Road Trip: Ireland

Road Trip: Ireland is the thirty-first 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 (RVs) 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 £100,000 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 began in Dublin, Ireland and ended at Blarney Castle, Ireland. The season exclusively travelled throughout the island of Ireland, visiting both the Republic of Ireland as well as Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom). The winner of the season was Mary Rose Cash, defeating Donny Rossiter in a 4-3 vote to become Champion of the Road Trip.

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 originally nominated for repatriation, but was made immune with a lifesaver.
 * 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 voluntarily quit the road trip.

Game Summary
^¹ Tour Leader Pamela initially nominated John. However, John used his lifesaver, leaving Donny as the re-nomination.

^² Pamela originally finished in last place and was nominated. However, Mary Rose used her lifesaver on Pamela, leaving next-lowest performer Rosee as the re-nomination.

Episode #1 - The Emerald Isle
For the thirty-first season, thirteen brand new road trippers join Lincoln and Sinead in the grand library of Trinity College Dublin. Sinead welcomes the players to both her and most of their homeland, citing this season as being one to celebrate the heritage and unique culture of the Emerald Isle. The players are reminded that the term ‘Ireland’ will denote the island on which they are travelling, rather than exclusively referring to the Republic of Ireland, and ensuring to include Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom). In keeping with this rare representation of Ireland and its people (both those identifying as Irish, British and Northern Irish), the cast is said to largely be made up of those hailing originally from both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Despite this, Sinead notes that she hopes the diverse group will show viewers that Ireland is far from a monolith as many try to claim. Formally introducing himself, Lincoln tells the players that before they can begin getting to know one another that they’ll be taking part in a fast-paced immediate challenge, in which one of the thirteen of them will win an ‘advantage’ for the first daily challenge to be revealed later. Lincoln explains that each player will be given a scrambled famous Irish book title, and that they must unscramble this in order to know which title to look for in the library, with the first player able to find “a gold rimmed copy of the book” being declared the winner. The players are given the letters, with some quickly able to decipher that it is James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’, racing around the library towards the letter ‘U’, whilst some others are able to realise that books are categorised by author surname – not title. Marc is shown rushing during the chaos and willingly shoves Jess out of his way as he fights her for a gold-rimmed book, only realising that he has grabbed the wrong title, failing to apologise to Jess as he runs elsewhere. Craig is able to reach the book first, snatching it ahead of Donny and Rosee in order to claim the advantage. The group congratulate Craig, listening as Lincoln and Sinead confirm that he’ll receive his advantage in due course. Until then, the thirteen players are told to enjoy some free time around Dublin, having nothing scheduled until late-afternoon.

Leaving the university grounds, Rosee hugs and congratulates Craig once again, laughing as the pair detail how close she was to getting the book ahead of him. The two ponder what the advantage could be, with Craig hoping it’ll be enough to get him first place and earn him a ‘Golden Fob Lifesaver’. Rosee jokes that she isn’t certain she’ll get any closer to winning something physical than she did that morning, believing running around the library was “the most cardio (she’s) done since getting home early from school to catch ‘Neighbours’ as a teenager”. Elsewhere in the group, first ever ‘traveller’ contestant Mary Rose talks with London-born Elias about his tan, stating “your tan is absolutely gorgeous, how’d you get that, then?”, being somewhat taken aback as he tells her that his family is Greek and that being tan is his natural complexion. Mary Rose goes on to proclaim “I best get to Mikonos then, sure”, making the younger Elias laugh at the compliments, noting in a confessional that he has “never met anyone like Mary Rose” around London. Mary Rose’s larger than life and bold personality enables her to continue loudly fawning over Elias’ tan, talking about how she’s “tried to get that (herself) out of a bottle”, but that “nothing ever matches-up to the real thing”. Dublin-born Irish-Nigerian Khadija listens into the conversation, disliking the way in which Mary Rose is ‘fetishizing’ tanned skin “of someone else’s culture”. Khadija chooses to take the moment to try and ‘educate’ Mary Rose on her social interactions and language, receiving a harsh response from Mary Rose who immediately shuts it down, telling Khadija “Jesus Christ, Khadija. Don’t come and be a boring bitch to me, now”. Not taking the use of the word ‘bitch’ lightly, Khadija responds with equal hostility, leading to the two women to somewhat bicker as they walk together towards the restaurant in what appears to be the first official fight of the season. Watching the fight, Rosee stands back and pulls Elias to one side, wanting to save him from what she views as “two lunatics already going at it”. Elias holds back his laughter, unsure how things escalated so fast, with Rosee declaring that it’s ‘his fault due to being beautifully bronze’, joking that “no one seems as thrilled about my sun-kissed look, which is a shame” in reference to her rosacea. Elias tells Rosee that he’ll “stick by her” over lunch, wanting to be more selective about who he’s sat with at the first-impression meal.

Over lunch, the momentary feud between Khadija and Mary Rose appears to have died down, with the group consciously making an effort to place either woman at opposite ends of the table to prevent any further escalation. Mary Rose finds herself sat with Belfast-based retired activist and shopkeeper Gerry, who admits to being fascinated to spend time around Mary Rose and ‘have his perception of travellers changed’. Mary Rose apologises to Gerry that the fight may not have left the best first impression, leaving Gerry to remind her that “being fiery is part of being Irish”, admitting that he too in his youth got “particularly rowdy in marches and other activities coming through the street”. Gerry and Mary Rose continue sharing their reasons for coming on the show, with Gerry wanting to win the £100,000 in order to give his grandchildren “the money to travel, go to university and have the opportunities that (he) didn’t get”, whilst Mary Rose tearfully confesses to losing her grandfather shortly-after signing up to the show, believing that the money would “get him the gravestone he deserves for a proper send-off”. At the other end of the table, Khadija is distracted by Elias and Rosee, who have formed an already good relationship and quietly spoken about ‘teaming-up’ in the game. Rosee confesses to recognising Jess from Big Brother 17, telling both Elias and Khadija that she had finished as runner-up and that she is “already established in the reality competition world”. Khadija seems surprised by this, not fully appreciating that there are “pseudo-celebrities” amongst them. The trio agree on a negative perception of Jess, pondering if she doesn’t need the money or exposure that being on Road Trip can give. Towards the end of the lunch, Gerry, Craig and Elias stand together outside the restaurant deep in conversation. Craig and Elias both credit Gerry with being one of Road Trip’s oldest contestants, liking that he’s willing to get involved in something potentially so physical. In response, Gerry credits Elias with doing the experience at such a young age, believing he wouldn’t have the courage to do so when he was just nineteen. Moreover, Gerry appears exceptionally supportive of Craig coming on the show as a Transgender man, having been moved by Craig’s story over lunch where he told the group that being on Road Trip is the first time returning to Ireland since fully transitioning and letting all the key individuals in his life know about his identity. Before the men can continue talking, Pamela stands by them and lights up a cigarette, seemingly disrupting the flow of their conversation without care that she is wafting smoke in their direction. The three men move back inside the restaurant, mumbling complaints between them that Pamela was ‘absolutely rude’ for blowing the smoke at them, regardless of whether or not it was intentional.

The thirteen players head towards the Irish Whiskey Museum in Dublin, meeting Lincoln and Sinead mid-afternoon in order to participate in their first daily challenge. The hosts join the group as they’re given a tour of the museum, being told of the history of whiskey, as well as the many Irish brands of the drink that has become an alcoholic staple of Celtic culture. During the tour, Rosee decides to approach Mary Rose to ensure that she is doing okay after her earlier fight with Khadija, believing this to be “both strategic to make sure I’m good with everyone, and also wanting to just see that the girl is okay”. Mary Rose appears completely unphased by the fight, telling Rosee that she “will forget and move on, but won’t be giving her the benefit of a strike two against (her) name”. Rosee is glad to see that Mary Rose is resilient, eventually surprised as Mary Rose asks her about her rosacea and social media video blog titled ‘Rosee Rosacea’ (a beauty and skincare blog for girls suffering from the common condition amongst fair-skinned and particularly Celtic individuals). As Rosee explains the process of blogging, Mary Rose confesses that she “couldn’t be arsed with all that”, telling Rosee that she “once got called a dog by a cheeky Brazilian bastard on Instagram” and never went back to social media again. After the tour, the players are lined-up and told by Lincoln and Sinead that for their first daily challenge they will be playing a ‘taste test’ whiskey challenge. Players will be given a shot of whiskey, and then told to identify the same type amongst three additional shots. Each round, a correct identification will earn players a point, with the person who earns the most points after six rounds being crowned the winner and earning themselves a ‘Golden Fob Lifesaver’. Additionally, the player who scores the least will automatically face repatriation. As per Craig’s advantage, Lincoln tells him that he will be given just two whiskeys to choose from for the first two rounds, bringing it to a fifty percent chance of success over just thirty-three. The players react differently throughout the course of the challenge, with some able to overcome the repeated shots and sips of whiskey, and others beginning to gag by the third round, with Eibhlin, Jess and Elias in particular disliking the taste. After six rounds, Sinead announces that despite Craig’s advantage that he narrowly avoided falling into last place, scoring two out of six ahead of Marc on one point, and Eibhlin managing to get all six wrong and thus automatically facing repatriation. A disgusted Eibhlin seems unsurprised, covering her mouth as she claims to “never want to put anything like that in (her) mouth again”. Alternatively, Lincoln reveals that whiskey hating Jess finished in joint-second place along with Mary-Rose and Rosee, with all three women getting five out of the six correct. Being the only player with a palette to identify all six whiskeys correctly, Northern Irish farmer John is declared the daily winner, earning him a lifesaver and a place in the third round of the game. With the day’s activities and events over, Lincoln and Sinead tell the group that they have the “free time to go out, enjoy themselves and get drinks” ahead of their RVs arriving, quickly receiving a collective groan as the suggestion of ‘drinks’ are made.

Episode #2 - I Can See My House
Shortly following the first daily challenge, the thirteen road trippers head through the streets of Dublin towards an open and abandoned car park, finding their two luxury RVs stationary for their arrival. The group agree to head as one to dinner after changing in the RVs, eager to make the most of their free evening in Dublin before the repatriations begin. At the restaurant, Eibhlin is seen repeatedly complaining about facing the repatriation, vocalising statements such as “I shouldn’t be at risk… it isn’t fair, especially being in this position as the only trans woman on the season”. Eibhlin’s repeated complaints and bizarre ‘entitlement’ begins to irritate the entire group, with some shown to be whispering between themselves that she is ‘doing herself no favours’. Feeling guilty at seeing Eibhlin struggle, Rosee pulls her to one side and begins explaining that she needs to concentrate on being sociable in a positive manner, letting her know that her current whining is unlikely to win her any votes. Eibhlin appreciates the advice from Rosee, becoming tearful in a confessional as she worries she has blown her chances before she knows who she’ll be facing in the vote. An hour later, a majority of the group return to the RVs in order to rest, leaving just a few players remaining in the restaurant as they enjoy drinks. Both tipsy from the alcohol, Elias and Marc engage in a ‘joke’ kiss after a brief game of spin the bottle (in which they were the only participants). The men laugh off the interaction, complimenting one another on their kissing ability before declaring that ‘next time it'll be with some of the girls’. Having seen the interaction, Donny declares in a confessional that it’s “always the way that the ‘straight’ boys end up kissing…” whilst he’s “left drinking with Eibhlin as she breaks down every five minutes about maybe going home”. Despite his jokey remarks, Donny opens-up about struggling to make male friendships, worried that as the only younger gay male on the tour that he won’t fit in with Marc and Elias despite being of a similar age bracket, leaving him vulnerable and left out if they choose to form a group. Donny eventually convinces Eibhlin to join him in returning to the RV, with chummy Marc and Elias following behind them.

The next morning, the thirteen road trippers drive their RVs for the first time to their next location; County Meath. Throughout the one hour journey, the players talk amongst themselves, allowing John to drive the group in the first RV, and Rabeena to drive the group in the second. In the first RV, Mary Rose sits up front with John, eager to hear about his farmland that he owns and works on in County Down. Mary Rose is wildly impressed by John’s work ethic, complimenting him as being “ultra-manly”, speculating in her confessional that he’d “be a great one to have in bed”. Despite Mary Rose’s obvious flirtation, John decides to keep the conversation civil, fearing that getting too entangled with someone like Mary Rose would only end in drama. Towards the back of the RV, Pamela and Rosee discuss their home lives, with Pamela opening up about being a single mother to three sons and a daughter, having split from her long term boyfriend shortly after the birth of her daughter. Rosee credits Pamela as being “a superhero” for raising her children alone, to which Pamela confesses having “an amazing support system” from her own parents and friends in Derry. Rosee asks Pamela if it was difficult leaving her children to come on the show, to which Pamela responds “definitely not, I wanted a holiday and this was my only chance… it’s just a shame I’m stuck on the same island”, making Rosee laugh as she rants that she had been hoping for “somewhere sunnier and less Irish”. In the other RV, conversations appear less civil between driver Rabeena and front seat passenger Gerry, with Gerry repeatedly telling Rabeena to “lower her speed” and “speed up” alongside constant reminders of making turns and keeping up with the other RV. Feeling irritated by Gerry’s incessant attempts at taking over, Rabeena tells Gerry that in future he can drive the RV in her place, finding it too exhausting taking criticism on what should be a simple drive. Gerry scolds Rabeena in his confessional as having a poor attitude, believing that she is too young and egotistical to take any advice, whilst Rabeena is seen complaining to others about Gerry upon arrival in County Meath, labelling him “an irritating old man”. After arriving in County Meath, the group receive instructions to drive to the famous prehistoric monument of Newgrange, where Lincoln and Sinead are already waiting to give the players their next daily challenge. Eibhlin notes that she lives “about twenty minutes away” from Newgrange, feeling some comfort in her familiarity with the local area. In a confessional, Jess laughs as she declares that Eibhlin being so close to home is “probably a good thing for her, as it means she won’t have to travel too far later tonight”.

