted Richard to be nominated so he'd leave the game. Croydon talks to Kailani about their own friendship, pleading with her to instead work with him, rather than seeing himself and Richard as a duo. In her confessional, Kailani vents her frustrations with Pilar's decision, unsure if saving Birgitta is as beneficial as it seemed the previous night. Prior to the vote, Croydon continues his open campaign against Birgitta, pointing out her multiple wins and threat level, whereas she reiterates her perception of him being "a snake", telling Kailani and Pilar that if they don't vote out a man that they'll have a much tougher fight at the final four. Despite her warnings, Kailani keeps friend Croydon by voting with Richard in a 2-0 vote against Birgitta, eliminating one of the most dominant players of the season. Birgitta hides her disappointment, telling both Kailani and Pilar that they made a "grave mistake". Kailani's apology falls on deaf ears, as Birgitta packs her things silently from her igloo, heading off to join the jury with the rest of her allies. Lincoln and Sinead congratulate the final four on making it this far, informing them that just two more days lay between them and the end of this adventure, where one of the four of them will become Christmas Champion.

Episode #8 - War is Over
Waking up in their igloos, the final four are given a quick breakfast before returning to the challenge area where Lincoln and Sinead once again wait for them. The group are congratulated once again, being told that they will now take part in their penultimate daily challenge; a snowball fight. Each contestant must don a costume that is colour-coded to correspond to a particular score. Each competitor will be given twenty snowballs, and must use them all inside the designated 'play area'. After every individual has used their snowballs, scores will be tallied based on where they were able to hit on their competitors. The individual with the highest score will win, whilst the lowest score will automatically face repatriation. The four are given a few minutes to prepare, with everybody having an unspoken understanding that it will turn into boys versus girls due to alliances in the game.

As the fight begins, it quickly becomes apparent that both Croydon and Richard have better aim than the girls, who flinch and are less successful at both hitting targets and avoiding being one themselves. Lincoln draws the fight to a close once all eighty snowballs have been thrown, noting that both Kailani and Pilar seem to be more covered in snow than Richard and Croydon. After footage is reviewed, Sinead returns to the group with the results, naming the girls as the bottom two, and the boys as the higher scorers. Richard is revealed to have beaten Croydon in a score of seventy-two to fifty-eight, whilst Kailani narrowly beats Pilar with a score of twenty to sixteen, placing Pilar up for repatriation. Not wasting any time, Richard picks Kailani as his nominee, keeping his loyalty to Croydon whilst also putting up his biggest enemy in the game.

Kailani and Pilar tearfully hug one another, heartbroken to know it is the end of the line for one of them on the road trip. Kailani remorsefully tells Pilar that they should have committed to ousting Croydon or Richard, and that Birgitta will laugh at the two of them screwing their game like this. In the interest of fairness, Croydon takes a moment to speak to both nominees, ignoring Richard's pleas of voting out Kailani, instead wanting to do what benefits his personal game more. After speaking to both women, Croydon admits that he continues to feel closer to Kailani, and more confident that she would take him to the final two should she win, whilst Pilar would likely take Richard, giving him "a one hundred percent chance of reaching the end" if he were to have both Kailani and Richard at the final three. Following this belief, Croydon votes to eliminate Pilar in a 1-0 vote, a decision he had made known to her prior to casting the vote. Pilar hugs all three competitors goodbye, wishing Kailani luck to reach the end, promising her her vote if she's able to do so. Sinead tells the final three that they must now head south once again, returning to Rovaniemi, but this time to visit "the most Christmassy place on Earth".

