Race Across the World 2026's Katie and Harrison reveal the toll of caring for their sick mum as she 'cried out in pain'
Harrison and Katie have had a rough ride at homeRace Across the World‘s Katie and Harrison have opened up about how they spent their teenage years caring for their sick mother.
The siblings share the sad details tonight, as the competition moves from Turkey and into neighbouring country, Georgia.
To earn some extra money, Katie and Harrison take up a job picking tea leaves.
But while they are in the field together, the conversation moves to a really tough time in their lives.
Harrison is left admitting he feels “guilty”, as he realises the emotional toll caring for their money had on his younger sister.
Race Across the World 2026: Katie and Harrison’s sick mum
Katie, 21, and Harrison, 23, have been caring for their mum for the last 10 years, on and off. She fell ill following the separation from her husband, who is the siblings’ dad.
Their mother was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Symptoms include pain, stiffness in the muscles, low mood and fatigue. She was then diagnosed with a slipped disc in her back.
Chatting to her brother in the tea fields, Katie admits she had been desperate to go travelling after leaving school. But caring for their ill mother meant she wasn’t able to leave her.
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“Mum was at her worst then,” she recalls. “I just couldn’t leave mum for an extended period of time. I would want to go in case anything bad happened.
“It was washing and cooking… on the really bad days it would be helping to dress her. It was a time of a lot of hospital visits, appointments, emergency visits.”
Speaking to the camera, Harrison sadly admits: “There is nothing you can do if she’s screaming out in pain apart from hold her hand.”
He also said he felt under a lot of pressure to push doctors and medical professionals for answers, despite only being a teenager.
Back in the field, Katie says: “The bit that took a toll on me was just constantly seeing her in pain. That just broke me. And there’s nothing you or anyone else can do.”
Harrison admits he took more of a “practical” role, while Katie took on the emotional burden, even though she is younger.
Chatting alone to the camera, Harrison says he feels “guilty” about how much his sister cared for their mum. He adds: “Looking back, I wanted to spend every hour of the day on the X Box or with my mates playing football.
“I think I was a bit selfish by prioritising what I wanted to do. I feel guilty that I didn’t take as much as the emotional weight as Katie did.”
Katie vows that she wants to talk more to Harrison about the emotional toll caring for their mum took on her throughout the rest of the race.
Who leaves Race Across the World tonight?
Tonight’s leg isn’t an elimination one. This meant that none of the teams left the competition.
But the pressure is on. Katie and Harrison have been consistently in the lead. Can they keep it up, though?
Meanwhile, a preview for tonight’s episode showed Mark in bed after being struck down will illness. Could this put paid to his and Margo’s adventure of a lifetime?
Jo and Kush look for work while tensions between dad and daughter, Andrew and Molly, flare. Andrew is doing all of the planning, decision making and talking – and Molly has had enough!