The thirteen road trippers arrive beside Newgrange, being welcomed by Lincoln and Sinead to the location of their next daily challenge, as well as the final location for one of their Road Trip experiences. Sinead explains to the players that Newgrange had been constructed in the Neolithic era (around 3200 BC), officially making it older than better-known constructs Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt. Although the purpose of Newgrange is unknown, the players are told that it is largely believed to have held religious importance, particularly with the temple being designed so that the rising sunlight of the winter solstice would shine through a specially carved passage atop the complex. In keeping with this purpose, Lincoln tells the players that for their next daily challenge they will be attempting to direct light from the roof passage to a target. However, in order to do this, each player must utilise mirrors which they can place around the interior of the used room to guide the light to the final target. Given that it would not be possible to do this with sunlight, the players are told that there will be a green laser acting as their ‘light’, which will only be activated after they have placed all their mirrors in a position. If a player is unsuccessful, the laser will turn off and they must reorder their mirrors before they can activate it yet again. The player to hit their target in the fastest time will be declared the daily winner and earn themselves a ‘Golden Fob Lifesaver’, whilst the slowest time of the day will see that player nominated alongside Eibhlin in the first repatriation of the season. One by one, the players take on the task, finding that each of them are predictably unable to get the target hit on their first few goes. Of the entire group, only Craig, Gerry and Khadija are shown to struggle, with Gerry particularly having little to no patience for the tediousness of the task, calling it “bloody stupid”. At the end of the task, the eleven participating players are gathered in order to be told the results. Girls Jess, Mary Rose and Rosee are yet again shown to have finished amongst the top performers of the day, this time joined by Donny after the four of them are said to have “extremely impressive times”. In the end, Mary Rose is revealed to have received the quickest time, earning her a ‘Golden Fob Lifesaver’, with the other three all finishing within a thirty second timeframe behind her. Of the bottom three, Gerry is revealed to have finished slower than both Craig and Khadija, leaving him nominated alongside Eibhlin. Lincoln tells both nominees that they’ll be given a few hours to campaign before one of them becomes the first player to leave the road trip.

Soon after the results, Jess is heard congratulating Mary Rose on her win, laughing with Rosee at the fact the three of them have managed to place high in both the challenges so far. Feeling irritated by what he perceives to be Jess ‘gloating’, Craig criticises Jess for her remarks, believing them to be arrogant and disregarding of those who haven’t done so well. Jess appears confused by Craig’s attack, questioning what it was that she had said to make him so upset. The two bicker back and forth as to the nature of Jess’ comments, with Craig adamant that they were “fishing for compliments” as she “wants people to say ‘oh well done, Jess… you’re amazing’”. Jess rolls her eyes at Craig, finding his emotional outburst embarrassing as she tells him to act his age, highlighting that he is “like ten years older than (her)”. Wanting to get one last jab in retaliation, Jess facetiously apologises to Craig, telling him “I’m sorry that I have done well in two challenges and that you almost lost the same two, even though you had an advantage in one. I understand this must be difficult for you”. An angered Craig chooses to ignore Jess’ closing remarks, instead approaching Pamela to share a cigarette as they are joined by Craig’s unofficial friend and ally Elias. The pair check in on Craig, who voices his frustrations towards Jess, but promises not to dwell on her or pay it too much mind, instead wanting to focus on who they’ll be voting out between Eibhlin and Gerry. Pamela admits that she doesn’t particularly care who leaves, enabling both men to vocalise a desire to save Gerry, wanting to keep him in the game after bonding with him the previous day. Craig admits to feeling some guilt at ousting Eibhlin, particularly as the two of them mark the first instance in Road Trip of two transgender individuals being on a season together. However, he remarks that “the label isn’t enough for me to want to keep her when she’s just getting on everyone’s nerves”. Despite the boys wanting to save Gerry, Eibhlin is shown to be campaigning hard for her survival, promising loyalty to those who can spare her a vote, whilst also highlighting that Gerry is “less likely to want to get involved with the fun side” of Road Trip. Elsewhere, Gerry plays-up the approachable and friendly grandpa role, hoping to win over the voters who’ll sympathise with his position and also view him as a non-threat going forward in future challenges. At sunset, the thirteen players join Lincoln and Sinead outside the entrance of Newgrange, placing their key-fobs into the holder for the player they wish to eliminate from the game. A near unanimous 8-1 vote is declared to have eliminated Eibhlin from the game, ironically just minutes away from her own house. A tearful Eibhlin says her goodbyes, voicing “endless regrets” in her final words, jokingly requesting “give me the call-back if you need any future ‘Redeemers’ someday”. Gerry thanks the players for keeping him safe after Eibhlin departs, able to deduce that Rabeena was the sole vote to eliminate him from the game. The twelve remaining players return to their nearby RVs, sleeping overnight on the grounds of Newgrange before moving on to their next destination.

Episode #3 - Belfast and Furious
The morning after Eibhlin’s repatriation, the twelve remaining road trippers set-off in their RVs towards Belfast, crossing the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the symbolic nature of the crossing and entry into the United Kingdom being a popular talking point amongst the players in both RVs. Craig and Rabeena are shown to bond over their mutual opposition to ‘sectarian politics’, with Craig growing up within a Protestant family in Northern Ireland leaving him around ‘a household of full-on unionists’, believing that the obsession over ‘religious’ and ‘nationalistic’ politics in Ireland has worsened living conditions for marginalised groups and prevented progress. Rabeena agrees with this sentiment, making a comparison between the Catholic-Protestant divide and the attitudes towards her parents, with her mother being white-Irish Catholic and her father being a Muslim-Nigerian immigrant, believing that the senseless opposition to different faiths and backgrounds mixing would have ultimately prevented her own existence. Nearby, Pamela and Mary Rose finish listening to the pair speak, turning to one another to quietly whisper their own views on the sectarian politics and situation in Ireland. The two women are heard quietly wheezing and giggling as Mary Rose declares she “couldn’t give a shit about it all”, with Pamela agreeing that “it’s so tiring listening to the same bloody thing over and over”. The girls somewhat mock the optimistic outlook of others, with Pamela claiming that “if only the IRA and UVF had them two give a peace talk… they’d have laid the guns down quicker”. Both the women continue bonding and laughing, mutually agreeing that they are tired of Northern Ireland in particular being synonymous with The Troubles, believing that “it has so much more to offer”. In the other RV, Gerry excitedly tells Khadija that he “cannot wait to be back in Belfast”, having lived and worked in the city his entire life. Khadija eagerly listens as Gerry explains his long career as an SDLP activist, hoping to one day see a Northern Ireland independent of the United Kingdom. Explaining his frustrations around “equating the want of a United Ireland or an independent Northern Ireland with somehow hating the Brits”, Gerry tells Khadija that he hopes the exposure Northern Ireland will get through the show will help those both within Ireland and the United Kingdom see that positive relations and independence are not mutually exclusive benefits.

Arriving in Belfast, the players head to a local café where they’re treated to breakfast, with a majority of the group opting for Northern Ireland’s national dish of an ‘Ulster fry’. Whilst eating, Mary Rose opens up about the stigmatisation of travellers, acknowledging why there is a lot of anti-traveller sentiment across the British Isles. Mary Rose admits that she and her family are ‘settled travellers’, believing that her inclusion in the show can help alleviate negative stereotypes of her community and positively represent “what a modern traveller can look like”. The other players appear moved by Mary Rose’s story, growing in their admiration towards her and appreciating that she was able to open up in this manner. Despite the positive sentiment towards Mary Rose’s story, John, Jess and Rabeena come together outside the café to discuss their perception that Mary Rose ‘is a much bigger threat than she is given credit for’, worrying that she is somebody who has the capacity to sway a jury if she was able to reach the final two. The trio acknowledge that Mary Rose is ‘far from stupid’ like people had initially tried to claim, believing that the negative stereotypes of travellers left them underestimating her intelligence and capability of playing the game. Back in the café, Craig and Donny sit deep in conversation about losing Eibhlin as representation, leaving the two of them the only openly LGBT players in the cast. Craig tells Donny that despite both voting for Eibhlin, that he believes it is important for the two of them to remain in the game working together, proposing that they “know (they’re) good with each other” without having to officiate anything as of yet. Donny agrees to the proposal, glad to have formed his first alliance of the season, giving him hope that he wont be an outcast as he had feared.

After eating, the players head to meet Lincoln and Sinead at the Titanic Belfast memorial museum. There, they are told by their hosts that they’ll be given a tour of the museum, detailing the history of the ill-fated HMS Titanic (that had been constructed in Belfast), along with other White Star Line vessels. With the tour over, the players are then told that they’ll be taking part in their next daily challenge. One at a time, they will face a replica dining room with a table of first-class passengers, with the players expected to memorise the orders of twelve passengers without writing down the orders, delivering the correct dishes to their table in one attempt. If a single order is wrong, players are told they must remove all dishes and retake the orders, with the goal being to get the correct dishes to each passenger in the fewest attempts. Throughout the task, most players are shown to get several attempts wrong before finally correctly placing all the dishes. Donny, Gerry, Khadija, Pamela and Rabeena are shown to struggle the most in the task, with Gerry joking that his age has left him with a terrible memory, and Rabeena tearfully declaring that the task reminded her too much of her time as an underpaid restaurant server. At the end of the challenge, the players come together to hear the results. Sinead shockingly confirms that John was the only player able to get all twelve dishes right on his first attempt, being the clear winner and earning himself his second victory. Lincoln then announces that of the bottom players, that Pamela took the most attempts, and therefore automatically finds herself nominated for repatriation. John is then told to select his nominee to face Pamela, leaving him momentarily thinking as he tries to whittle down his choices. Believing it to be a ‘safe’ option, John selects oldest player and previous nominee Gerry to face Pamela, apologising and stating that it “feels like the best thing for (his) game”. Gerry and the group appear somewhat surprised by the result, with Gerry hugging a saddened Pamela as they prepare to face off in the second repatriation vote.

With just an hour to campaign, Gerry speaks in his confessional about believing that he and John are “at odds because of who we are… he’s a self-proclaimed good Prod boy… I don’t stand for the things he does, and I think there’s a bit of resentment on his part there”. Gerry is approached by Craig, who assures him that both he and Elias will continue their loyalty towards him by voting Pamela to leave, with Gerry also confident that he can get Khadija, Mary Rose and Rosee on their side. Despite also doing her best to campaign, Pamela notices a large section of the group already set in their minds on saving Gerry, apologising to her as she “doesn’t have the numbers” to save herself. Marc spends time talking with Pamela, telling her that he doesn’t want Gerry to be saved a second time due to feeling that he will be given a free ride throughout the game, also concerned by his closeness to other players. Pamela reminds Marc that they need five votes to claim a majority, feeling somewhat overwhelmed and uncertain where the other four votes will come from. Miraculously, Mary Rose approaches Pamela, with the two women having formed a growing bond over the last twenty-four hours. Mary Rose tells Pamela that she will regretfully be voting Gerry out, not wanting to “give in to the numbers and let your one slip by again”, going on to award Pamela the title “an honorary Cash”. The girls are glad to hear that Rabeena too is secretly willing to vote for Gerry, having been worried that she was alone in still wanting him out after their fight the previous day. With just twenty-minutes to go before the vote, both sides seem concerned at the tightness of the result, although Pamela remains pessimistic that she won’t find the last two votes needed to reach a majority. Despite her fears, Mary Rose and Marc both heavily push for a ‘save Pamela’ result, approaching Donny, Jess, Khadija and Rosee due to the four of them appearing ‘non-aligned’ to either nominee. At the voting ceremony, the players gather around the replica dining table, casting their key-fobs for the player they’d like to leave the game. The vote dramatically reaches a 4-4 tie, with Marc and Mary Rose successfully ensuring that Rosee joined the two of them and Rabeena in voting for Gerry, whilst Khadija and Jess join Craig and Elias in voting for Pamela. The final vote belonging to Donny is the last to be drawn, surprisingly eliminating Gerry in a narrow result, with Donny choosing to save the player that he felt he’d have more chance connecting with long-term after neither had particularly made an effort with him. A shocked Gerry says his goodbyes to the group, laughing as he becomes the second player in a row to be eliminated in his hometown. With the exception of Rabeena, the group applaud Gerry as he exits the museum, feeling proud of the oldest member for giving the road trip a go despite his early exit. The remaining eleven players grab their belongings and head back to the RVs, with Craig and Elias in particular wanting to know how a vote that appeared to be secured in their favour was able to flip at the last minute.

