Series Finale: Hosted by Tom Bridge — BBC Race Across the World 2025 Winner

In this special end-of-series episode, the microphones are turned around.
Tom Bridge - joint winner of BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with his mum Caroline - steps into the host’s seat and takes us on a brilliant, funny and reflective journey through our first series of Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.

It’s light-hearted, honest, surprising, and packed with moments that reveal just how much we’ve learned (and unlearned!) since episode one.

We talk about:

• How NVNG began
• What we’ve discovered about confidence, courage and connection
• Our favourite moments and standout guests
• What it feels like to be pushed outside our comfort zones
• Our dreams and goals for the year ahead
• And a few gentle roastings from Tom along the way

Movember Special — Will & Charlie

We open the episode with Will Plows, who shares his powerful and deeply personal story — and his incredible decision to take on an IRONMAN for Movember, raising awareness and funds after losing his uncle and nearly losing his dad.

And we close with a message from Charlie, Rebecca's son, who is also raising money for this great cause. He reminds us why Movember matters and why supporting even one person can make a difference.

Please support Will and Charlie's Movember challenges here:

Will Plows - Movember Ironman Fundraising Page

Charlie Rees - Mo Bros - Frick Fundraising Page
Thank you — every donation supports men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

What’s Next for NVNG?

We’re taking a short break to prepare Series Two, with more wonderful guests, deeper conversations and plenty more humour.

Plus:

NVNG Brain Bytes — short five-minute episodes bringing the latest and most helpful neuroscience, positive psychology and coaching insights to a

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

This week, Rebecca and Caroline talk to Bethan Higson — the inspiring founder of Mother Root, the award-winning non-alcoholic aperitif, that’s taking the world (and our glasses) by storm. 

Fresh from her triumphant appearance on Dragon’s Den with her COO Alice Galsworthy, Bethan opens up about the courage it takes to start something new and what she has learnt along the way.

We explore:

✨How a spark of an idea in motherhood became a brand that's well on its way to becoming a mega brand.

✨The fear factor behind that Dragon’s Den lift moment — and how she and Alice turned terror into triumph

✨The inner battle between confidence and doubt — and why action is the antidote

✨From market stalls to Waitrose and Sainsbury’s shelves to the US — what scaling at speed really looks like

✨Learning to lead, building a culture that celebrates failure, and trusting your gut

Bethan reminds us that entrepreneurship is one of the greatest personal growth adventures there is — and that fulfilment lives just on the other side of fear.

It's official, Caroline, Tom and Rebecca can confirm Mother Root is delicious. Perfect for your evening ritual, without the fuzzy head. Cheers to whole-being wellbeing.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

In this uplifting episode, Rebecca and Caroline meet Arabella Lloyd aka Tinks — a woman who accepted defeat on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and decided to move from great heights to sea level, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean with 11 strangers. Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the moments that don’t go to plan become the ones that define us — and that every great adventure starts with saying yes.

We talk about what drives an ordinary person to take on extraordinary adventures and what 44 days at sea can teach you about teamwork, mindset, and fear. Join us for this warm, funny, and fearless conversation that celebrates the spirit of adventure in all of us.

 Tinks’ Nothing Ventured Top Three

1️⃣ Just keep rowing — it will pass. Everything changes if you keep going.
2️⃣ Time is running out — use it wisely. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
3️⃣ Every adventure starts with saying yes. Courage begins with a single word.

A special message for Robin and Michelle from Tinks:

"A huge thank you to my director Robin Beaumont at Beaumont Brown for accommodating my adventure, whether it’s letting me take all my holiday in one go, or having to listen to me tell the same stories over and over to our lovely customers and to my colleague Michelle, who picked up all the slack while I was at sea!"

Follow Tinks on instagram and see her podcast episode link on Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained

🤝 Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Wild Spirit, the UK activewear brand inspiring women to feel strong, confident, and completely themselves. Listeners can enjoy 10 % off at Wild Spirit Sportswear by using code NVNG10
 

🎧 Listen now — and say yes to your next adventure.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

“I’m Ed — 29, from London. Founder of two companies, full-time wheelchair user, and a big advocate for accessibility and inclusion.”

That’s how Ed Boyd introduces himself. Simple, passionate, and straight to the point — much like the way he approaches life and business.

