A new country, a special friend who returns and many new challenges for travellers: the adventure of Beijing Express restarts and does it in Malaysian Borneosecond country of this year’s route on the way to the Indies, where he finds victoria hair, winner of the last edition together with the trusted Paride Vitale. Yesterday, in the fifth stage, the competing pairs – led by Costantino della Gherardesca ed Enzo Miccio – traveled 494 kilometers, starting from the village of Giam village until Sibubet finish.
Here the final twist took place: the winning couple of the stage, i Just Married Federica Pellegrini and Matteo Giuntacould choose to eliminate any of the other pairs as they were the only ones to surpass the fledgling pair of Houndsformed by Victoria and Enzo, and the rule provided that all the couples behind the two new very special and ruthless “competitors” were at risk of elimination; their choice therefore fell on the Italian Americans Joe Bastianich and Andrea Belfiorebut this possibility was thwarted by the black bet envelope, which revealed the non-eliminatory nature of the stage.
Episode full of tension and surprises, which corresponds to a listening records. The new episode of the Sky Original production created by Banijay Italia, yesterday on Sky Uno/+1 and on demand, recorded 458 thousand average spectators with a share of 2,1% and over 924 thousand contacts, best result of the season: a figure that grows by +7% compared to last week and +6% compared to the homologous episode of the previous season. On social media, with almost 106 thousand social interactions and beyond 134 thousand total interactions (respectively +8% e +17% compared to the last edition), was the most commented content of the prime-time and the official hashtag #BeijingExpress was al first place in the ranking of Italian Trending Topicsthen remaining on the podium all night until Friday morning (Sources: Talkwalker SCR; Trends24.in).
The week is confirmed to be framed also with the data of the previous episode in the seven days: average viewers are 1 million 267 thousand (with 2.1 million unique contacts), up by +22% compared to the previous edition, scoring a new all-time record per lo show Sky.
Malaysian Borneo welcomes travelers with 35 degrees and 89% humidity, not exactly the ideal climate for running. And yet, backpacks on their shoulders, the race started right away: the start was in the village of Giam village where the couples came across the first mission, the search for the conductors Costantino della Gherardesca ed Enzo Miccio in the treacherous Malaysian forest. The Italian Americanswinners of the last episode, have decided to put them at a disadvantage right from the start Activists Giorgia Soleri and Federica Fabrizio (Federippi), who had to put their backpacks on and leave after everyone else. Next, the contestants first had to learn a few words in the Malay language, which they were questioned about in the village chief’s house; then, departure aboard a canoe sailing for ten kilometers to the finish line, where Costantino Della Gherardesca was waiting for them. The navigation was nothing short of turbulent especially for couples Mother and son Martina Colombari and Achille Costacurtafor i Sicilians Totò Schillaci and Barbara Lombardo and for the Activists, between physical ailments, exasperation and some quarrels. First in this mission i Just Married who, once again, won the bet bonus, the possibility of making a visit to the jungle to see the orangutans up close and a night in a typical local house, the “longhouse”, where dozens of families live together, where the Newly weds spent several hours in the name of fun among the affection of the families who live there.
Backpacks on their shoulders, for all the other couples the race continued in the direction of the Red Book a Lubok Antu: here the first to arrive were the Italian Americansthe Mediterranean Carolina Stramare and Barbara Prezia e Mother and son. Only the first two pairs, together with the Just Marriedranked first Try Advantage of the season (a challenge which, from now on, will no longer give any immunity but will earn a place in the standings): an experience worthy of Sandokan, the saga of Emilio Salgari, with the aim of saving the “Pearl of Labuan” from her captors. The couples had to face a journey both by water and by land: first, on board a boat (with one of the two, the rower in charge, blindfolded) they had to reach three buoys, recovering a straw hat, a Sandokan’s turban and saber; so they had to reach, running through the woods, the Pearl of Labuan, which was none other than victoria hair, tied up on a boat alone in the canals of Malaysian Borneo. Once again, it was the Newlyweds who saved her, thus gaining a position in the standings at the end of the stage.
Laughter and joy among all the couples for the arrival of Vicky, but the painful news soon arrived: the reigning winner of Beijing Express would join Enzo Miccio, who as a competitor had already shown himself to be unleashed and hyper-competitive, entering officially competing as the pair of Hounds. In their hands, two malus: 10-minute stop for each couple eventually encountered along the race and the possibility of sending all those who arrived behind them at the final finish directly at risk of elimination. For all the travelers of this edition, the race has gone far beyond the darkest predictions: Vicky and Enzo together proved to be very ruthless, the “punishments” followed one another with an incessant rhythm and some of them were blocked several times (the most targeted were the Italian Americans). A few meters from the red carpet manned by Constantine, for all other missions: first, in the Sarikey Bazaar, they had to clean 5 “moris” pineapples to sell to the locals; then, in Sibu, they had to taste a typical local dish, “fish eyes”. After that, finally the finish line: first i Just Marriedaccording to i Hounds, to follow all the others at risk of elimination. Federica and Matteo chose Joe and Andrea, but the black envelope hid the verdict of the non-eliminatory bet inside and therefore the Italian Americans can regularly return to the race.
Next week, Thursday 13 April, always on Sky and streaming on NOW, the six couples remaining in the race will face a new stage in Malaysian Borneo, with new insidious and extraordinary challenges. The experience of Beijing Express will complete the halfway point, and at this point any obstacle can prove fatal.