Episode #4 - A Giant Move
Following the sudden vote flip against Gerry at the last repatriation, the remaining eleven players return to their RVs in order to get ready for a nights rest. However, several players appear to instead want answers as to how the vote flipped, believing that they may now be in unwanted positions for voting against Pamela rather than Gerry. When questioned, Rosee tells either side of the vote that she had voted with them, with her lies soon coming to light and being exposed as everybody compares notes to see who voted where. Realising that Rosee is senselessly telling people what they want to hear, the group begin to perceive her as ‘messy’ and ‘a liar’, not certain that she has any true loyalties if she is willing to lie so pointlessly. Only non-Irish players Elias and Jess pull John to one side, questioning him as to how the vote was able to change, enabling John to admit that he perceived Marc to be the main instigator in changing the vote. Despite John declaring that he was glad to see his nominee Gerry leave, both Elias and Jess voice their anger about Marc’s actions, with Elias calling Marc “a snake” after he had told him that he’d also be voting for Pamela. Jess tells both men that she hasn’t liked Marc since the first day due to shoving her during the library challenge, promising that she’ll “send him packing” if she gets the chance in the near future. Elsewhere, Rabeena appears in high-spirits as she cooks a quick meal in the RV microwave for herself; gloating that nemesis Gerry was able to leave the game before her. In her confessional, Rabeena notes “I’m sorry to his grandkids or whatever who won’t be getting the money… but, your grandfather is a nasty piece of work and if you’re anything like him, then I don’t care” (despite the fact that Gerry’s grandchildren are all under ten years old). As a majority of the group head to sleep, a still awake trio of Marc, Mary Rose and John head outside the RVs in order to speak quietly together. Marc proposes that they formulate a new alliance, believing that the three of them plus Pamela would be a ‘strong final four’. Mary Rose and John are both happy to accept the proposal, with Mary Rose claiming that she’ll let Pamela know of their plans in the morning. Before ending the conversation, Marc confesses to the pair that he’d like to try and continue working with Elias despite his voting for Pamela, citing that they had a good relationship prior to the move against Gerry. Without exposing their earlier conversation, John warns Marc that Elias is upset about the result, thinking that it would “be best to give it a bit of time before trying to talk to him”. However, Mary Rose points out that “someone else is leaving this thing tomorrow night, so don’t leave it too long now”.

The next morning, the players set-off from Belfast to County Antrim, with the next destination being the famous World Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway. On the short one hour journey, close friends and allies Mary Rose and Pamela sit together as they share a family-sized packet of ‘Taytos’. The two women discuss Marc’s proposal that they work alongside himself, John and potentially Elias in a new alliance, which Pamela tells Mary Rose she is “chuffed” to hear, despite wishing that John would have made effort with her prior to making an alliance with her by-proxy. Although the women are in agreement on the alliance, they both voice a concern towards the desired inclusion of Elias, thinking that he likely has allies elsewhere in the game, with Mary Rose stating that she thinks “the three queer ones; Craig, Donny and (Elias), they’re in something together”. Pamela corrects Mary Rose by informing her that Elias is in fact not gay, but ultimately agrees that he could be working with Craig and Donny, with neither woman acknowledging that Donny had in fact been one of the key votes that saved Pamela. In a confessional, Pamela reiterates her belief that the alliance will be good for her game, but that beyond Marc and Mary Rose she “doesn’t trust a single one of them”, feeling that players like Elias and John are working multiple sides and unlikely going to offer her any real loyalty. As the women continue talking, they are joined by Khadija, who does her best to try and bond with the ladies for the first time all season. In a confessional, Khadija stipulates that after voting incorrectly for Pamela to leave, she wants to re-think her strategy and start aligning with those who appear to be the ones that hold the power. Despite Khadija’s assertion that she is being discreet, both Pamela and Mary Rose appear to see through this tactic. Nevertheless, they hesitantly engage with Khadija for the remainder of the journey, knowing that it will be useful to have one less player on the tour working against them. In her own confessional, Mary Rose laughs-off the interactions with Khadija, having been reminded that she was “happy to call me out and try pick a fight with me all round Dublin, but now she’s changed her tune because she’s got her tail between her legs”.

At midday, the players arrive at Antrim’s coastal region, taking an hour outside their RVs to look around at the stunning natural formations of the Giant’s Causeway that has given the area such distinction. After being given a short-while to look around the formation, the players are met by Lincoln and Sinead, who then lead the group towards the Carrick-a-Rede rope suspension bridge. Lincoln tells the players that the bridge is situated 100-feet above the sea below, with the total length of the bridge being 66-feet long. Sinead explains to the group that for their next daily challenge, they “will each be tested on speed, precision, nerve and balance”, with the goal of the challenge being to transport a beanbag atop their heads from one end of the bridge to the other. If a player drops their beanbag, or uses their hands to touch it or the sides of the bridge, then the distance they made will be taken. The individual to have the least distance will automatically face repatriation, whilst the individual to get the furthest will be crowned the daily winner and have the right to choose the second nominee. In any instance of a tie on distance, the player with the faster time will be given preferential treatment. Throughout the task, each player tries their best to get as far as possible in the quickest time, wanting to at worst finish above the last-place individual. First to perform Craig is able to get the entire way across the bridge, joking afterwards that he is “glad to have had bottom surgery… so (he) could feel all the right parts shrivel in fear”. Craig appears pleased as he sees next performers Rabeena, Rosee and John all fail to reach the end of the course, with John visibly dropping his beanbag at the earliest distance thus far. Despite seeing Khadija, Mary Rose and Marc also lose their beanbags early, John and the others remain unsure as to which of them will be in last place, with it being hard to tell the likely small distances between them. The same confusion is bestowed upon Craig as he sees Donny, Elias, Jess and Pamela all reach the end of the bridge without losing their beanbags, leaving it down to time to determine which of them has won. Several minutes later, Sinead reveals that of the bottom four, that Marc ultimately lost his beanbag the earliest after just nine metres, with John narrowly avoiding falling into last place by half a metre. Lincoln then announces that of the players who reached the end, that Pamela has gone “from worst to first” and taken the daily win in the fastest time, giving her the right to nominate somebody for repatriation to face Marc. Surprising everybody, Pamela wastes no time in announcing that John will be her nominee, claiming that it “is the fairest choice (she) could make” considering that he finished in second last place. In actuality, Pamela declares in her confessional that she feels “a real sense of doubt” in John as a player, particularly not wanting him to retain his lifesaver further into the game. Rather than put his social bonds to the test, John hands his lifesaver over to Sinead, rendering Pamela’s nomination void and forcing her to select a second. Pleased to have flushed John’s idol, Pamela takes a moment longer to decide her replacement nominee, wanting to select somebody that will leave the game over her ‘ally’ Marc. In the end, Pamela chooses Donny, feeling that he is close to those not working with her, and somebody that has few friends and thus would make an ‘easy vote’. Donny looks around saddened as he takes his place besides Marc, unsure why Pamela would nominate him when he had voted to save her at the previous repatriation. Nonetheless, Lincoln tells Donny and Marc that they’ll have the remainder of the afternoon to fight for their lives in the game, before one of them becomes the third to leave the road trip.

Immediately following the nominations, the players walk with Lincoln and Sinead towards Dunluce Castle, located a short-distance from Carrick-a-Rede. Mary Rose quickly pulls Pamela to one side, wanting to know why she had nominated John despite being ‘aligned’ with him. Pamela explains her mistrust in John, admitting that whilst it was an emotional and rash decision, that she thinks it will be better for them that Mary Rose is the only player in the game with a lifesaver. Mary Rose is privately heard calling Pamela “a bit thick” for the move, worried that it will have broken up their alliance at the worst possible moment with Marc in danger. On the walk, Donny is shown to be tearing up as he faces the reality that his time on the road trip may be over, feeling overwhelmed that he is at risk of leaving due to not cementing enough bonds thus far. Craig places his arms around his friend, doing his best to comfort him in this difficult moment. Hoping to give his friend a shot of surviving, Craig tells Donny to ‘play up the gay best friend/sweet gay boy card’, believing that “the girls will eat that sort of thing up” in saving him. Alternatively, Marc remains stoic in the face of potential repatriation, wanting to keep his head firmly in ‘game mode’ by seeking out the votes needed to remain safe. Marc’s ‘allies’ John and Mary Rose are quick to assure him of their support, also knowing that Pamela will break the tie in his favour if they can at least get two additional votes. Pamela does her best to utilise ‘damage control’ with John, with the latter not buying into her excuses of ‘fairness’ as a reason to flush his lifesaver, particularly when they were meant to be in a final four agreement. Regardless of the problems between them, John continues to campaign for Marc, approaching Elias to ensure that his vote is locked in against Donny. The two men agree that Donny is ‘a bit weird’ and ‘too quiet’ to work with, thinking that it shouldn’t be too difficult acquiring a large portion of the votes against him. Elias mentions in a confessional that he believes Craig is the only player to truly want to work with Donny, figuring that this vote will be “the point where Craig and I can’t come to an agreement, and probably go our separate ways now”. The group finally arrive at the 17th Century Dunluce Castle ruins that stands overlooking the tumultuous waters below. Upon arrival, the players are told they’ll have just thirty additional minutes to determine their votes, marking the end for either Donny or Marc. Fearing that Donny’s introverted personality and defeatist attitude won’t do him any favours, Craig tries to spur his friend and ally into saving himself, encouraging him to speak with the girls who “are largely free votes” in the game, believing that Jess and Khadija would willingly vote against Marc due to his lies the previous round. Jess happily agrees to join the vote against Marc, reminding Craig that she isn’t a fan of him, believing that she could do her best to speak with the other girls. Together, Craig and Jess approach both Rosee and Rabeena, noting that neither seem overly connected to Marc’s alliance. As the deliberations draw to a close, both sides ponder if they’ve done enough to obtain the majority, with Craig and Donny feeling less confident due to the stronger organisation of Marc’s alliance. However, the group are all left speechless as the four ‘floating’ female votes were shown to unite in siding with Craig and Donny, ousting Marc in a 5-3 result and removing a ‘schemer’ who they mutually felt they couldn’t trust. Marc and his allies hug one another in shock as they realise their group has crumbled at its first hurdle, breaking-up any notion of their success lasting until the final four-five. Donny holds his emotions together as he hugs Craig and the girls who saved him, feeling thankful that they have managed to flip the game once more just twenty-four hours after the other side did the same. The players leave Marc standing in the darkened ruins of Dunluce, heading back to the RV for another night of post-vote fallout.

Episode #5 - Getting Down in Derry
The remaining ten players return to the RVs shortly after ousting Marc from the game in another surprising blindside, with the ruins of Dunluce still visible in the background. All the players agree to standing outside in order to speak over what had gone down to change the result and spare Donny, wanting to all be aware where the allegiances currently stand. The eligible voters all happily raise their hands to indicate who voted where, hesitantly leading some to explain that they ‘went with the numbers’ or ‘didn’t feel close to Marc’. In a confessional, Craig criticises those giving ‘cop-out’ answers, wanting everybody to be honest that the reason they voted Marc was “because he, Mary Rose, John and Pamela were forming some sort of group with or without Elias”, thinking none of them should be ashamed of dismantling an alliance that didn’t include them. Craig whispers these views to Khadija as the others ‘mediate’, with Khadija agreeing that she finds the whole thing tedious, pointing out that the two of them had voted incorrectly for Pamela to leave the round previous, and that neither of them received ‘apologies’ for being lied to. Whilst most of the players choose to get sleep before their next day of travel, Elias requests to have a private chat with Craig, wanting to establish whether his once friend and ally would still work with him despite the last vote. Craig admits to Elias that he felt burned by perceptions that he was joining an alliance with Marc and others, assuming that such an alliance wouldn’t include him. Although Elias acknowledges this, he continues to act burned by Craig, refusing to accept that Craig organising the blindside on Marc was ultimately the best thing for his game, instead trying to paint Craig as a ‘villain’. Craig calls Elias ‘immature and selfish’ for his viewpoint, declaring that they’re evidently no longer on the same page, and need to accept “whatever happens, happens… I have my people… you have your people minus one… we let the game play out”. Elias shakes his head and returns to the opposing RV, agreeing in his confessional that he and Craig are ‘finished’ as friends and allies, and hoping that he can somehow regroup with others to retain some influence in the game.