In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained, Caroline and Rebecca talk with Ed about what it really means to succeed — and how his view of success has changed from chasing status and money to finding purpose, fulfilment, and freedom.

Ed has built two businesses with his co-founder Cass— Crimson Social and drifthome — and they are challenging the way the property world works. They are redefining how we search for a new home — designed to work better for buyers and agents alike. Think Tinder, but for properties. 

💡 In this conversation:

• Why fear of failure can hold us back — and how Ed learned to move past it
• How Positive Intelligence and meditation help him manage stress and stay grounded
• Ed’s Top Three guiding principles — including one powerful truth: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

And wouldn’t it be great if someone listening — maybe an investor who shares his vision — would like to connect with Ed and help take drifthome even further?

Contact and Links

 www.drifthome.ai

www.crimsonsocial.co.uk

Linkedin : Ed Boyd

Linkedin : Cassandra Humbert

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

Our guest for this episode is Jennifer Upton — former British diplomat, now executive coach and founder of How to Diplomat

In this warm and deeply human conversation, Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge talk with Jen Upton — a former British diplomat who has been posted to some of the world’s toughest countries and now helps leaders and teams communicate, influence, and stay grounded when the pressure’s on.

As Jen says, she was “posted to places I wouldn’t get to see on holiday” — and some of those postings came with extraordinary challenges. She shares what it was like to evacuate twice with two small children and her husband, and to survive the Marriott Hotel bombing in Pakistan. These experiences gave her a powerful perspective on leadership, resilience, and how to stay composed when everything around you feels uncertain.

Now an executive coach and founder of How to Diplomat, Jen helps others learn the art of diplomacy in everyday life — connecting with empathy, handling pressure with grace, and leading through influence rather than authority.

Together, the trio explore:

• How to manage fear and uncertainty in high-stakes situations
• Why influence starts with curiosity
• How courage often looks quiet, calm, and deeply human
• The lessons diplomacy can teach us about work and life

If you want to work with Jen contact her by email:  [email protected]

If you want to follow her for more insights:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-s-upton

Diplomatic Dispatches newsletter:newsletter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtodiplomat/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@howtodiplomat 

The views expressed in this episode are the personal reflections of our guest. They do not represent the official positions of the UK Foreign Office or any government.

Last week, Tom Bridge launched something new for us — the NVNG Top 3: three guiding principles or suggestions that help our guests when they’re facing new challenges or difficult situations. Tom’s were bold, inspiring, and full of heart.
Listen to hear what Jen’s are — and we’ll start publishing these as separate clips on instagram soon.... when we have learnt how to do it!.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

We’re joined by Tom Bridge, winner of BBC’s Race Across the World alongside his mum and NVNG co-host, Caroline Bridge.  

We’re celebrating a big milestone — our first guest and our first partnership, YMCA Trinity Group, introduced by their Chief Operating Officer, Amanda Butterworth. 

Tom, takes us behind the scenes of an extraordinary journey that pushed him far beyond what felt safe or familiar. Tom shares the moments that challenged him, surprised him, and changed how he sees the world. 

Tom talks openly about fear, confidence, and the moments that changed how he sees himself and the world. We explore the pressures facing his generation, the importance of real human connection, and how shared adventures can bridge the gaps between generations.

One of the most powerful parts of Tom’s story is how staying with a family of rug-makers in India inspired him to start his own business, Rugga Rural — importing the same beautiful handwoven rugs that first caught his eye on Race. You can also follow his journey on Instagram at @ruggarural 

A funny, honest and inspiring conversation about courage, connection and venturing beyond your comfort zone.

Please follow and share 🫶 

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

How the way we communicate can build trust, deepen relationships, and change the course of our lives.

We often think of communication as what we say. But so much of what really connects — or disconnects — us happens in the spaces between the words. In this episode, Rebecca and Caroline explore how slowing down, listening deeply, and tuning into non-verbal signals can transform the way we relate to others — and to ourselves.

Rebecca brings coaching insights from years of working with leaders and their teams, exploring how communication shapes trust, connection, and performance in every kind of relationship. Caroline shares vivid memories from Race Across the World — arriving in China unable to speak the language, learning to connect through smiles and gestures, and discovering that communication is as much about presence as it is about words.

Together they unpack why communication is so easily misunderstood, how deep listening builds trust, and why presence often speaks louder than language. At the end of the episode, they wrap up with five practical tips you can use straight away to strengthen communication and connection.