Returning to Rovaniemi, the final three are ecstatic to find themselves entering 'Santa Claus Village' an amusement park village dedicated to bringing to life Father Christmas' North Pole. Croydon, Kailani and Richard are dressed up into Christmas fancy dress, entering the village where they're led down the lit street by 'elves'. The trio find themselves entering Santa's workshop next, discovering their seven fallen comrades already inside (appropriately dressed as elves themselves). The group quickly notice Santa Claus, with Beth sitting on his lap as she tells him what she wants for Christmas. Santa welcomes the trio to his village, congratulating them on making it this far. He confirms that for one of them he has "the greatest Christmas gift of all", but that to have a chance at winning it they must first undergo their final daily challenge. The group are then joined by Lincoln and Sinead, who tell the trio that their final daily challenge will entail listening to famous Christmas songs and hymns, and filling in blanks based on options given for each song. After ten songs/hymns, the individual with the most correct will be declared the winner, choosing both who to send to the jury and who to bring with them to the final two. The final three listen eagerly as each song is played, reading over the options read out to them by both Lincoln and Sinead as to what the correct lyric would be. Once all ten have been played, scores are tallied before Santa Claus himself reads out the results. Croydon and Kailani finish joint second with only five correct, whilst Richard takes the win with seven out of ten answered correctly. Richard is congratulated by all on his win, but is told that he must sour it by deciding between Croydon and Kailani in this final elimination. Despite usually giving both nominees a chance to plead their cases, Kailani is honest in that she "knows what is coming", and that she doesn't expect Richard to take her to the end (even though she states he would beat her), confirming she "won't be begging anyone" for a spot in the final two. Richard confirms her beliefs, voting to eliminate Kailani and bringing his day one ally Croydon to the final two.

In somewhat a breaking of tradition, Richard and Croydon join the jury of eight (Jürgen, Robbie, Arianna, Juliette, Beth, Birgitta, Pilar and recently eliminated Kailani) for a Christmas feast, with turkey, vegetables, and side dishes all provided. During the meal, Croydon and Richard are told that they can only speak to one another, and that the jury themselves cannot discuss the game. After the meal draws to a close, the two men are told to take their spots either side of Santa's Christmas throne, where they'll now receive questions or statements from the eight individuals they had a hand in ousting from the game. The jury praises Richard for his 'cleaner' game, noting he won more challenges than anyone else all season; also never coming last in any of the challenges he participated in. Alternatively, Croydon receives some praise by those who see his zero challenge wins as a positive, finding it impressive that he was able to manouver through the game without ever truly being in danger due to his strong social connections. Some of the jury however criticise Croydon for being 'sleazy', also feeling as though he could be seen as a 'flukier' player than his partner, who was able to get to the end without upsetting so many people. However, Kailani notably speaks up to discredit Richard's 'clean' image, calling him malicious in his arguments with her and believing that he is "less real" than Croydon in personality. Birgitta refutes this belief, claiming that Croydon has been the most deceitful player all season, often being the cause of every tear and broken promise at vote-offs. The jury then talk amongst themselves, unsure whether to reward Richard's dominant physical game, or Croydon's supposedly superior social and perhaps strategic play. Each juror then places their final bauble atop the Road Trip Christmas Tree featuring the name of the individual they want to see win the game. Lincoln and Sinead alternate in drawing baubles, with the vote being tied up 2-2 after the first four are removed from the tree. Beth and Kailani opt to vote for Croydon, both feeling close to him as a friend, whilst the latter still remains particularly anti-Richard from their arguments in-game. Oppositely, Birgitta and Pilar finally unite by both voting Richard to win, feeling stronger that he played a cleaner game, as opposed to Croydon's more deceptive tactics. Juliette joins the others in voting for Croydon, having felt closer to him by her elimination after bonding together in the Christmas market. In the end, first three eliminated players Jürgen, Robbie and Arianna also join in the landslide vote for Croydon, awarding him the win in a 6-2 vote to become Christmas Champion of the Road Trip, feeling as though his social game and efforts far outweighed that of Richard during their stays on the tour. Having won the game and the £50,000 prize, Croydon is led outside to cheers from the elves as he boards Santa's sleigh. The pair are pulled down Santa Claus Village together by reindeer as he waves to his fallen competitors, throwing presents to Sinead and Lincoln as he disappears down the path. Sinead and Lincoln rip open their presents, confused to find a Portuguese dictionary and sunscreen inside.