On the fifth day of the road trip, the players drive the RVs one hour from the Giant’s Causeway towards the city of Derry (officially Londonderry). Feeling some nerves after allowing his conversation with Elias to turn so sour, Craig concentrates on being widely social throughout the day, particularly in order to strengthen the trust he has made with those that voted alongside him, as well as mending fences with those that had been aligned to Marc. Craig’s strategy appears to be successful, earning him greater security and credence within the group. Arriving in Derry, the group are given some free time before being instructed to meet Lincoln and Sinead for their next daily challenge. Several players choose to visit Derry’s famous city walls, whilst others led by Jess and Rabeena head towards the mural depicting characters of popular comedy series ‘Derry Girls’. Whilst at the mural, Mary Rose appears to be in a negative mood, still reeling from losing ally Marc. Mary Rose claims in a confessional that she ‘doesn’t take being lied to lightly’, finding that she cannot forgive someone who shows her “such great levels of disrespect to lie to (her)”. Rabeena tries to question Mary Rose being ‘sensitive’ in the game, leading Mary Rose to respond harshly, telling Rabeena that she and the other girls “are a bunch of lying cheats, no good lying cheats”. Laughing at the label, Rabeena tells Mary Rose to “reel it in, sweetie”, with the response causing Mary Rose to become even more heated. The two women argue back and forth for several minutes as Jess and Rosee try to take a selfie in the background, eventually forcing the girls to stop and break-up the fight. Rosee takes Rabeena to one side, reminding her not to give a rise to Mary Rose, believing that it could turn ugly if she is seen to be provoking her. Rabeena apologies for ‘lowering herself’, claiming that she finds the ‘self-victimising’ of those aligned with Marc “disgusting”, hoping to respond by sending them each out of the game in succession. Rosee nods in agreement, reminding Rabeena that the two of them, Jess, Craig and Donny currently hold the power, and that ‘unless they really screw up, one of the others will be the next to leave’. Back at the city walls, Elias decides to take time to try and save face by engaging with Donny, doing his best to explain his reasons for voting him out. Being a forgiving individual, Donny tells Elias that he doesn’t hold it against him, understanding that players will always vote for whoever they feel closer to in the moment. Elias tells Donny that there is no reason the two of them cannot now form a friendship, believing that it is never too late to start one up on Road Trip. Donny agrees, glad to finally find that others are willing to approach him. However, he claims in a confessional to be aware that this is because “Elias knows he is at the bottom, and he wants to claw his way up, and probably thinks I’m the easiest route”.

After a quick group lunch, the players reconvene besides the ‘Bloody Sunday Memorial’ located within Derry, finding Lincoln and Sinead stood beside it waiting for them. There, Sinead tells the players that due to the sensitive but prominent history of ‘The Troubles’ that took place within Derry, their next daily challenge will involve each player decorating their own political placard to commemorate Derry and the lives lost on all sides of the conflict. During the task, Derry born and raised player Pamela appears to overthink the task, feeling extra pressure not to disappoint, but also disliking the idea of making any references to ‘The Troubles’ in her placard, believing that her city “has so much more to offer”. In avoiding the reference, Pamela makes the risqué choice to incorporate the Republic of Ireland’s tricoloured flag into her placard, not completely aware that this would be missing Sinead’s briefing. Rosee also appears to struggle with the task, claiming that arts and crafts had “never been (her) strong suit”, instead admitting that she was “more one for drama and home ec… I make a mean mac n’ cheese thanks to Miss Fitzsimmons”. Alternatively, Rabeena and Khadija are both shown to be more confident in the task, believing themselves to be ‘creative minds’ rather than purely academic ones. Each player is made to display their placard to a judge and give a one minute presentation as to its symbolism and what inspiration they can draw to Derry and its history. The judge ranks all the placards from worst to best, with Lincoln revealing that Khadija topped the ranking ahead of Rabeena and has won her first daily challenge. On the other end of the ranking, Pamela was declared to have the ‘least impressive’ placard, with the judge calling her ideas ‘mixed and confusing’ compared to the others, failing to see how they could be linked directly to Derry as a city. An embarrassed Pamela holds back tears as Khadija is asked to select her nominee to face her, with Khadija surprising a few players as she chooses to target Jess, claiming that “it feels that you have already had a shot to win money in a game, whereas none of us have”. Jess stands in confusion as the nomination is made, having failed to realise that her past on Big Brother 17 had been perceived as a negative by anyone on the tour, particularly somebody she assumed would work alongside her due to voting Marc together at the last repatriation. Before Sinead can address the two nominees, Mary Rose speaks up and walks over with her lifesaver, handing it to Sinead and declaring that “that’s for Pamela, because I want all the girls here to know that I look out for my ones, and I don’t stab people in the back like they went and did to me, sure. Pamela isn’t going anywhere as long as I had that one in my pocket”. A tearful Pamela embraces friend and ally Mary Rose, ecstatic to have been spared potential repatriation, with Sinead announcing that as per the rules the next lowest player in the challenge will be nominated; Rosee. The two nominees are told that they’ll have the afternoon to campaign around central Derry, before the group meet together by the city walls to cast their votes and see who will be the final pre-juror of the season.

Facing-off, both Jess and Rosee quickly get to work trying to find the four votes needed to stay in the game. Rosee is assured by former ally Elias that he still has intentions of working with her, believing that they could get Mary Rose and Pamela on their side, whilst Rosee also ponders a belief that she could get Craig and Rabeena. Elsewhere, Jess rants to Rabeena about Khadija’s decision to nominate her, with both women confused why Khadija decided to “blow up any chance of stability for one round”. Jess tells Rabeena that she is the only player she completely trusts, with Rabeena paying the same compliment back in return, hoping that they can convince the rest of the anti-Marc brigade to ignore Khadija’s move and vote against Rosee for being “a little all over the place”. As the girls talk, they are approached by Pamela, who uses the opportunity to apologise to Jess for finding herself in this position, knowing that facing a repatriation ‘is never easy’. Jess and Rabeena canvass Pamela for her vote, telling Pamela that their target will likely be on Khadija for her deception, which ultimately would “be good for (Pamela’s) game”. Pamela admits to the girls that Khadija isn’t massively on her radar, instead reminding them that she had nominated John the previous round, and that she would do the same again if she were to win another daily challenge. Jess and Rabeena gladly tell Pamela that they’d happily prioritise ousting John if that would win her support, particularly as neither have any intention of working with him. Pamela confesses to the girls that John had been the main one ‘forming’ alliances, claiming that he forced her and Mary Rose into it, whilst also bringing in players like Elias, which Pamela says “broke (her) trust” as it showed “John has too many fingers in too many pies”. In a confessional, Pamela notes that making the deal was ultimately to try and ensure John would leave, but also wanting to prevent Rabeena and Mary Rose from feuding senselessly and putting her ally in any danger. Although Pamela claims that she will be voting Rosee regardless, she realises that convincing Mary Rose will be difficult, thinking that the alliances formed last round are likely going to shift again in this upcoming vote and reshape the game for a third straight time. As the campaigning draws to a close, Rosee hopes that her largely social game has been enough to save her, but worries that her slip-up with pointless lies after Gerry left won’t have damaged her chances too much. Similarly, Jess expects her personal connections will earn her some support, but fears that her reality TV past may unfairly leave her a threat in others’ minds. The players all cast their votes beside Derry’s city walls, with the vote initially tied 2-2 after Craig and Elias stand by ally Rosee, and Rabeena and Pamela stand alongside Jess. Donny is then shown to have additionally voted for Rosee after feeling better about Jess and Rabeena’s pitch, whilst Pamela is shown to have convinced Mary Rose, who in turn was able to ironically get John on side to easily eliminate Rosee in a 5-2 result. Rosee laughs and exclaims “damn” as her time on Road Trip is declared to be finished, having hoped to have at least made the jury. Nevertheless, Rosee announces to have had a positive experience, hugging everybody goodbye and wishing them luck for the future before departing the area via taxi. Lincoln and Sinead congratulate Jess and the other eight remaining players, confirming that at worst they will end the game as members of the jury, and all have a say on which of them becomes the next Champion of the Road Trip.

Episode #6 - Over the Rainbow
The final nine players return to the RVs following Rosee’s repatriation, getting ready for bed before they move onto a new location in the morning. Whilst getting ready, Khadija appears to still be reeling from her failed move against Jess, realising that this may now mean she is at risk going into the next round. Riddled with paranoia, Khadija begins talking around the group in order to establish how Jess was able to stay, also prying for information to determine which others had fought to keep her in. This behaviour quickly irritates a majority of the group, with several players wishing that she would ‘shut up and quiet down, finding it to be a trend this season that players ‘cannot handle when a vote doesn’t go their way’. The next morning, the players undergo a five-hour journey from Belfast back across the border into the Republic of Ireland, with the final destination of the day being Connemara National Park in County Galway on Ireland’s west coast. On the journey, Khadija tries her best to mend some of her bonds, approaching Jess’ friend and ally Rabeena in order to assure her that it was purely a game move against Jess and “not at all personal”. Although not completely in agreement, Rabeena accepts Khadija’s claims that the two of them have no bad blood, and that just because she and Jess are not on the same page, that it doesn’t mean the two of them cannot still be civil. Wanting to somewhat stir the pot, Rabeena confesses to Khadija that a large push to save Jess was given by Pamela, revealing that she had gotten Mary Rose and John on side to ultimately give them the numbers, with this information surprising Khadija, who now regards Pamela as being “two-faced and shifty” as a player. The two girls agree that Pamela is not somebody to be underestimated, pondering if it would be worthwhile to take a shot at her in the upcoming repatriation.

Arriving in Connemara National Park, the players take a moment to pull over and have a group picnic, which they are forced to have inside the RV due to the foggy cold weather currently residing over the west coast. As the group clear up their lunch, John manages to get both Elias and Rabeena alone, wanting to propose to them an offer to go towards the end of the game together. In his confessional, John highlights his concern that his previous alliance is “dead and buried” thanks to losing Marc, also not completely having trust in Pamela and Mary Rose. Instead, John notes having more trust in Elias still, and also identifies Rabeena as someone who is straight talking and more reliable, hoping that as a three they can work together to reach the end portion of the game. Both Rabeena and Elias are willing to accept the deal, knowing that it would be foolish to ever turn down offers of loyalty in Road Trip. However, Rabeena reiterates in a confessional that her main loyalty will not waver from Jess, and that if John and Elias cannot also keep Jess safe then she “will have no reason to stick by either of them”. Similarly, Elias voices private concern about Rabeena, knowing that the two of them have had virtually no proper interactions all game, and also knowing that she was instrumental in sending his ally Rosee home at the last vote. Once the players have finished cleaning up, they all head a short distance further into the park, finding Lincoln and Sinead already waiting for them in order to begin their next daily challenge. For their challenge, the players are told that they’ll be ‘following the rainbow until they reach the pot of gold’. Each player will begin with an identical map, searching across miles of the parks difficult terrain in order to find posts that are adjourned with one of the seven rainbow colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). Each post when found will contain a token that displays a number, with the players collecting all seven numbers in order to come up with a combination for a final lock that is located at the finish line. The first player to crack the combination will earn the ‘treasure’ of the daily win, and the right to nominate somebody for repatriation. The player who is the last to correctly solve the combination will automatically face repatriation themselves, with the next player eliminated becoming the first member of the jury.

All nine players are given several minutes to prepare, knowing that with the wind, fog and light drizzle that this could turn into a difficult challenge. Sinead reminds the players that they cannot work together at any point during the challenge, but there is nothing stopping them from ‘trailing’ one another, apart from the fact that “nobody who trails will finish in first place”. As the task begins, all the players begin rushing in different directions, trying to following their maps in order to locate the coloured posts. After thirty-minutes, Jess and Donny are shown to currently be in the lead with the amount of tokens retrieved, with Donny now trailing Jess in order to find the last few posts. Jess becomes annoyed by Donny’s trailing, telling him to “piss off and find them yourself”, with Jess fruitlessly trying to jog ahead of Donny, who is able to keep her in sight. Khadija, Mary Rose and Rabeena are all shown to have a tough time during the competition, finding the map difficult to follow and wishing that they had just trailed somebody else, particularly as they each individually fear they are currently in last place. Donny is able to race past Jess to be the first person back to the finish line, putting his tokens down in order to start trying them against his combination lock. Jess arrives moments later, still angered that Donny was able to ‘leech’ off her own success, with Donny in turn feeling soured by Jess’ anger over the situation. Despite Donny being ahead, he fails to realise that the task was ‘following the rainbow’, with Jess being the first to identify that the numbers must be entered in the order of the rainbow’s colours. Successfully entering her combination, Jess is crowned the daily winner, giving her both safety and the right to nominate somebody for repatriation. As Jess celebrates, she sees both Craig and Elias now trying to solve their combinations, with John arriving moments later as all the women remain out on the course. Donny and Craig are eventually able to take second and third place, congratulating Jess as they take a spot by her under a raincoat. By the time all the players have reached the combination stage of the challenge, Pamela and Elias are shown to have joined those safe, leaving it down to the bottom four to fight it out. Mary Rose and Khadija are finally able to finish, both taking dramatic sighs of relief as they look over at Rabeena and a majorly confused John, with the latter currently accumulating over thirty-minutes on his combination solving. In the end, John is able to realise his errors before Rabeena, cementing her last place position and automatically leaving her up for repatriation. Rabeena holds back her emotions as she mouths an apology to ally Jess, realising that her loss will have greatly reduced the power her friend just won. Lincoln asks Jess to name her nominee to face Rabeena in the repatriation, with Jess strategically and certainly personally selecting Khadija, claiming that it is “a little bit of payback” and someone who she thinks would be easier for Rabeena to survive against. The two Dublin women are told that they’ll have an hour to campaign for their safety before one of their experiences comes to its final end.

