Singer Sam Ryder's consistently positive outlook is a welcome departure from the prevalent focus on mental health struggles often seen in celebrity reality television, according to TV critic Christopher Stevens.
In his review of the second episode of BBC1's Celebrity Race Across The World, Stevens highlights Ryder's ability to maintain an optimistic perspective even when faced with significant challenges, such as being lost in an unfamiliar city, enduring heat, and facing financial limitations.
"Whatever Sam Ryder's got, I want a bottle of it," Stevens writes, quoting Ryder's declaration of "Everything is going perfect" despite adverse circumstances. The critic notes Ryder's positive energy, comparing it to a force capable of launching a rocket, and quotes the singer's belief that "If you look for the light, you'll find it." Ryder's approach is presented as an antidote to celebrities who frequently discuss their anxiety, ADHD, and autism, which Stevens suggests can inadvertently encourage feelings of hopelessness in viewers.
Ryder's journey on the show is with his mate and tour manager, Kaz. While Ryder maintained his cheerful disposition, other participants faced different experiences. Football presenter Jeff Stelling and his son Matt encountered a difficult 14-hour taxi journey through Borneo's backroads, with Stelling appearing visibly less than cheerful. The review mentions Ella Eyre and her friend Nana went orangutan spotting, and Princess Andre, daughter of Katie Price, interacted with a cat, expressing concern about rabies.
Stevens also briefly touches upon a BBC4 programming celebrating 90 years of British television, including a 1936 program called Television Comes To London, noting that Sir David Attenborough was already ten years old at that time.
Ryder's own path to success is framed as a testament to perseverance. He reportedly worked for 15 years, enduring "a long stretch of knockbacks and failures," before achieving a breakthrough when Justin Bieber noticed one of his videos and promoted it online. Stevens suggests that more celebrities could benefit from emphasizing positivity, similar to Ryder, rather than focusing on complaints.
