Race Across The World star Jo is officially in remission after cancer returned

Race Across The World star Jo Gardiner has revealed her cancer is in remission.

The beloved star of the BBC show, who competed with her son Sam, confirmed on the reunion special that her cancer had returned and she was undergoing chemotherapy.

But in wonderful news in a tweet shared this month, Jo told followers that she is officially in remission.

The 54-year-old said: ‘Hi all, thanks for all your support, I thought I would share with you the results of my PET scan, I am officially in remission, so hopefully I have a couple of years before it comes back to go on a few more adventures.

‘Take care everyone Jo xx.’

BBC News reporter Michael Cowan shared the news late last night, tweeting: ‘They just said on the local news that Jo from Race Across the World, who revealed her cancer had returned on the reunion show, has gone into remission. Some good news in trying times.’

Social media was delighted with the news, with one reply reading: ‘Wonderful news. She came across as such a compassionate, caring mum’, and another person saying: ‘Ah, that’s amazing news. She was so lovely on the show.’

Jo participated in the second series of Race Across The World this year due to previous battles with lymphoma.

She said: ‘One of my main motivations to go travelling, particularly with Sam, was I’ve got a few health issues. So I was aware that I probably didn’t have that many more opportunities that I could do something like this with Sam.’

And on the reunion, she told her fellow contestants: ‘Some of you know, I’ve got lymphoma, and I had chemo about four years ago and I knew it would come back, but I didn’t know when.

‘Then when I was on the trip, I kind of thought – hmm, I think that there are some signs, and it has come back. So I’m actually now in chemotherapy.

‘I just have to get this chemo over with and do it all again before it comes back again.’

Jo and her son Sam narrowly missed out on a win when they were knocked out of the series in its final episode after running out of money.

Jamiul and Emon became champions, beating their rivals Jen and Rob by seconds.

Race Across The World became a surprise smash for the BBC, seeing five pairs competing to make the fastest journey across South America without using air travel.

A third series, plus a celebrity edition, have already been confirmed by the BBC.