After the nominations, Khadija wishes Rabeena luck, assuring Jess that there are “no hard feelings” on her part. Jess remarks in a confessional that “of course there aren’t hard feelings, she started this”. Worrying that her argument with Donny could have somewhat pushed him away from herself and Rabeena, Jess quickly approaches him after the results, apologising for her tone as she tries to explain why she had gotten so frustrated. Donny nods and listens to Jess, assuring her that he hasn’t taken it to heart, but that he felt she was being “overly harsh” considering all he had done was follow her trail. Jess acknowledges her ‘bad attitude’ in the task, hoping that Donny can see by her actions after that it was just “competitiveness” rather than there being any malice or bad blood between them. The pair hug it out as Jess continues to hope that he will remain on her side by voting for Khadija. Elsewhere, Rabeena already begins her campaigning to stay safe, speaking with Craig due to believing they have a semi-decent relationship, also wanting to speak with Pamela to continue their deal of working together. Finally, Rabeena is able to approach John and Elias, lying that she is interested in sticking to John’s proposed final three plan, and believing that if she can secure their votes then she has the three needed for her to remain in the game. Despite this, Khadija also is shown to be fighting hard in order to remain in the game, going to those spoken to by Rabeena and trying to undo any positive interactions she may have had with those players. First, Khadija speaks with Donny and Mary Rose, telling both that she feels like a rogue agent in the game, whilst Rabeena is closely aligned to Jess and also going around trying to make side deals with others. Mary Rose agrees with Khadija’s perception, finding Rabeena difficult to trust and read, and also not liking the power that she and Jess have had the previous few days. Donny tells both girls that he feels Rabeena and Jess only try to approach him when they need something, and that with alliances hard to define it makes their behaviour even more difficult to read. Khadija promises both that if they’re able to vote for her to remain in the game that she would not target either, ensuring to keep her target on Jess until she has left the game. Next, Khadija approaches John and Elias shortly after Rabeena, asking both men what deal Rabeena had tried to offer them. John remains silent on their conversation, whilst Elias willingly reveals that Rabeena is pitching her safety by offering them deals in return, with Khadija bending the truth as she claims “she offered the same to Donny, Mary Rose and Pamela”, also going as far to tell the boys that “but, she had also said to me earlier today that she wanted Pamela out whilst she was also making alliances with her”. Elias claims that he “knew (Rabeena) was lying through her teeth”, whilst John remains sceptical and not completely willing to believe what Khadija is selling them. Khadija tells both men she is happy for them to spread this information around, claiming to have nothing to hide if it comes back to her before the vote. At the repatriation, the players stand around a small campfire besides their RVs in the centre of Connemara National Park, with the eligible players casting their key-fobs for either Khadija or Rabeena to leave the game. Khadija’s heavy campaigning and socialising throughout the afternoon is shown to have ultimately swayed a majority of the votes, blindsiding Rabeena in a 4-2 result after only Craig and John voted to keep her in the game. Jess and Rabeena look at one another surprised, hugging as Jess promises her that she’ll “get them” for her fallen friend. Khadija thanks those who voted to keep her as Rabeena says her goodbyes, receiving a wink off Mary Rose, assuring her that they’re on much better terms heading into the second half of the game. After Rabeena is whisked away to be sequestered at the jury house, the final eight listen as Lincoln and Sinead tell them to get an early night due to a long day of travel being ahead of them in the morning.

Episode #7 - He's a Baby with a Beard
The morning after Rabeena’s repatriation, the remaining eight players drive towards the Irish coast in order to catch a ferry ride to the Aran Islands; a group of three islands in Galway Bay that acts as home to a population of around just 1200 individuals. On the boat ride over, the players are told that a majority of the island inhabitants speak the Irish language over English. Worrying for her safety after losing closest friend and ally Rabeena, Jess is heard complaining as this is announced, hoping that an Irish-language barrier won’t “give (her) and Elias a disadvantage over the others”, particularly as they all have the benefit of growing up in Ireland. Jess’ complaints irritate the group, with a majority pointing out that they speak no Irish formally, and remember nothing of the language other than snippets they’d remembered from schooldays. Allies Mary Rose and Pamela are joined by Khadija towards the back of the boat as the three girls begin complaining about Jess’ ‘ignorant’ remarks, thinking that she is showing signs of spiralling now that she has no more supporters left in the game. Khadija once again thanks both women for helping save her at the last repatriation, promising them to honour their deal by targeting Jess and working alongside them from here on out. The two allies thank Khadija for this, glad to know that they firmly have her in their corner, whilst also appreciating that she and Khadija are after one another rather than either of them. In a confessional, Pamela mentions that it had been brought to her attention that Rabeena was making too many deals, and as a result she couldn’t do anything but vote her out. However, Pamela mentions still having some positive feelings towards Jess, hoping to keep both her and Khadija for the foreseeable future, as she is confident neither pose a threat to her planned final two with Mary Rose.

Arriving on the island of Inishmore, the players exit the ferry as they look around at the somewhat barren and secluded landscape on which they now find themselves. John makes the group laugh as he calls it “a little bit too ‘Wicker Man’ for (his) liking”, noting several locals staring at the group as they are followed by the cameras. The eight players find a selection of bicycles, with instructions telling each player to take their bike (separated into male/female bikes) and its connected lock on a three mile bike ride, where they’ll find a bike shed and the keys needed to lock their bikes up. Unbeknownst to the players, each bike has a pair with an identical lock, with this lock sharing a coloured key, and these keys being determinant in who will pair up with who on the next daily challenge. On the bike ride, John has a tough time managing his bike after he accidentally kicks out his own chain, causing him to veer off course and fall into a narrow ditch, being laughed at by Craig who simply exclaims “ha-ha” as he cycles on by. After a longer than expected bike journey, all eight players arrive at the shed where they find Lincoln and Sinead already waiting for them. Lincoln tells the players that they must now put their bikes into their shed locked up, with the players now noticing that they share a lock with one other player. Sinead confirms that those sharing locks will now be paired up for the next challenge, which will be a team-based duo challenge, with one pair winning and having the sole control over who to repatriate from the losing pair. The pairs are revealed as follows; Craig & Mary Rose, Donny & Pamela, Elias & Jess, and John & Khadija. The players all begin eyeing up their partners as well as the other pairings, knowing that this twist will undoubtedly throw a spanner into the works of everybody’s plans, also certainly being a way to potentially end somebody’s game prematurely. In a confessional, Craig admits to being concerned about having Mary Rose as a partner, making a crude remark that “unless it’s a street brawl or drinking challenge I’m not completely sure what benefits Mary Rose could give me this time”.

After giving everybody a moment to get settled into their pairs, the players are brought by Lincoln and Sinead to a local town hall, where they find that their next task will involve each pair learning a gendered Irish dance routine (‘The Walls of Limerick’), which will be taught via the help of a local professional. With just three hours being given for each pair to learn and master their routine, concentration remains high as nobody wants to be part of the dreaded lowest rated pair. Several pairs are heard agreeing “anything but last place”, being comfortable with a ‘safe’ position in this rare instance. At the end of the three hours, the pairs are randomly drawn in order to determine a running-order for the local judges. First to perform Craig & Mary Rose are given an average review, with the judges noting that they had missed several key steps and lacked ‘cohesion’ as a pairing. Next up, Elias & Jess additionally receive similar critiques, with Elias’ poor footwork costing the pair dearly in the scoring. Surprisingly, John & Khadija provide a decent performance, with the judges nodding enthusiastically as they see the pair nail the timing, as well as generally staying true to the choreography of the dance. Finally, Donny & Pamela give John & Khadija a run for their money, with the group particularly surprised by the teamwork between the pair. The judges draw up the final scores, revealing that John & Khadija have narrowly beaten out Donny & Pamela for the win, giving the pair complete control on who from the losing pair will be repatriated. As for the losing pair, Elias & Jess are revealed to have scored the lowest, leaving both vulnerable for the nights repatriation. Lincoln tells the players that John and Khadija will be given an hour to determine who between the pair they’ll be sending home.

A saddened Jess is quickly comforted by Donny and Pamela, with Jess joking that she “knew the two Londoners wouldn’t stand a chance in this stupid dance”, making both Donny and Pamela laugh as she tells them that she “wishes (they) had won”, instead now certain that John and Khadija will send her home over Elias. Donny asks both Jess and Pamela if they think they’d be able to indirectly sway the pair into voting Elias, with Pamela agreeing that this would be preferential. The trio stand and talk for a moment, agreeing that if everybody takes time to speak with John and Khadija that they may be able to push the target onto Elias instead, although Jess thinks this will be a difficult feat given Khadija’s disliking of her. Pamela grabs Jess’ hand and walks her over to Craig, wanting to get him involved in the ‘backseat driving’ plan to change John and Khadija’s minds. Craig agrees with the girls that he too would rather Elias go, but is frank when he admits that “Elias’ closest people in this game is probably those two… this is going to be impossible to do”. Pamela scolds both Craig and Jess for defeatist attitudes, hating that the power is in John and Khadija’s hands also, but truly believing that all hope is not lost to remove Elias from the game (who Pamela privately asserts as being less useful to her endgame plans than Jess at this stage). As both Jess and Elias are given a moment to pitch their cases to John and Khadija, the other four players sit together to discuss their mutual agreement that they would rather see Elias leave the game, particularly as he is close to John (who none of the four want to work alongside). The foursome agree that in being on the same page they could approach John and Khadija with an ultimatum that ‘they work with us on this vote or we view them as the enemy next round’, believing that in acting forceful they may be able to spare Jess repatriation. However, as the foursome approach John and Khadija, John quickly shuts down the conversation, complaining that he “won’t be bullied into anything by a group”. Mary Rose, Craig and Pamela are heard vocally getting annoyed by the label ‘bully’, questioning John why he won’t listen to them. These questions cause John to spiral more, telling Khadija to “ignore them all” and make her own choice, as he leaves the area to hide in solitude until it is time to vote. John’s bizarre reactions annoy the foursome and those outside it, with Khadija particularly concerned that winning alongside John may leave her guilty by association with his behaviour. In their confessionals, Donny, Craig and Pamela are shown claiming to officially dislike John after his actions, with Pamela saying “he’s an absolute man-child… he’s a baby with a beard… well, I already have four kids back home and not one of them would dare throw a strop like he did today and not expect a clip around the ear in response”. The players are soon brought back together in the hall to cast their votes, with John joining them after supposedly hiding away in the communal toilets so as to not be bombarded by ‘the foursome’ in what is meant to be solely his and Khadija’s decisions. Both Elias and Jess are given a chance to plead their cases again, with Elias telling the pair that he feels he has been “good with them throughout the game and would appreciate some support in return” now that he needs it, whilst Jess reservedly tells them that she’s “sure any decision you’ve come up with is already done, so you go ahead and do what you do because I’m not begging either of you” before laughing and blowing a kiss in an unamused John and Khadija’s directions. As Sinead reveals the votes, Jess’ time on the road trip is revealed to have come to an end in a 2-0 result as expected, knowing that neither John or Khadija were ever truly willing to save her despite support from the four non-voters. Jess says her goodbyes to Elias and the foursome, telling the latter group to “band up and one of you win this” before leaving the town hall for good. The final seven are congratulated by Lincoln and Sinead for surviving the dynamics of the paired challenge, before being told that they’ll be spending the night on Inishmore before returning to mainland Ireland in the morning. The players head together to their local accommodation where they’re told dinner is waiting, knowing that the fallout from John’s outburst has yet to be seen, but that dynamics will certainly have been altered yet again.

