Race Across The World star in tears over heartbreaking diagnosis that left her ‘without a womb’-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

A Race Across The World contestant bravely opens up about her heartbreaking diagnosis that left her ‘without a womb’ in emotional scenes airing tonight.

Betty and her brother James are amongst the contestants travelling across Eastern Asia as they battle it out to win the £20,000 cash prize.

The 25-year-old social media and events manager from Yorkshire has already suffered some pretty dramatic moments along the way, but in a preview for tonight’s episode, she breaks down into tears as she reveals her health battle.

During the episode the four teams embark on the penultimate leg of the race, travelling from Bukittinggi in Indonesia to the seventh checkpoint, and the country’s capital, Jakarta.

After a nightmare bus journey, Betty and James arrive in the coal mining town of Muara Enim in South Sumatra, where their string of bad luck (which has included forgetting their essential travel documents behind on a bus) continues when the taxi they’re travelling in bursts its tyre.

‘We’ve not showered, we’ve not eaten, we’re hot and sweaty. Everything is just adding up,’ a frustrated James, 21, says.

The sales consultant continues feeling disheartened after the pair take up a job in a family-run restaurant, saying: ‘It’s not been for me this whole Sumatra leg. Maybe because it’s outside our control it sometimes gets a little bit more frustrating. I just feel like I’m mentally not properly in it anymore.’

Race Across The World star Betty bravely shares her health diagnosis that has left her ‘without a womb’ (Picture: BBC)

The 25-year-old was diagnosed with MRKH when she was 16 years old (Picture: BBC)

Betty and James are amongst the contestants racing across Eastern Asia (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Pete Dadds)

Recognising the shift in her brother, Betty says: ‘I could feel James getting really frustrated today…The tables have definitely turned in that aspect because usually, it’s me moaning and him being like “live in the moment and find a positive!”‘

Talking about their journey together, the siblings reflect on how it’s made them more open with each other, and that ‘speaking with each other is not that scary’.

‘And it helps, quite a lot and now we could easily pick up the phone to one another and talk about whatever,’ James adds.

Opening up about her health condition and feeling negative, Betty breaks down into tears, saying: ‘My frustrations and down moments come periodically, I want to be resilient and brave and whatever, but my condition I do believe has made me have this mindset of being negative and not really liking the person I am.’

Shortly after her 16th birthday, Betty was diagnosed with MRKH (also known as Rokitansky Syndrome), a rare congenital condition that affects the female reproductive system.

Betty is consoled by her brother after bravely opening up (Picture: BBC)

James is left breaking down into tears (Picture: BBC)

‌’It means that I don’t have a uterus, I don’t have a womb and I only have one kidney as well,’ Betty explains.

‘I think as a young woman, you’re told you’re going to marry, you’re going to have a family, and from a young age when that’s taken away from you, it does put doubts in your mind. Doubts in your purpose as a person, I suppose.’

Comforting Betty, James tells her: ‘It’s okay, you know, honestly I forget that you can’t have children.’

She replies: ‘Me and you have never even had a conversation about it have we? It’s definitely made me develop, I think, a lot of the negative attributes that I have like overthinking and wanting to feel in control, because I just feel like at 16 something was taken away from me that I couldn’t control.

It’s an emotional moment (Picture: BBC)

The siblings have already faced a dramatic journey (Picture: Studio Lambert)

‘So, when you’ve been saying “everything happens for a reason,” I can’t believe that.’

James recognises for the first time his sister’s point of view and before sharing a hug says: ‘Yes, that makes more sense now. I get that my philosophy is “everything happens for a reason”, but to you, obviously not. And that being positive is not always the best way to deal with things.’

After an emotional hug, he later reflects, tearing up to the camera: ‘“To hear that was tough. It was the first time we’ve talked about it, and I have heard it from Betty herself and it’s only now that I realise how much it does affect her and… Excuse me, there’s a frog in my throat.’

Choking up and breaking down into tears before being consoled by the camera crew, he adds: ‘Brave is now probably an understatement, I’ll have to think of a new word for her.’

Race Across the World continues on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

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