Who is Sam Ryder’s friend on Celebrity Race Across the World? Meet tour manager Kaz Coles

Eurovision star Sam Ryder is swapping the stage for a globe-trotting adventure alongside his best friend and long-time tour manager Kaz Coles. Here’s everything to know about the music industry professional joining him on Celebrity Race Across the World.

Sam Ryder is setting off on one of the biggest adventures of his life, but he won’t be doing it alone. The singer-songwriter is competing in the new series of Celebrity Race Across the World with his best friend and tour manager, Kaz Coles, also known as Kaz Smith.

The pair are among the celebrity duos taking part in the BBC travel competition, which challenges contestants to navigate an epic journey without the usual comforts of modern travel.

Having spent more than a decade working together in the music industry, Sam and Kaz already know what it means to travel long distances, live out of bags and navigate the unpredictable demands of life on the road. But will that experience give them an advantage when the competition gets tough?

The new series begins tonight, Wednesday, 28 October, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with the teams facing a challenging 7,500km journey from Borneo to Melbourne, Australia.

Who is Kaz Coles, Sam Ryder’s best friend?

Kaz Coles is a Scottish tour manager and music industry professional who has worked closely with Sam Ryder for more than a decade. Based in Buckhaven, Fife, Kaz has built a career behind the scenes, helping artists navigate international tours, demanding schedules and the logistical challenges of live music.

Although he may be less familiar to the general public than his Eurovision-winning-in-spirit best mate, Kaz is an experienced figure in the rock and alternative music scenes.

His career spans more than 17 years, during which he has worked with a variety of international acts, including Scottish metal band Bleed From Within, Australian metalcore group Polaris, American hardcore band Life of Agony, death metal pioneers Suffocation, and rock acts Alien Ant Farm and Crazy Town.

Tour management involves considerably more than getting musicians from one venue to another. It can mean coordinating travel, accommodation, production schedules and crew requirements, often across multiple countries and under considerable time pressure.

Those skills could prove useful in Celebrity Race Across the World, where the contestants must make their own travel arrangements, manage a limited budget and work out how to reach their destination without relying on flights.

Kaz can be found on Instagram at @kaz_coles, where he shares glimpses of his life and work in the music industry.

How did Sam Ryder and Kaz Coles meet?

Sam and Kaz’s friendship dates back to 2013, long before the singer became a household name through his Eurovision success.

Their relationship began when they were both travelling around the country in vans, working in the music industry and building their careers. It was a time when the glamour associated with major performances was often a long way from the reality of life on tour.

Reflecting on their first meeting, Sam said: “We met in 2013. Two kids touring in vans. We just got on like a house on fire, straight away.”

Kaz offered a similarly straightforward description of their long-standing relationship: “I’ve just been stuck [with him] for years.”

Their shared history means the pair have experienced the highs and lows of the music business together, from the practical challenges of touring to some of the biggest moments of Sam’s career.

As Sam explained ahead of their television adventure: “I reckon we can smash this. Think about all the places we’ve slept over the years on tour.”

It is that familiarity with life on the road that could be one of their greatest strengths. Unlike teams who are still learning how to travel together, Sam and Kaz have years of experience navigating unfamiliar places, adapting to changing plans and working through problems as a team.

Of course, travelling for work is not necessarily the same as racing across continents on a strict budget. With no luxury transport or carefully planned tour itinerary to fall back on, the competition will test their friendship in entirely new ways.

What has Kaz Coles worked on with Sam Ryder?

Kaz has been alongside Sam through some of the most significant milestones of his career.

Sam first became widely recognised in 2020 after sharing cover versions of popular songs on TikTok. His online success helped launch a mainstream music career, but it was his performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 that brought him international attention.

Representing the UK with Space Man, Sam finished in second place with 466 points, delivering one of the country’s strongest Eurovision results in decades.

Kaz has worked with Sam throughout the singer’s rise, including the period surrounding his debut album, There’s Nothing But Space, Man!, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.

Their professional journey has also included high-profile performances at Wembley Stadium, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Albert Hall.

For a tour manager, such events demand careful planning and coordination. Behind every major performance is a team responsible for ensuring that artists, crew and equipment arrive where they need to be, with everything ready for the show.

While Sam commands the spotlight, Kaz’s work takes place largely behind the scenes. Celebrity Race Across the World offers viewers a chance to see a different side of that partnership, bringing a long-standing professional relationship into a more personal setting.

What is Sam Ryder doing now? His role in Jesus Christ Superstar

Away from the race, Sam has taken on a major new challenge in musical theatre, starring as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.

The iconic rock opera, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, reimagines the final days of Jesus through a powerful musical score and a contemporary theatrical production.

The role marks a significant step in Sam’s career, giving him the opportunity to showcase his powerful vocals in a live stage production rather than a traditional concert setting.

The production opened at the London Palladium in summer 2026 before transferring to Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a further West End season. Its reception at the Palladium included five-star reviews, with critics praising Sam’s vocal performance and the energy of the staging.

The official production announcement highlighted the show’s critical response, with The Telegraph describing it as: “Sam Ryder is divine. An astonishing revival. A masterpiece.’”

The show continues at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until Saturday, 9 January 2027, with Sam returning to the title role.

Where to watch Sam Ryder in Jesus Christ Superstar

The current West End engagement is at:

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

• Location: Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JF.
• Dates: 16 October 2026 to 9 January 2027.
• Starring: Sam Ryder as Jesus.
• Tickets: Check current prices, performance dates and seat availability through the official booking website.

You can book through the official Jesus Christ Superstar ticketing page. Ticket prices and availability vary by performance and seating category, so check the live booking calendar before making plans.

The production is directed by Tim Sheader, with choreography by Drew McOnie, and features the celebrated score including songs such as Gethsemane and Superstar.

Will Jesus Christ Superstar tour the UK?

Yes. Following its West End run, the production is scheduled to embark on a major UK tour in 2027, with Sam Ryder continuing in the title role.

The tour is due to begin at Manchester Palace Theatre from 12 to 27 February 2027, before visiting venues across the UK, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Aberdeen and Bristol.

For confirmed dates and future booking information, visit the official Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals website.

When does Celebrity Race Across the World start?

Celebrity Race Across the World returns to BBC One tonight, Wednesday, 28 October, at 8pm, with episodes also available on BBC iPlayer.

This year’s series features four teams taking on an ambitious journey from Borneo in Southeast Asia to Melbourne in Australia. The contestants must navigate the route using local transport, manage their money and make their own decisions about where to go next.

The other competing pairs are singer Ella Eyre and her childhood friend Nana, sports presenter Jeff Stelling and his son Matt, and siblings Princess Andre and Junior Andre.

For Sam and Kaz, the challenge represents a return to the kind of unpredictable travel that first brought them together more than a decade ago. This time, however, there are no tour buses, backstage passes or carefully organised gig schedules to rely on.

Instead, the friends will need to draw on their experience, resourcefulness and understanding of each other as they race across continents.

With a friendship forged on the road, Kaz could be the ideal companion for Sam’s latest adventure. Whether their years of touring together translate into success on the race remains to be seen, but viewers can expect plenty of stories, laughter and a fresh insight into the relationship behind one of British music’s most recognisable performers.

Celebrity Race Across the World airs tonight at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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