Episode #8 - The Sleepover From Hell
Heading into the second week of the road trip, the remaining seven players arise early within their Inishmore island accommodation, heading back towards the ferry to reach the RVs back on the mainland. On the journey, Khadija remains concerned following John’s breakdown after the pair won the last daily challenge, agreeing to oust Jess from the game, but not without opposition from the four safe non-voters in Craig, Donny, Mary Rose and Pamela. Khadija claims in her confessional to be concerned that the round will have pushed her and John further into the periphery, giving the other four an opportunity to team up and work together whilst they claim a numbers advantage. The players all board a single RV, utilising just the one in order to travel through the latter half of the trip. Cramped and cosy, the seven players undertake a three and a half hour journey from Ireland’s west coast to the south-eastern county of Wexford. Donny excitedly talks the players through the potential destinations they could visit within his home county, forgetting that thus far several players have left after reaching their hometowns. After having this brought to his attention, Donny jokes that he “hopes to break that curse today by getting the daily win”, a feat that Craig wishes him luck for, playfully reminding Donny that he’s “yet to win anything so far”. At midday, the players arrive in the town of Gorey, where they’re told they’ll have ‘a completely free afternoon’ before being required to meet Lincoln and Sinead for ‘the sleepover from hell’. Donny tells the players that he'd happily select their activities to do throughout the day, believing that he can be an ‘impromptu tour guide’ until they’re all back with Lincoln and Sinead. Happy to oblige, the players follow Donny as he leads them to the National 1798 Rebellion Heritage Centre, a museum dedicated to famous Irish Rebellion of 1798 that had taken place within the county. Mary Rose and Pamela compliment the ”nice and unusual” vibe of the centres outside pond gardens, with Mary Rose remarking “this is like being in Japan, just the weather is a lot more shit like we’re still in Ireland”. The players spend several hours going around the centre together, enjoying the wide array of displays and interactive experiences, finding that they’re able to honour and learn more about the history of Ireland that Elias admits to being less aware of. Following the 1798 Centre, the players follow Donny as he leads them a thirty-minute distance to the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience; a ship that replicates the harsh conditions that Irish citizens endured when fleeing the almost unliveable situation perpetrated across the country during The Great Famine of the late nineteenth century. The mood of the group dampens as they come face to face with the realities of some of their ancestors, with Pamela particularly tearing up at the representations of children onboard the ship, dreading to think of her own being put through the ordeal. Mary Rose takes her friend outside to get some air, hugging her on the deck of the ship as they mutually agree that it was a tough activity to get through. Despite being upset, both women thank Donny for bringing them to the ship later on, confidently believing that it is important not only for them to see, but for “the world to see the real horrors that our people were put through”, going as far to call the Irish Famine “a genocide that the world doesn’t bother learning about”.

Perhaps ironically, the players agree to head together for a late lunch following their time at the experience, with their appetites somewhat waning after the information they’ve just received. Nevertheless, the group sit together and continue  to be socially in positive spirits, with everyone interacting well despite there still being some divisions between the foursome, Khadija, Elias and John. After eating, the players are sent instructions to drive in the RV towards Hook Head, with details leading them to Loftus Hall; a large mansion that is said to be the most haunted house in Ireland. The seven players park-up outside Loftus Hall, exiting the vehicle and standing opposite Lincoln and Sinead, who begin explaining the folktale belief that the house is haunted by the ghost of a young woman, as well as by the devil himself. Khadija is heard exclaiming “absolutely not” as she’s told the story, whilst others are shown to laugh either nervously or in complete disbelief. Lincoln tells the players that for their next daily challenge, they will all be locked inside Loftus Hall overnight after being connected to portable heartrate monitors. The player who records the highest heart rate across the eight hours (between 22:00-6:00) will be deemed the loser of the challenge, whilst the person to have the steadiest/slowest heartrate will be crowned the daily winner. However, players are also told that they may leave the house at any point if they request to do so, although this will incur a ‘did not finish’. The seven players follow Lincoln and Sinead into the house whilst it is still bright outside, being given a quick walk around to show them what will be their home throughout perhaps the longest evening of their lives. Shockingly, Lincoln and Sinead exit Loftus Hall shortly after giving the players their tour, locking the doors behind them after declaring that they “wouldn’t be caught dead sticking around in there after dark”. Donny and John are both seen laughing as the hosts leave, particularly as Khadija and Craig are shown to somewhat start freaking out, with the others trying to keep them calm before the sun goes down. Suddenly, the players hear Lincoln and Sinead talking to them through speakers situated around the house, initially causing everybody to jump before they realise who the voices belong to. Lincoln and Sinead tell the players that there are snacks and drinks inside the house for them, and that throughout the night they will be told to break up and head into different areas of the house. Khadija is shown crying as she tells the others she isn’t certain she can go through with the task, claiming that the money isn’t worth a possible run-in with the devil. A laughing Donny tells Khadija that “there’s no such thing, they’re just messing with you”, resulting in an angry Khadija scolding him for his scepticism, responding that “the devil is real and if they say he’s here, then he’s here… saying his name wills him his power”. Once again, Donny discredits any notion of Loftus Hall truly being haunted, telling the group that he had been brought here on a school trip as a child and “never got any bad vibes”. Khadija becomes further irritated by Donny, believing his arrogance is “inviting the devil to test them” and “will get somebody seriously hurt”, a notion that Donny finds “insane”.

At ten o’clock, the players find the lights in the house (controlled by production) have been somewhat dimmed, with candles being lit around the house to give the group their primary source of lighting. Wanting to scare the others into raising their heartrates, Elias begins ‘mockingly’ invoking spirits to join them whilst sat at the table, also going back and forth between different ‘scary’ voices. The group request that Elias stop, seeing that it is making Mary Rose, Khadija and Craig uncomfortable, with the trio particularly nervous at the prospect of seeing a malevolent spirit. Despite the request, Elias purposely hides behind a door and jumps out at Craig later on, causing Craig to scream and clutch his chest whilst Elias laughs. The entire group berate Elias for this behaviour, finding it unfair and childish, not wanting the sleepover to be more difficult than it already need be. The players are soon instructed to break-apart, with Mary Rose and Pamela being sent to the kitchen, Craig and Donny being sent to an upstairs bedroom, and John and Elias being sent to the ‘most haunted’ servant’s quarter. Although Khadija is instructed to join the girls in the kitchen, Khadija refuses to leave the main living room, but also refuses to be left alone. Ultimately, Khadija calls it quits on the challenge, apologising to the group as she claims to be unable to go on beyond 1:00am. With Khadija’s exit, the remaining players are told that she will automatically face repatriation, leaving the rest of them now battling it out for the daily win. Whilst isolated in their areas, production purposely begin messing with the players by having ‘bangs’ and ‘scraping’ sound effects played into respective rooms, with some of the players being easily freaked-out by their inclusion. Donny does his best to comfort Craig, trying not to laugh as his friend screams after every single sound is heard. Later on, Craig calms down and thanks Donny for his support, reiterating to his friend that they’re “definitely going to the end together after all this”, with Donny glad to finally be able to take the lead in their partnership. Friends Mary Rose and Pamela do a good job of keeping one another calm in the kitchen, instead distracting themselves by looking through the pantry cupboards and brewing the group each a cup of tea. Like the boys, the women appear dead set on their final two agreement, now believing that they could work with the boys or Khadija in order to have control, giving them an ideal situation to send either Elias or John home next. As the girls continue talking, they hear screams coming from the servant quarters, with John and Elias running down the stairs after Elias claims to have seen “a white shape”. Craig and Donny tepidly come down the stairs after them, wondering if this is another attempt at trolling by Elias. However, the boys become spooked as sceptic John claims he too saw the spirit, leading the remaining six to all run as a group back into the living room, begging Lincoln and Sinead to ‘leave the scares’ for the rest of the night. Mary Rose wins the entire groups respect as she leaves the living room alone in order to fetch the brewed teas, claiming that “if I see one f**king spirit I’ll knock it in the ectoplasm because I’m not in the mood, now”. The plays hail Mary Rose the fifth ‘ghostbuster’, although Mary Rose later admits that she isn’t sure the house is haunted at all, claiming that she “felt no presence” the entire time she was in there, but also had comfort in that she “knows (her) grandfather is looking out over (her) as an angel in heaven”. The six sit around the table together in almost a hand-holding fashion for the remaining hours of the night, doing their best to stay calm and keep their heartrates from rising as the noises and scrapes are continued to be heard. A final minor scare occurs as Craig claims to hear ‘clicking’ footprints above them on the landing, with Lincoln questioning on the intercom if they are “the hoofed-feet of the devil”, causing Craig and Pamela to almost grab their things and exit the premises as they declare to have heard enough.

At 6:00am, the six players exit the house after having successfully made it through the night, joining Lincoln, Sinead and a somewhat rested Khadija outside. Lincoln and Sinead congratulate the players on surviving the ordeal, but freak them out further as both deny that any ‘clicking’ sound effects were played, unsure as to what it was that Craig was hearing on the landing above them. Knowing that Khadija has already taken last place, Sinead announces that Donny ultimately had the steadiest heartbeat throughout the challenge, narrowly beating Mary Rose and Pamela for his first win of the season. The group congratulate Donny, knowing how much it means to him to be able to have won the challenge in his hometown. Cutting the celebrations short, Lincoln requests that Donny name his nominee to face Khadija in the repatriation, with an additional twist noting that they will only have twenty-minutes to vote a player to repatriate, which will take place before 7:00am. Donny chooses to spare Pamela and Mary Rose along with his close ally Craig, eventually choosing to nominate John over Elias due to fearing that John is a bigger threat against him in challenges. Wasting no time, John and Khadija get to speaking to the eligible voters in order to save themselves, desperate to find enough support to remain in the game. Khadija campaigns directly by speaking to Elias and Craig, believing the two men are the less secure votes that she needs, already confident that she will have Mary Rose and Pamela on her side. Khadija is glad to hear from Craig that he isn’t intending to save John, with Elias also recognising that his time may be up after his blow-up in Inishmore. The trio speak for some time, with Pamela and Mary Rose having a similar conversation nearby, believing that John is the bigger threat over Khadija, but also somebody they have a less chance of working with. Realising that his chances of staying are thinning, John reels in his efforts, instead taking the rest of the campaign time slow, allowing the others to come to their own decision, wanting to practice the same methods he had preached the previous round. At the vote, the players unanimously are shown to have voted to eliminate John from the game in a 4-0 result. John nods after having realised that he was leaving quickly into the deliberations, hugging everybody and wishing them luck moving forward. Khadija breathes a sigh of relief, glad to have survived her second repatriation by a very comfortable margin. Lincoln and Sinead tell the final six that they’re able to head to the RV to rest for the remainder of the day, allowing them to catch-up on their lost sleep for the next twenty-four hours. However, Lincoln warns them that they may want to drive offsite before bedding down, as “the devil isn’t confined to be stuck in that house indefinitely”. The remaining six players rush into the RV, driving away from Loftus Hall in hope of getting some sleep free of evil spirts and spooks.

Episode #9 - Fairies, Fairies Everywhere
After midday, a majority of the players begin waking up after having caught some sleep following John’s 6:00am repatriation outside the ‘haunted’ Loftus Hall in Hook Head, County Wexford. Outside the RV, freshly awakened pair Donny and Elias stand and talk together about the last twenty-four hours, in particular highlighting Khadija’s behaviour during Loftus Hall. Donny confirms to Elias that if he is able to win the daily challenge again that he will nominate Khadija, feeling as though she is both the least deserving of remaining in the game, as well as being the individual who he feels least secure with should she ever win power herself. Despite his supposed allegiances to Khadija, Elias joins in on the criticism against her, calling her behaviour “spastic” and “unhinged”, agreeing with Donny that she would be a viable candidate to send to the jury. In a confessional, Elias speaks candidly about his nerves, particularly believing that Donny, Craig, Mary Rose and Pamela may be a foursome who hold all the power. Hoping to throw Khadija under the bus to save himself, Elias claims privately to have “no more loyalties to anyone”, thinking that the final stretch of the game is his time to strike forward and take control. However, Donny speaks in his own confessional about being somewhat aware of Elias’ tactics, laughing that “(Elias) waited until the last moment he had to come and speak to me, and suddenly he agrees with everything I have to say”. The players eventually all awaken and begin a short two and a half hour journey to County Limerick, taking the time to continue relaxing as they are provided with a driver due to having had less than a peaceful night in Loftus Hall.

Arriving in Limerick, the players head to a fast-food restaurant in order to get a quick evening meal, knowing that they have nothing planned until the following afternoon. After eating, the players decide to spend the evening perusing the city centre, with Pamela ultimately declaring that she is ‘too tired’ and retiring alone to the parked-up RV. Whilst alone, Pamela spends the evening having a private drink by herself, as well as helping herself to several cigarettes. However, she fails to notice that she is sitting awkwardly close to the open RV door, enabling the smell of the cigarette to seep inside and hold itself within the vehicle. In the city centre, the other players head into a local pub together, buying in drinks and singing along to live Irish folk music. Elias continues his attempts at working his way into the ‘foursome’ alliance, spending one on one time with Mary Rose, who he views as ‘the most gullible member’ of the group. Mary Rose tells Elias that he should ‘relax’ concerning his fears that he is at risk of leaving the game next, reminding him that nobody can accurately predict the future, and that it will ultimately come down to who wins and loses the upcoming daily challenge. Rather than accept this, Elias tells Mary Rose that he would still like to “put a plan in order” to have an idea of what outcomes could occur, proposing to her that he would be comfortable with nominating whoever she would like to leave the game. Mary Rose puts her arms around Elias soon after this, hugging him and once again requesting he “relax and just enjoy whatever time we all have left on the journey”. In a confessional, Mary Rose confesses that she would be uncomfortable giving Elias false hope that he isn’t on her radar, knowing that both he and Khadija are currently in the worst positions of the game. Even so, Mary Rose recognises that whilst she and Pamela are a duo alongside Craig and Donny, that it might not be the wisest strategy to go to the end as a foursome due to the balance of power being completely split down the middle. Taking on Mary Rose’s advice, Elias decides to relax and enjoy his drinks for the remainder of the evening, not wanting to push anyone any further and instead hope that his positive relationship with herself, Khadija and Craig will give him a shot at surviving to the final five. Recognising that Mary Rose had spent a lot of time speaking with Elias; Craig decides to pull Mary Rose privately over to the bar as he orders the pair another round, questioning the traveller what she and Elias had spoken about together for so long. Mary Rose is frank in telling Craig that Elias is ‘scrambling’ to save himself, reassuring her ally that the plan is still for him or Khadija to leave at the next repatriation. Craig seems glad to hear this, being fearful that either of the pair at the bottom could throw a curveball into a currently “fool-proof path to the final four”.

