In the sixth leg of the race, the pairs must brush up on their language skills, as the next stop is in Quebec, the heart of French-speaking Canada and the capital of its largest province.

To get there, the teams must navigate Canada's most densely inhabited region. Here, the big cities make up a third of the nation's entire population. For the first time in the race, transport and accommodation choices will be plentiful but potentially damaging for dwindling budgets.

Either way, they'll be challenged even further when they join the tourist trail from Montreal to the checkpoint where they will soon discover that with the Formula One Grand Prix in town, prices and demand for accommodation have been driven even higher and undoubtedly will take a toll on all the pairs' finances.

Retaining the race lead, Claudia and Kevin take to the waters of Lake Huron to head south to Niagara Falls, but with the fewest remaining funds and different perspectives on the race, this stretch could be their most challenging yet.

Eager to close the gap, Monique and her dad Ladi are wrong-footed straight away when some friendly advice backfires.

Tricia and Cathie have their sights set on Ottawa, focused on boosting their funds. A troublesome job opportunity sends them into a spin, and they will need quick thinking to get back on track.

Currently in last place and in need of healing their rift, Zainib and Mobeen head to a cheese factory, unaware that an encounter with a family there will throw new light on their future as a couple.

The final push to Quebec City is too close to call, as the teams come eye-wateringly close to the finish, but only one can be first to reach the checkpoint and be one step closer to the all-important £20,000 cash prize. The thrilling unpredictability of the race is sure to change the teams' lives forever.

The Bafta-winning third series of Race Across the World reaches its epic climax tonight as one lucky team crosses the finish line in first place, claiming the £20,000 cash prize and the title of Race Across the World champions.

Forty-six days ago, five teams embarked on a monumental journey across the second-largest country in the world – Canada. Without smartphones, internet access and credit cards, the teams' skill, ingenuity and determination have been tested to the extreme as they attempted to conquer the 16,000-kilometre route.

The teams navigated their way through seven check points, across challenging terrains and alongside unpredictable wildlife with ever-dwindling budgets.

Across prairies and the Canadian Badlands to the edge of the Arctic, from the shores of the Great Lakes to the picturesque fishing towns of Nova Scotia, from the Rockies to the densely inhabited region of Quebec's cities, this has undoubtedly been an adventure to remember.

This gruelling and punishing race pushed the teams to their limits, both physically and emotionally. Alongside the astonishing scenery, it has given them the opportunity to immerse themselves in different cultures, make lasting connections and appreciate surprising and inspiring acts of kindness from total strangers along the way.

The journey has not just been physical – relationships have been tested and bonds strengthened. At times unpredictable and always dramatic, the pairs complete the experience as very different people from the ones who started the race eight weeks ago.

In an incredibly tight, gripping and pulsating finale set against the backdrop of the most easterly point of the North American continent, which team will triumph, be crowned winners and welcomed into the Race Across the World hall of fame?