What is the concept of mystery passengers?

The mystery passengers are part of the particularities of season 20 of Beijing Express. Indeed, from this Thursday, January 23, Otis and Enzo will have to complete a stage of The Route of the Legendary Tribes with one of them… Yoann Riou.

Hitchhiking candidates, grandiose landscapes and unusual tests… Beijing Expressthe cult M6 show presented by Stéphane Rotenberg is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. For this anniversary edition, called The Route of the Legendary Tribesten new pairs compete on the roads of Africa. The route begins in Tanzania, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, then continues in Zanzibar, before continuing into Mozambique. Then, direction South Africa and Lesotho for the participants. Finally, the grand finale will take place in Johannesburg. Another special feature this year, the return of the mystery passengers. But what do they consist of? Tele-Leisure tells you more.

Beijing Express : the mystery passengers return this Thursday evening after 11 years of absence on the M6 ​​show

It was in 2012 that the mystery passengers arrived in the adventure game. For this season composed solely of former pairs of candidates, personalities from M6 took part in the race alongside a duo including Mac Lesggy, Stéphane Plaza and Faustine Bollaert, at the time presenter of Best Pastry Chef on the chain. Their responsibility was great since it was up to them to convince drivers to take them hitchhiking, find accommodation for the night, or even compete in the immunity tests. The following year, the season titled The Cursed Chest had kept the concept of mystery passengers. Viewers were able to discover, alongside new duos, the adventures of Adriana Karembeu, Prince Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy and Willy Rovelli.

“This role stresses them a little” : Stéphane Rotenberg explains how celebrities understood Beijing Express, The route of legendary tribes

After eleven years of absencethe mystery passengers will once again have the destiny of the pairs in their hands. During the press conference for the 20th season of the program, the producer of the adventure game Thierry Guillaume explained in what context they will intervene: “When a pair is saved by a non-eliminating envelope, they are accompanied by the mystery passenger to the next stage. When the stage is eliminatory, the pair who is eliminated decides to assign it to whomever they wish for the rest of the race, without knowing which mystery passenger it is.“. Among the personalities who took part in the game, we find the former Miss France and presenter Élodie Gossuin, the chef and juror of Top Chef Glenn Viel, the actor Bruno Solo, the host Norbert Tarayre and the sports journalist Yoann Riou, who will take his first steps in the adventure this Thursday, January 23. He will be alongsideOtis and Enzowho lost their final duel at the end of the first episode and therefore inherited this “disadvantage” for the rest of the race. It promises great TV moments! Stéphane Rotenberg told us during the program’s press conference. “This role stresses them a little because they see in the eyes of the pairs that they have to be good right away“. A major challenge, lasting three days for these personalities.