Filming Begins on BBC’s Race Against the Tide

Filming has begun on the U.K. adaptation of Race Against the Tide on West Sands Beach in St Andrews, with Iain Stirling as host and artists Sadie Clayton and Jamie Wardley as judges.

Each episode, Clayton and Wardley will judge the works of seven talented teams of amateurs and professionals, selecting the top sand sculpture before it is swept away by the tide. The series will air on BBC Two, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.

Clayton is known for her copper sculptures, which have been showcased at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, The Ivy at Granary Square and the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition, among others. She is also no stranger to unusual mediums of art. Some of her most recent installations included the use of AI, augmented reality, holograms and robotics. She is also currently a course director at the London College of Contemporary Arts.

Wardley is a sand sculptor who founded the sculpting company Sand in Your Eye almost 20 years ago. As an environmental science graduate from Bournemouth University, sustainability and climate consciousness are at the heart of everything he creates. Wardley and his team have created sculptures and installations across the U.K. for organizations including Aardman and the Imperial War Museum.

The U.K. adaptation of Race Against the Tide is being produced by Tern, a Zinc Media Company, for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer. The format was created and originally produced by Blue Ant Studios, which also oversees global distribution for the format and all versions of the series.

“It’s very rare I get to spend a day on a sunny beach, and it’s even rarer when that beach is in Scotland, so I am absolutely buzzing to be in St Andrews to kick off filming for Race Against the Tide,” Stirling said. “When else do you get a chance to combine crazy impressive sand art and the ever-looming threat of the tide washing it away?”

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Tern and BBC Scotland to bring this feel-good competition to audiences right across the U.K.,” commented Catherine Catton, head of commissioning for factual entertainment and events at the BBC. “Whether you live near a beach or simply take the kids to the sand pit at the local park, the epic sand sculptures in this series are sure to inspire families everywhere to get out in nature and give it a go.”

Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, added, “Against a background of a stunning Scottish seascape, this series will make a splash. Viewers will lap up the combination of artistry, jeopardy and fun—and Iain is the ideal host to steer the sand sculptors and audience through the show’s twists and turns.”

“We’re pioneering the green reality show,” commented Harry Bell, executive producer for Tern. “As a Scottish company, it’s extra special to be celebrating these extraordinary works of art on the stunning sands of St Andrews. It’s about creating a TV splash of epic proportions!”

Clayton said, “I am dead excited for this show! I cannot wait to see the contestants’ unexpected perspectives and innovative ideas. As a sculptor, a creative educator and a new mama whose little one loves the seaside, I am so excited to have these three worlds collide on camera in my happy place, the beach.”

“I am so excited to be a part of this show,” Yardley added. “It is going to be brilliant to see sand sculpture showcased on our shores in such a wonderful part of the world, St Andrews. The professional contestants are some of the world’s best, and I want to see them work with the amateurs to make stuff that is absolutely mind blowing. Sand-sculpting is a real feat of skill and engineering. I want audiences to look at it and think, ‘How is that possibly made on the beach?’”