‘I became public enemy number one after Race Across The World’-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Race Across The World star Alfie said he had to take space after trolls called him out on social media (Picture: BBC)

Race Across The World contestant Alfie said he ‘went into hiding’ after becoming the subject of an online backlash.

The football referee, 20, travels from Japan to Lombok with his best friend Owen, 21, in the BBC program but encounters more than just travel nightmares on his route.

He told Metro.co.uk that he became ‘public enemy number one’ after the first episode that saw the pair, from St Albans, reach the first checkpoint, Nara City.

In it, Alfie laughed and then quickly scolded himself for being ‘disrespectful’ as they stumbled across the Nakizumō Festival in Japan.

The annual event sees sumo wrestlers hold babies in an open-air sumo ring. The first baby to cry is declared the winner and there are huge waiting lists to participate.

Alfie also, understandably, becomes ‘stressed out’ when they catch a train with Kyoto – but without knowing its final destination or which stop to disembark from.

Reflecting on the social media reaction after the first episode, Alfie said: ‘I was going into hiding after episode one so I’m glad it’s turned around, to be honest.

Alfie said he became ‘public enemy number one’ in Japan after the first episode (Picture: BBC)

He continued: ‘I was like public enemy number one in Japan the day after episode one but that was alright.’

Asked how he coped with the online commentary, Alfie responded: ‘I did just run away from it. I know that better times were ahead. I just hoped everything would work out in the end and it is working so far.’

Now Alfie and Owen, who met at school, are one of the fan favourites to win the competition and even get recognised in the street.

‘It’s crazy and weird,’ Alfie said of his new-found fame.

Now, though, the two friends are among the favourites to win the competition (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Pete Dadds)

Their popularity is due, in part, to their frank honesty about male mental health and openness about their past traumas.

In one incredibly moving scene, Alfie releases a lantern in Hoi An, Vietnam in honour of his late mother, who died from breast cancer when he was a child.

However, Alfie said he was convinced he had ruined the entire moment.

He explained: ‘It looks better than it felt at the time and I thought I’d massively [messed] the whole moment up when I was on the boat, but then they [edited it] quite incredibly.’

‘I just felt like I didn’t really describe how I actually felt in the moment but luckily they cut all that out.’

Alife feared he had ‘messed up’ the moment he paid tribute to his late mum (Picture: BBC)

He released a lantern in Hoi An in tribute to his late mum (Picture: BBC)

On Race Across The World, Owen also speaks about how he suffered from poor self-esteem and ‘really did not like myself’ while he was at school.

On his decision to open up, he said: ‘In the moment, I thought it felt right, but we’re also very aware of the stereotypes and the stigma behind [male mental health], particularly between 15 to 25-year-olds even though suicide is the leading cause of death [for men in that age group].

‘Just being able to show that we’re two guys trying to enjoy our time, but we still have that mental lapse occasionally, it’s really important.’

‘I wouldn’t say I like talking about it, but I feel like this was the one chance I would get to get my message out that it’s okay to feel like that and talk about it.’

While viewers have praised Alfie and Owen’s bond – the secret to their friendship is caring about each other – they did not strike up such a strong relationship with a taxi driver in Indonesia.

Owen even believed he would be sent ‘flying out the window’ after rubbing the driver up the wrong way over turning on the air conditioning in an unaired run-in.

The trainee fighter pilot said the drive ‘didn’t take too kindly’ after he leaned over and switched the air con because it was ‘sweltering.’

His retaliation? Reckless driving.

‘For the duration of the next 15 minutes, he was flooring it everywhere,’ Owen recalled. ‘He was going within an inch of the car in front.’

Alfie and Owen had a run-in with an Indonesian taxi driver(Picture: BBC)

He continued: ‘I thought he was going to rear-end it and I was going to go flying through the window.’

After the friends arrived at their destination safely, Owen said he was so angry he refused to interact with the driver and instead paid the fare to one of his colleagues.

Alfie said the journey ‘started scary’ but later ‘petered out into a very uneventful situation.’ Thank goodness.

If Alfie and Owen cross the finish line first, they will not only have the honour of being the fastest travellers – but will also bag themselves a £20,000 cash prize.

It’s clear the duo have caught the travelling bug as rather than a more ‘sensible’ purchase or saving for a house deposit, they said they would blow the cash on more exotic trips.

Race Across The World airs Wednesdays from 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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