The players eventually stumble back towards the RV after their night in the city centre, discovering that Pamela has already gone to sleep after spending the night alone. Despite the high spirits upon arrival, the group quickly find that the RV still smells strongly of Pamela’s cigarettes. The group seem annoyed by this discovery, feeling that Pamela’s smoking habit is ‘selfish’ if it is infringing on the rest of them, particularly as they find the smell now covering much of their belongings. In his confessional, Donny determines “Pamela either didn’t shut the doors before she lit-up, or she thought ‘fuck it’ and just chain smoked all night inside her bed and maybe stubbed out on all our things… that’s what it smells like”. The next morning, the players get up and have a quick breakfast before driving towards Limerick’s Terra Nova Fairy Garden; an outdoor space with exotic flora, also being home to an array of fairy, pixie and other mythical being decorations and statues. The players are met by Lincoln and Sinead upon arriving, being told to take note of all they see in the garden as it will have an impact on their next daily challenge. An hour later, the six remaining players sit down by the pond in the garden, listening as Sinead begins to explain the rules of the challenge. Simply, players will be asked six questions on the different specific statues they saw around the garden, scoring a point for any correct answer they give. Then, the players will be asked a following six questions on Irish folklore; with the folklore in question having been laid out around the garden for players to read as they looked around. The players are made aware that scoring the lowest will result in an automatic nomination, a feat nobody wants to achieve this late into the game. After twelve questions, Pamela is revealed to have beaten Craig with ten points to nine, securing her second daily win of the season and a spot in the final five. Unfortunately for the alliance of four, their other two members are revealed to have finished at the bottom, with Mary Rose narrowly beating Donny with four points to three, leaving Donny automatically nominated and vulnerable. Unsurprisingly, Pamela announces that her nominee to face Donny will be Elias, believing in her own mind that between the two ‘non-aligned’ players, that Khadija would be a more suitable option for her own game should she need to break free of the ‘foursome’ before the final four. Lincoln tells both Donny and Elias that they’ll have an hour to campaign around the garden to those eligible to vote, before one of them leaves the game in sixth place as the fourth member of the jury.

Strategically, Pamela quickly approaches Elias after the nomination, telling him that it “was nothing personal, just simply you are the person I’m least connected with”. This diplomatic answer is appreciated by Elias, realising that Khadija had done better than him at getting on Pamela’s good side prior to her winning the challenge. In her confessional, Pamela doesn’t shy away from this being her ‘playing for Elias’ jury vote’, not wanting his exit (which she believes is already cemented) to be seen as entirely her own fault. Elias ends his conversation by wishing Pamela luck for the future, promising that if he can ‘miraculously survive’ the vote that he will be glad to consider working with her in any future scenarios. Elsewhere, allies Craig and Mary Rose come together as they realise they control the entirety of the vote, laughing as they realise that Khadija is just ‘a passenger’ in this deliberation. Craig tells Mary Rose bluntly that he “wouldn’t even consider voting for Donny”, something that Mary Rose too agrees with, calling Donny “an absolutely charmer” and “like a younger brother who needs protecting because he’s our gay brother, you know?”, causing Craig to laugh as he reminds her that he too is gay, leaving Mary Rose to call their foursome “one for the gay men”. Although Khadija vocalises her intentions to want to save friend and previous close ally Elias, it becomes apparent that the foursome is refusing to budge, with Donny’s calmness all but confirming that there is little hope for Elias to make any changes. Rather than quit, Elias takes his final moments of deliberation time to plead to both Craig and Mary Rose that he would take them to the final three, believing that as the sole English player left that he “wouldn’t win with an Irish jury”. Elias’ argument falls on deaf ears, and he is revealed to have been repatriated in a 2-1 vote just over ten minutes later, ending his time on the road trip and confirming that the season will produce an Irish winner. Elias wishes the final five luck, believing that any of them would make a worthy winning representative for their season, reminding them of Mary Rose’s words to him to “relax and enjoy whatever time you have left on the journey”. The players wave Elias off as he leaves the garden, feeling emotional to know that they are almost at the end of their Irish adventure.

Episode #10 - Practice What You Perch
Entering the last few days of the road trip, the remaining five players awaken the morning after Elias’ repatriation, preparing to move on from Limerick to their next location. The players remain low on energy for much of the first half of their journey, unsure as to why they had to leave prior to sunrise to reach their destination. Later, the players are informed that they are headed towards the coast in order to catch a ferry to the Skellig Islands; a pair of islands westerly offshore from County Kerry. With Mary Rose and Khadija up front in the RV, Craig decides to take the opportunity to speak privately with allies Donny and Pamela. Fearing that the foursome may need to turn on each other in the event of Khadija winning the daily challenge, Craig proposes that the three of them make an agreement that they prioritise one another and ultimately go together to the final three. Donny and Pamela are both happy to agree to the proposal in the moment, all aware that nobody would turn down such an offer and jeopardise their own position. Despite this, Pamela mentions in a confessional that her main intent continues to be working alongside Mary Rose, who she reiterates is ”the only person I have an intention of going to the final two with”. Before the trio can continue talking any further, the RV makes a sudden halt before a loud crash echoes around the vehicle. Several players are shown to go flying from their seats, as do the production crew’s cameras. Sometime later, it is shown that Mary Rose had taken a sharp last minute turn whilst driving, failing to account for the time needed to make it successfully, ultimately resulting in the RV ‘lightly’ crashing into a signpost and forcing the players into a nearby service station. Production checks over the RV, with the group all confirming that they are ‘fine’ after the collision, despite everybody feeling irritated with Mary Rose for her carelessness, agreeing to prevent her from being allowed to drive for the remainder of the road trip.

After an hour at the service station, the players finish another fast-food lunch before heading out to a private bus, being told that they’ll return to RV travel once the vehicle has been properly checked over by a mechanic and any damages have been mended. The final five are escorted the short-distance further to Kerry’s port, boarding their ferry towards the Skellig Islands along with hosts Lincoln and Sinead. Due to the rain, the players head into the ferry’s shelter, watching as waves batter the side of the ship. Donny joins Khadija and Mary Rose, who are continuing conversations they had been having together at the front of the RV prior to the crash. Khadija happily includes Donny in this chat, letting him know that she has told Mary Rose that if she were to win the challenge that she’d “be gunning for Craig”, who she calls “the most strategic player… he gives everyone his word”. Listening to Mary Rose agree with this assessment, Donny begins to ponder how much he can trust ally Craig, being concerned that to go to the final two with him would be both difficult and a way to cement a second place finish. Boldly, Mary Rose tells Donny and Khadija that she too would target Craig if she is able to win the next daily challenge, preferring and having more trust in Khadija to join herself, Donny and Pamela at the final four. In her confessional, Khadija appears optimistic with the notion that she has Mary Rose on side, and also believing that Donny too “has had his eyes opened to what kind of player Craig is”. Wanting to continue on the conversation, Mary Rose gestures for Pamela to join her for ‘girls talk’, also slyly inviting Donny to join as the trio head away from Craig and Khadija. Mary Rose tells the pair about the conversation with Khadija, leading Pamela to expose what Craig had earlier proposed, further cementing Mary Rose’s desires to send him to the jury next. Pamela admits some concerns about keeping Khadija over Craig, not wanting to enable her to gain an ‘underdog story’ that could propel her to victory, whilst Donny also fears turning on any member of the ‘foursome’ before the top four. Nevertheless, Donny admits in his confessional that he is no longer considering Craig as his only final two option, and now regards someone “more honest and straight talking like Mary Rose” to sit with, believing that Craig’s sharp strategic mind would win him too much favour off a jury.

Arriving on the rainy Skellig Michael (the largest of the islands), the players, Lincoln and Sinead disembark the ferry and begin a walking tour around the island led by a local guide. The guide tells the players that the island has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the sixth-century Christian monastery, identified by the unique Irish stone beehive huts. Several players are excited as the guide brings up the islands featurette in the ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy, making them more popular with tourism in recent years. Once the tour comes to an end, the players are led to an open area of flat land atop the island, finding five narrow perches situated for their daily challenge. Lincoln explains that simply for their challenge each player must stand on their perch (that is barely big enough for both their feet), with the last individual remaining on the perch earning themselves a spot in the final four and having the right to nominate another player for repatriation. Moreover, the first player off their perch as usual will be automatically nominated, leaving their fate in the hands of the other players. The five individuals take their spots atop their perches, realising that with the wind and rain only expected to get heavier that this will prove to be one of the most difficult endurance challenges in Road Trip history. After just five minutes, the slippery perch causes Mary Rose’s foot to slide-off and touch the ground, eliminating her and automatically placing her up for her first repatriation. A frustrated Mary Rose takes her spot under a raincoat beside Lincoln and Sinead, jokingly complaining that her eyelashes, makeup and tan are washing off in the storm. Immediately following Mary Rose’s elimination, Craig begins loudly encouraging both Donny and Pamela to “hold on, keep going”, making it no secret of his intention to see Khadija sent home next. Craig’s lack of discretion both offends Khadija and annoys the rest of his alliance, feeling as though it came off ‘mean spirited’ in the midst of the difficult challenge. As per Craig’s wishes, Khadija is the next to slip as her body trembles too much in the rain, taking her spot next to Mary Rose as they watch the others battling it out. The girls whisper that Donny looks ‘solid’, noting both Pamela and Craig trembling as much as Khadija was moments before she slipped from her perch. Spontaneously, Craig begins requesting both Donny and Pamela step down off their perches for him, confirming that he’ll nominate Khadija, and that he wants “to be able to finally win one”. Although Craig points out that both Pamela and Donny have already had at least one win each, Pamela responds by telling Craig to “catch yourself on, there’ll be no freebies” on offer from her, claiming that “if you want to win it, you need to be the last one on the perch”. Craig begins bickering with Pamela over her response, feeling it ‘unfair’ that she wouldn’t consider letting her ‘ally’ finally taste glory in a competition, which further irritates Pamela, muttering that Craig’s attitude is the only thing giving her strength to fight on in the cold. Eventually, Craig is unable to continue and falls forward from his perch after crouching in order to keep himself warm, with Pamela stepping off almost immediately after, declaring that she hasn’t the energy to go on. An unphased and seemingly statuesque Donny steps from his perch after earning his second daily win, being told to immediately nominate one of his fellow competitors to face Mary Rose in the next repatriation. Donny apologetically selects Khadija, refusing to go ahead with a move against ally Craig despite his paranoid and disruptive behaviour, and instead choosing to stay loyal to the foursome until the bitter end. Sinead tells Mary Rose and Khadija that unusually, they’ll be stranded on Skellig Michael for several hours extra whilst the sea water calms, meaning that they’ll both deliberate and vote whilst on the island.

Sheltering from the rain, the players sit together inside one of the beehive huts as they attempt to change into dry clothes supplied by production. Despite both Mary Rose and Khadija wanting to discuss the vote, Craig takes a moment to pull Pamela to one side, apologising to her for ‘riling her up’ during the challenge, claiming that he was speaking in competitiveness and doesn’t want to spoil their ‘connection’. Pamela accepts Craig’s apology, offering one in return for her tone, but reminds him that “it’s an individual game and no one is going to hand you something to improve your own standing, like”. The pair are seen hugging out their tensions, jokingly referencing that they’re glad to have the two Northern Irish players back on good terms. Returning together, the group hold an open forum where both Mary Rose and Khadija softly plead their cases, claiming to not want to attack one another’s games due to a ‘mutual respect and friendship’. The girls hold hands as the others go around, with Pamela and Craig both admitting that they’d be voting to keep Mary Rose in the game due to their alliance. Unbeknownst to Craig, Mary Rose sits silently aware of his intentions to put her at the bottom of their alliance, and additionally remains unaware of Mary Rose’s intentions to blindside him from the game over Khadija had she won the coveted power at the daily challenge. After just an hour, Lincoln and Sinead join the fivesome inside the hut, listening as the group hold an impromptu vote to officially eliminate Khadija in a 2-0 vote, leaving the ‘foursome alliance’ as the only players left in the game. Having been aware that her odds of survival were slim upon being nominated, Khadija wishes the players luck, in particular whispering to Mary Rose that she is ‘rooting for her to win’, a sentiment that both find surprising given their less than positive introduction almost two weeks prior. Upon the sea settling, the players are ferried back to the mainland where they say their goodbyes to Khadija before heading back to the now fully mended RV. The foursome crack open a celebratory bottle of red lemonade, toasting their late game success, knowing that in less than forty-eight hours one of them will become the next winner of ‘’Road Trip’’ and the £100,000 prize.

