Anita Rani and her dad Bal have won over the hearts of Celebrity Race Across the World fans – and now they want them to win.
The father and daughter duo came first at the second checkpoint in last night’s show, keeping them in the lead.
Anita, 48, and 69-year-old Bal – along with the other teams – had to travel from Guatemala to El Zonte in El Salvador.
And fans were seriously impressed with their efforts.
The route the pair had chosen was the same one that fellow competitors, Roman and Harleymoon Kemp, had picked. But their races had to be paused when violent Government protests broke out.
Yet despite the hold up, Anita and Bal made it to the checkpoint first. And for the second week running!
Celebrity Race Across the World: Anita and Bal ‘to win’
The team’s speed and intuitiveness is enough alone for them to be crowned this year’s Celebrity Race Across the World champions. But it was another scene in episode 2 that really left fans cheering them on to win.
Before making to the checkpoint, Anita and Bal worked a busy night shift in a bar. The pair picked up the job to replenish their money.
During a break, Bal opened up about being made bankrupt when Anita was a child. He admitted to his daughter that he had secretly worked as a glass collector to make ends meet. Bal said money was so tight they couldn’t even afford bus fare.
Bal told Anita: “I worked in bars when you were a little kid. Do you remember when we lost our business? We lost the house, we lost the factory. We lost everything, basically. I went out and got a newspaper and went for any job starting immediately.”
He added: “There was a job there for bar work. It was in a nightclub and was collecting glasses, so I said I’d take it.”
Anita said to her dad: “It’s quite a big deal though to go from running your own three-storey business to collecting glasses?”
But Bal told his daughter: “You’ve got to swallow your pride to earn that money.”
Fans hail Bal ‘a good man’
Bal explained to the cameras that his rag business was hit by the recession in the early 90s. He said he found it “very, very difficult”.
“I started a business in the rag trade in 1982 and it took off,” he said. “But there was a recession coming and I became bankrupt. It got to a point where we couldn’t afford bus fare.
“Being a man and not to being able to earn an income for your family was hard. It was very, very difficult. It wasn’t their fault, it was my problem and I wanted to give them the best regardless.”
Anita described Bal as a “super-human”. And he’s seriously impressed viewers, too.
Writing on X, one fan said: “If it wasn’t possible to like Bal any more, he goes and tells us he was bankrupt and did multiple jobs to look after his family.” Another added: “Anita and Bal for the win! How lovely is Bal!”
“Bal is an inspiration, what a guy!” said a third. And someone else chimed in: “Bal is a great character. Good man.”
When is Celebrity Race Across the World on again?
Celebrity Race Across the World continues next Thursday November 20, 2025. The show starts at 8pm and will once again run for a full hour.
Anita and Bal are also competing against Mollie Rainford and Tyler West, and Dylan Llewellyn and his mum Jackie.
Next week, teams will be followed as their race from El Salvador to Honduras. Can Anita and Bal keep up their winning streak?!
Read more: Celebrity Race Across the World’s contestants issued order by BBC over Guatemala lockdown