Princess Andre was left visibly distressed during Celebrity Race Across the World after an unexpected taxi stop brought back harrowing memories of the night she and her family were caught up in a violent carjacking in South Africa.
The 19-year-old became frightened when her taxi driver suddenly pulled over and got out of the vehicle in the darkness, triggering memories of the 2018 attack when she was just 10 years old. Her mother, Katie Price, was held at gunpoint and sexually assaulted during the ordeal, while Princess and her older brother, Junior, then 12, feared for their lives.
The emotional scenes unfolded during the BBC adventure series, in which Princess and Junior are competing against three other teams as they race from Borneo to the final checkpoint in Melbourne, Australia, with limited money and no mobile phones.
During the second leg, the siblings opted to take a shared taxi to reach their next destination, but an unexpected stop brought back memories Princess had struggled to put behind her. As the driver got out and walked around in the dark, she began to panic, prompting Junior to reassure her that they were safe.
Princess Relives Katie Price's Carjacking Horror
Explaining what had triggered her reaction, Princess told her brother: 'I don't know, I think it's the quick movements, getting out of the car, walking around in the dark, coz that's what happened to us in the hijack'.
Junior immediately recognised that his sister was experiencing a trauma-related reaction, describing it as 'post-traumatic stress'. In a separate piece filmed before the race, Princess recalled the horrifying events of 2018, when the family had stopped at a petrol station in South Africa.
She explained that just two minutes after stopping, six men surrounded their vehicle and began attacking it with a baseball bat in an attempt to smash the windows. Princess remembered watching her mother, Katie, sitting inside the car with a pillow held against the window, preparing for the glass to break.
The attackers threatened to shoot Katie and demanded that she hand over her children. Princess and Junior were in the back seat, crying as the men threatened their family and attempted to get inside the vehicle.
'Honestly, I actually did think I was going to die', Princess admitted. 'I can literally still picture it all, like it happened yesterday'.
Katie has previously spoken publicly about being raped at gunpoint during the 2018 attack, describing the devastating impact of the ordeal in interviews. Her children remained nearby as the terrifying incident unfolded, and years later, the memories were still powerful enough to overwhelm Princess during what should have been an ordinary journey through Borneo.
Junior Supports Sister Through Emotional Flashback
Although the taxi driver had simply stopped at a shop to get petrol, Princess struggled to convince herself that there was no danger. She admitted her immediate thought was that the driver might pull out weapons, explaining that her heart was racing and she could barely breathe.
'I thought I was over it to be honest', she said, describing how the unexpected movements had left her frightened. Junior comforted his younger sister with a hug and reminded her that they were safe, later reassuring her that feeling triggered by something connected to a traumatic experience was normal.
Princess admitted feeling 'a bit silly' because the driver had done nothing threatening, but explained that she had deliberately avoided situations where she might feel at risk. She said: 'I just don't put myself in those situations, I won't go anywhere that I think is going to put me at risk'.
She went on to describe the carjacking as 'the most traumatic thing I think I've ever experienced', acknowledging that the memories had affected her for years despite believing she had moved forward.
Reflecting on their different responses to the attack, Junior said he felt the experience had made him stronger and that he had not wanted to run away from it. However, he recognised that Princess had been affected differently, explaining that the ordeal had stopped her from doing things more independently.
Speaking to his sister during the race, he told her: 'I've noticed, it stopped you doing things more independently. Doing this, doing the race, is a big step. It's a big thing'.
For Princess, taking part in the competition has meant confronting unfamiliar situations and pushing herself beyond the boundaries she had previously placed around her safety. Junior's reassurance offered a reminder of how far she had come, even as the unexpected taxi stop revealed that the memories of their family's ordeal in South Africa had never completely disappeared.