Coming next: This is the final episode in our opening trilogy — a chance to get started, set the scene, and explore how we work together. We’ve loved laying the foundations, and now we’re excited to lead into the next chapter: conversations with an inspiring range of guests who will share their approaches, tips, and tactics for achieving what they set out to do.

And what a way to begin — Tom Bridge is a brilliant first guest. A natural adventurer with a sharp mind and a big heart, Tom brings energy, honesty, and insight to the conversation.

👉 Please follow & share NVNG to spread the word — because sometimes the most powerful communication happens without words.

 

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

What if feeling out of your depth isn’t a sign to stop — but the very first step into something new?  In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained, Caroline Bridge relives raw moments from Race Across the World — panic, setbacks, and unexpected breakthroughs — while Rebecca Rees reveals what the brain is really doing when we step into the unknown.

Rebecca also shares her own experience of being out of her depth: learning how to create and make a podcast for the very first time. From the nerves and false starts to slowly finding her rhythm, she shows that stepping into something unfamiliar can be daunting — but also exciting, messy, and deeply rewarding. 

✨ What’s Next
Episodes 1–3 are about building the foundations — sharing our own stories, science, and experiences to set the scene. But it doesn’t stop here. From Episode 4 we’ll be joined by our first guest — and it couldn’t be more fitting. Caroline’s teammate from Race Across the World, her son Thomas Bridge, will join us to talk about venturing into the unknown side by side. 

This is just the beginning — each week, more voices, more stories, and more discoveries.

Please follow and share Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained so you don’t miss Tom’s episode and the many exciting guests to come.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

Welcome to the very first episode of Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained. Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge share why this podcast was created, what it means to them, and how their own adventures — from executive coaching to Race Across the World — taught them the power of daring to try.

In this first conversation, Rebecca and Caroline talk about the fears and interference they had to overcome just to start, why our brains resist change, and how both small steps and big adventures can shift how we think, feel and live. Caroline also reflects on her extraordinary experience of winning Race Across the World — the BBC series that drew a record-breaking six million viewers and was shortlisted at the NTA’s (National Television Awards).

Our mission is simple and ambitious: to help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing. Each episode brings real stories, simple science, and the humour that keeps us human. Soon, we’ll also be joined by inspirational guests who’ll share their own adventures in daring to try.

We’re rookie podcasters determined to keep going, keep improving, and share the adventure with you. Trying something new is rarely perfect — but it’s always real.

 👉 Please follow, share and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.

Welcome to Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained. In this short trailer, hosts Rebecca Rees — an executive coach passionate about how our amazing brains work — and Caroline Bridge — winner of BBC’s Race Across the World — introduce the podcast. 

We share why stepping out of your comfort zone matters, what mental fitness really means, and how simple science, good conversation, and a sprinkle of humour (sometimes accidental!) can help us all discover what’s possible when we dare to try. 

We’d love to hear from you — your questions, thoughts, or ideas. You can leave us a voice note or message on our Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained WhatsApp +44 7375 220027. 

 Episode 1 launches on September 19th. 

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained — thanks to Angela Young of Cambridge Podcasts for production and sound engineering, Gabriella Furzi for photography, and Zainab Uzair for the cover design. Thanks to Caroline Bridge for agreeing to be my cohost and for being such a thoroughly fun, intelligent and inspiring individual. Thanks also to Katherine Paterson for encouraging Rebecca to take a giant leap out of her comfort zone and to go for it.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is hosted by Rebecca Rees and Caroline Bridge.

Rebecca is an Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Peak 15 Coaching, passionate about how our brains work and helping people unlock possibility.

Caroline won BBC’s Race Across the World 2025 with her son Thomas — a series watched by over six million and shortlisted at the National Television Awards.

🎯 Our Mission: To help people pause, see beyond what holds them back, and discover new possibilities for greater happiness and wellbeing.

🎧 Creative Team : Angela Young – Podcast Production, Cambridge Podcasts, Zainab Uzair – Graphics, Logo & Cover Art, Gabriella Füzi – Portrait Photography

📩 Contact Us : We’d love to hear your questions, ideas, or stories of stepping outside your comfort zone: WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447375220027

Instagram @nothingventuredpodcast

👉 Please follow, share, and be part of the NVNG adventure — it all starts with daring to try.