The Bridge: Race to a Fortune press pack - Meet North Beach

7 June 2022

Name: Alim
Age: 31
Location: London
About: Alim is a “hard of hearing, English/Indian, queer, Muslim”. Both his parents are deaf and he works professionally as a sign language interpreter. As one of the only hearing people in his family, Alim took on the role of the role of interpreter at a young age and has only recently been diagnosed as hard of hearing himself, which he found difficult to come to terms with. Growing up, Alim struggled with his sexuality and his culture but is now in a place where he feels he can take on anything. Alim describes himself as a leader and a meditator as well as a bit of a control freak. He is extremely competitive and would like to win enough money to help good causes.

Name: Lotti
Age: 20
Location: Cornwall
About: Lotti is born and bred in Cornwall, growing up in a small village near the coast. She is currently studying for a degree in broadcast journalism, having moved to London when the pandemic put pay to her gap year plans. Lotti says she thrives under pressure and is a social butterfly who can make friends with anyone. She says she’s often underestimated as a city girl who doesn’t want to break a nail, but she was raised in the wild countryside and she’s not afraid to get stuck in. Lotti is a born leader and says it’s a role she naturally gravitates towards. She is prepared to go as far as she can to win and will bend the rules if needs be.

Name: Keira
Age: 24
Location: Wrexham
About: Keira is in training for the Paris 2024 Paralympics to represent Team GB in taekwondo. She had her left arm amputated when she was 21 following an accident when she was 15 and says the decision to amputate was the best decision she ever made. Keira now works as a public speaker and is a disability ambassador, speaking in schools about equality and diversity and to big corporations about resilience and change. Keira copes well under pressure and she’s stubborn. It took her a year to learn how to tie her hair up one-handed and six months to learn to do her shoelaces: "It may take me longer to get there, but I will get there".

Name: Rikaya
Age: 30
Location: Liverpool
About: Liverpool-born Rikaya moved to London in her early 20s with just £400 and now runs her own fashion business and teaches yoga, as well as working day to day as an estate agent. Rikaya says she is completely bonkers and up for anything and thinks her positive approach to running a team enables her to be a strong leader. Rikaya is highly competitive and doesn’t like people who take themselves too seriously and don’t have a sense a humour. She doesn’t have any time for cheats, either. If Rikaya won the cash, she would open her own yoga studio.

Name: Frankie
Age: 30
Location: London
About: Canadian-born Frankie lives and works in London; he is the founder and CEO of a speech and debate company. Frankie was previously listed in Forbes 30 Under 30, he is a former Mr Canada and he also got to the final of Mr Universe. But things haven’t always been great for Frankie, he was bullied at school for being gay and he didn’t have the most privileged upbringing, which has given him the drive to excel. Frankie describes himself as risk taker and the puppet master in a group. He says he can achieve almost anything but the one thing he can’t do is build! He will do anything to win, he doesn’t need the money but will take it anyway.

Name: Ethan
Age: 28
Location: Wiltshire
About: Ethan followed generations of men in his family and joined the army at the age of 21. He is a member of the Royal Military Police and has been deployed in Germany and Afghanistan, amongst other places. Ethan says his biggest strength is his self-confidence and admits he can come across as arrogant when you first meet him, but he does have a softer side. With so much experience of working in a team, Ethan says he will make the extra effort to make sure everyone is okay and that keeping the team morale up is integral to the success of any mission. If he won a significant amount of money, Ethan would like to give back to his parents to thank them for supporting him.

Name: Crystal
Age: 52
Location: Liverpool
About: Crystal grew up in a small town in Somerset before moving to Brighton at the age of 23 where she found her true self. Crystal underwent full gender reassignment surgery at the age of 30 and describes her life since transitioning as colourful. Crystal admits she is brutally honest and doesn’t have a filter, which can sometimes get her into trouble. She has no time for liars, cheats or people who think they’re better than others. She says she’s a “good friend but not the best enemy” and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her. Crystal is extremely competitive and plays to win: “If someone wants to play dirty, I will play filthy.”

Name: David
Age: 36
Location: South Wales
About: Lorry driver David is a cheeky chappy who describes himself as a “Karl Pilkington-type character, moaning about most things in life.” David grew up in a small Welsh town and admits to being quite narrow-minded, but hopes being taken out of his comfort zone will do him the world of good. He says his opinionated nature and inability to think before he speaks can get him into trouble. David is very competitive and will do whatever it takes to win, he is in the competition for himself and would use the prize to start a new life. David admits he struggles to hold down a relationship and the main woman in his life is his mum.

The Bridge: Race to a Fortune
Tuesday 7th June, 10pm, Channel 4 & All 4