Episode #11 - Slán Éire
On the penultimate day of the road trip, the final four contestants begin a short drive from County Kerry into neighbouring Cork. Although the foursome still feel celebratory after their success in reaching the endgame together, there remains an eerie tension in the air as they are all too aware that for the first time in several rounds they must begin to directly work against one another to survive. In a confessional, Craig claims to hold the belief that it will be himself and Donny versus Pamela and Mary Rose in a ‘battle of the sexes’ ending, still unaware that Donny in fact feels closer to Mary Rose after viewing Craig as deceptive and argumentative in the previous round. Leaving the boys to drive up front, Pamela and Mary Rose lay together at the back of the RV, agreeing that they need to ensure one of them can win the next daily challenge and that the other doesn’t fall into last place. Mary Rose reiterates her wishes to have been saving Khadija and eliminating Craig, concerned that a 2-2 split at the final four makes it “too complex to wrap our heads around”. The players eventually arrive in Cork City, heading towards the famous English Market, a highly coveted and lauded market that has been operating since 1788. Lincoln and Sinead welcome the players to the market, taking them around as everybody makes their own purchases for a light pre-challenge lunch. After eating, the players are led over to a local famed fishmonger’s counter, being introduced to the location of their next daily challenge. Sinead tells the players that they’ll be given a four-set scale, also provided along with four types of fish and crustacean on sale at the stall. Each fish’s weight is provided in kilograms (approximate estimations), with the goal of the challenge being to provide an amount for each fish to be placed on their respective scales. Only after providing the fish can they be placed on the scales, revealing whether a player was correct or incorrect. The player to take the least attempts at putting fish on the scales will be crowned the daily winner, whilst the individual who takes the most attempts will automatically face repatriation. In the event of a tie, the players time from start to finish will be taken. In the interest of fairness, it is noted that all played have a ‘slight leeway’ with the final weight, knowing that the size of certain fish will differ from estimations (although production assures each player they have pre-weighed the produce before hand to ensure fairness).

One at a time, each player takes on the task, desperate to win and assure their opportunity to play in the final daily challenge of the season. First up, Mary Rose visibly struggles, clearly confused by how to get around weighing the fish, not realising that she must determine the easiest mathematical route to do so. Next up, Donny has a much easier time than Mary Rose at working his way through the task, commenting that he had previously worked a stint at his local supermarket and “had an unfortunate weekend stuck on the fish counter”. Craig also is shown to be strong in the task, hailing himself as “a bit of a maths nerd growing up”, discovering the quickest way possible to weigh up the fish accurately. Finally, Pamela like ally Mary Rose has a tough time getting through the task, complaining that she avoids fish like the plague because she and her kids “can’t stand the smell”, revealing a mantra of “if it comes from the sea, keep it in the bastard sea”. The four competitors line up after thoroughly washing their hands, eager to hear which of them has risen and fallen in the ‘Scales & Scales’ task. Lincoln reveals that the results have split the players by gender, with the two women falling to the bottom, and the two men having the better result of the day. Craig is named to have beaten Donny after both men successfully got the scales balanced in one try, but Craig’s time is noted to have been thirty-seconds faster, giving him his first daily challenge win of the season. Mary Rose and Pamela look at one another glumly as they hold hands, knowing that this result has ensured one of them will be leaving the game regardless of who falls into last place. Pamela is named the bottom place finisher, automatically leaving her against friend Mary Rose who in turn is nominated easily by Craig. Donny thanks Craig for his safety, knowing that he must now regretfully sever the bond with one of his ‘foursome’ alliance members. Mary Rose and Pamela both tell Donny that they don’t wish to campaign against one another, but that they are willing to fight a ‘positive case’ for themselves as to why they should be the one to stay in the game. Both women keep to their word, telling Donny that they would like to stay in the game for their family, with Mary Rose seeking to give her grandfather “the gravestone he deserves”, and Pamela hoping to finally provide her children with financial stability and comfort. Unsure as to how he should vote, Donny seeks an audience with Craig, eager to hear his viewpoint before he makes up his own mind. Unhelpfully, Craig tells Donny that he is “completely split” on the decision himself, believing that both men can agree that they prefer Mary Rose, but worrying that her likeability and growth could make her a bigger threat. Alternatively, Craig admits to fearing Pamela’s strategic gameplay, thinking that she is ‘the brains’ between herself and Mary Rose. Donny takes several minutes longer by himself, hating that he has found himself in this necessary position. In the end, Donny reveals that he is repatriating the player who he regards as “a big threat to win”, but also the person that he fears more coming to the final three for his own safety, eliminating Pamela from the game in a 1-0 vote. Pamela nods, realising that unlike Mary Rose she may have lacked as good interpersonal bonds needed to save herself in this moment. Refraining from any bitterness, Pamela demands a group hug, telling the final three how proud she is to have been apart of the alliance. Mary Rose tearfully hugs her friend goodbye, struggling to accept that she will be spending the final twenty-four hours of the game without her. Pamela encourages her friend to remain strong, promising that ‘she can win if she’s able to fight on to the end’. As Pamela leaves the market, the final three are told by Lincoln and Sinead to relax around Cork City for the remainder of the evening before moving on to their final destination in the morning.

The next morning, the final three enjoy a breakfast once again held at the English Market, all feeling emotional as they realise this will be their last day of their journey. Once finished eating, the players drive a short distance towards Blarney Castle; a medieval castle and settlement that dates back to 1210. Each player is welcomed by Lincoln and Sinead, quickly confirming that Blarney Castle will be the final pit-stop of the season, and the location in which one of them will become Champion of the Road Trip and earn the £100,000 prize. The trio are given an opportunity to walk around the castle and reflect on their experience, getting into a positive mindset before taking on their final daily challenge. Craig and Mary Rose are both shown in confessionals to be intending to vote the other out should they win the challenge, not wanting to risk sitting next to the other at the final three due to strategic or social games respectively. Alternatively, Donny remains more conflicted, preferring Mary Rose on a personal level at this late stage, but also worrying that betraying Craig at the final hurdle could lose him his jury vote. Moreover, Donny worries that to sit next to Craig would leave him looking like “Craig’s right-hand man, rather than (his) own player”. All three players are shown individually kissing the famous Blarney Stone before heading into the castle courtyard, hoping to possess the fabled ‘gift of the gab’ that will come in handy for the two who go on to face the jury in a matter of hours. Sitting together in front of Lincoln and Sinead, the trio are told they’ll now be taking on a trivia-based final challenge, with questions ranging from the road trip as a whole, locations, activities and other contestants. The final three are to write their answers on boards secretly before revealing, with every correct answer earning one point. After ten questions, the individual with the most points will win a spot in the final two and determine who will be joining them. Surprisingly, Craig falls into last place after only getting four of the ten questions correctly, with the abysmal result condemning his fate to be in either Donny or Mary Rose’s hands. In the end, Mary Rose is crowned the final challenge victor as she impressively scores a perfect ten out of ten compared to Donny’s eight points, receiving a deserved round of applause from both men who are in awe of her memory. Both nominated men are given an opportunity to plead their cases to Mary Rose in order to sway her to bring them along to the final two. Craig tells Mary Rose that he believes his game has perhaps been more ‘cutthroat’ than Donny, and that going hand in hand with this would be “a number of the jury not wanting to see me win”, whereas he views Donny as “someone who will win support on likeability”. Alternatively, Donny poses to Mary Rose that the two of them have had a strong friendship throughout, and that Craig was “always someone (she) had wanted to send home”, pointing out that this is her opportunity to do so and remove the final strategic threat from the game. Sticking to her word and intentions, Mary Rose confidently names Craig as the person she is repatriating from the game, bringing ‘younger brother’ Donny with her to the final two. Craig nods in acceptance, hugging both Mary Rose and Donny as he wishes them luck before leaving the castle grounds. Lincoln and Sinead congratulate the pair on reaching the final two, giving them an opportunity to eat a quick final meal privately together before the seven jurors determine which of them is worthy enough to win the game.

Donny and Mary Rose watch on as the jury of seven (Rabeena, Jess, John, Elias, Khadija, Pamela and Craig) enter to sit opposite them, smiling as Lincoln and Sinead explain how the evening will work. The jury as a collective body is allowed to question or make statements to Donny and Mary Rose whilst they pitch their case as to why they should be crowned winner of the road trip. Beginning with Donny, many of the jury praise his likeability and loyalty towards his alliance, feeling as though at such a young age he has ‘done himself proud’. Craig and Pamela both are noted to speak highly of Donny for these reasons, with Craig in particular feeling as though Donny is ‘the stronger overall player’ sat at the end of the game. For Mary Rose, much of the praise centres around her strong social game and growth throughout the journey, with many believing that she entered the game ‘argumentative and naïve’ and left ‘compassionate and wiser’. Mary Rose’s close friend and ally Pamela gives a keen speech in favour of her friend, pointing out her integral and selfless use of the lifesaver, ability to go unnominated until the endgame and breaking the mould of what many had preconceived her to be. Khadija supports Pamela’s statements, pointing out that she had started the game on bad terms with Mary Rose, eventually deeming her to be “one of the closer friends (she) made during (her) time” on the road trip, crediting Mary Rose’s social growth and adaptability as being key reasons for this. More negatively, Rabeena discredits the girls’ beliefs, pointing out that she herself had a negative run-in with Mary Rose in Derry and that she thinks in these moments “Mary Rose showed us that she was argumentative and aggressive”, not wanting to give someone the win who “never bothered to make amends” with her. Mary Rose takes the opportunity to apologise to Rabeena and any of the others she may have fought with, agreeing that she is far too argumentative and defensive as an individual, hoping that the experience will enable her to “grow out of these traits”. Returning to Donny, John claims to hold a belief that he was “more of a floater than a player” at times, failing to understand what role he truly had in his alliance other than being “an extra vote”. Donny responds by reminding John that it was his win that would send him home, and that he was individually responsible for two out of the five endgame wins that his alliance held. Quieter jurors Elias and Jess admit to being undecided on their votes still, with Jess claiming to lack much insight on who Mary Rose is as an individual, but also not being convinced that Donny is ‘the best player’ amongst them all. Closing up the final ceremony, Craig and Pamela once again speak positively for both Donny and Mary Rose, highlighting to the jury that their ‘awesome foursome’ alliance that formed as a result of Jess’ repatriation would dominate the final five rounds of the game, and that regardless of ‘leadership’ that all four of them contributed exponentially to its success, believing that either Donny or Mary Rose would “make an amazing winner and representative for our season and our country”. Moreover, the jury are reminded of Donny and Mary Rose’s ‘good intentions’ should they win the money, not wanting to see either belittled when it is clear that either would do positive things should they be crowned champion. This sentiment receives smiles and nods from the jury and the final two, glad to close it off on a positive note. Each juror is then instructed to place a key-fob with either ‘Donny or ‘Mary Rose’ into the holder, corresponding to who they want to win the game. Lincoln and Sinead alternate on drawing the final votes of the season, with the first four tying the result 2-2 after Craig and Rabeena come out in support for ‘nicer’ Donny, whereas Khadija and Pamela stick to their open intentions of wanting to crown friend and ally Mary Rose with the win. The vote is tied further at 3-3 after Jess joins friend Rabeena in giving her vote to Donny, who she regards as an underrated player that ultimately had a greater impact on her experience than Mary Rose, whilst John awards his vote to Mary Rose, comedically remembering her flirtatious behaviour towards him and her social skills making him feel more respected by her than Donny. The final vote belonging to Elias is drawn from the holder, going towards the individual who he regards as having played the better game and gone on the greater journey of self-discovery, awarding Mary Rose victory in a close 4-3 result to become Champion of the Road Trip. Mary Rose breaks down in tears as she is swarmed by her fellow players, hugging her as she comes to terms with now being £100,000 richer and able to provide her grandfather with the gravestone he deserves. Pamela is seen hugging both Donny and Mary Rose, clearly over the moon that her best friend and ally was able to beat the odds. A tearful Sinead watches on as Mary Rose is lifted up by the jury and Donny, glad to see almost everybody optimistic about the final result. Lincoln places his arm around Sinead as he leads her away from the group, claiming that he ‘isn’t sure a Road Trip in his homeland of Manchester would be quite as enjoyable as one in hers’.