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Tensions reached fever pitch during the latest instalment of Celebrity Race Across the World as contestants tackled the longest stretch of the competition to date.

In theBBC programme, which recently saw one star open up on their family heartbreak, the teams were tasked with reaching Medellín, Colombia's second-largest metropolis.

The journey presented numerous safety challenges, including a particularly hazardous section requiring them to traverse the treacherous Darién Gap, where travel was restricted to daylight hours only.

This wasn't the sole occasion during the programme that contestants had to follow stringent safety protocols. At one point, the BBC was compelled to modify the rules when the celebrities needed to catch a flight.

Following an alert on their device, Molly Rainford announced the unexpected development, reading: "Due to planned strikes on the approach to Medellin, for safety, teams will be shuttled to Betancur airport and will board the next available flight."

As the duo appeared visibly taken aback by the announcement, a voiceover clarified the decision for viewers, displaying a map indicating the celebrities' current location and their destination, reports the Mirror.

Providing additional context, the narrator explained: "Due to rumoured armed attacks in the Antioquia region, the Colombian Police and army are on high security alert. For safety, teams must fly to make the final approach to the checkpoint of Medellin."

During their shuttle journey, Molly expressed her disappointment at having to board a plane, informing her partner, Tyler West, that they had been making excellent progress. He responded: "Now, it all depends on what time the next available flight is."

Molly concurred, saying: "It could change everything." Harley Moon appeared excited at the prospect of this potentially improving their position in the race.

She informed her brother, Roman Kemp: "This could be a game-changer, though, because if the flight isn't until this afternoon, we'll be on it!".

Regrettably, this development caused a hiccup for Anita Rani and her father, Balvinder, as they missed the last flight of the day and had to wait until the next day to proceed with their journey.

Despite this minor alteration, it didn't disrupt Molly and Tyler's progress as they were the first pair to reach the fifth checkpoint in this leg, followed by Harley Moon and Roman Kemp in second place.

Although flights are typically not permitted on the programme, producers have arranged flights in the past under exceptional circumstances when land travel was deemed unsafe or faced logistical challenges.

Celebrity Race Across the World is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.