Jo Gardiner, who took part in the second season of Race Across the World, has died at the age of 61.
Gardiner passed away following a "long and courageous battle with cancer", her family said. "She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves," her family said in a statement.
The statement continues: "She was blessed with countless friends, drawn to her extraordinary magnetism. Somehow, each one felt as though they were among her very best. To us, she was more than all of these things. She was our family, our joy, our safe place and our absolute treasure.
"As we grieve, we ask for privacy, but we also ask everyone who knew and loved Jo to do exactly what she would have wanted: tell the funny stories, raise a glass, have an adventure, laugh loudly and live life to the full.
"She was one of a kind. There will never be another her."
Following the news, the official Instagram account for Race Across the World paid tribute to Jo, writing: "On behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC and the whole Race Across The World cast, we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie, and her wider family and friends.
"Following the tragic death of Jo’s son Sam last year, we paid tribute to how integral Sam and Jo had been to series two. Millions of people remembered their transformative journey across Latin America in 2020 and we hold that memory in our hearts as we fondly recall Jo’s passion for life, her kindness, her strength, and above all her utter devotion to Sam and her family."
It continued: "At the time of filming, Sam described his mum as amazing - and that is how we will always remember her. Jo became the matriarch of the Race Across the World cast family, she leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she touched, both through the series and beyond. It was a privilege to share her story and she will be deeply missed."
Jo took part in BBC's Race Across the World alongside her son Sam, who sadly died in a car accident near Manchester last year at the age of 24. In their season, they travelled across South America together and quickly became fan favourites along their journey.
Plank PR, the communications agency that looks after Race Across the World, also posted a heartfelt tribute to Jo on the news of her death. In their statement, they wrote: "We are very sad to share the news that Jo Gardiner, the matriarch of our Race Across the World family has died."
It continues: "Jo became the matriarch of the @raceacrosstheworld cast family and only two months ago she inspired contestants, old and new, to run The Great Manchester Run for The Christy Charity which Jo was committed to raising money for.
"Throughout her life Jo was driven to make a difference in everything she did. She worked as a physiotherapist and had her own clinic as well as working for the NHS. She lived with Type 1 diabetes which she was keen to raise awareness of and was an Ambassador for Diabetes UK. Together with Sam’s father Andrew, she campaigned to raise money and understanding of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in memory of Sam.
"She leaves a lasting legacy in the many lives that she has touched: through the millions of viewers who loved her in the series; to the people she worked with; to those she helped in all her fundraising; her utter devotion to her family, her extended family and friends - all of which is testament to just how amazing she was."
Jo was a proud ambassador for Diabetes UK and for those who wish to honour her memory, her family has set up a JustGiving page in her name, with all donations supporting Diabetes UK.
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