“Wiem, ale apetyt rośnie w miarę jedzenia. Tak było fajnie,” Aldona Banasiuk told Plejada after she and her brother Mateusz were eliminated from the reality competition Azja Express.
The 11th episode of the eighth season marked the end of the road for the sibling duo, leaving four pairs to fight for the ultimate victory in the hit TVN reality format. Hosted by Izabella Krzan, the grueling survival race through Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore has tested celebrity duos across more than 5,000 kilometers of tropical heat, difficult terrain, and intense physical challenges.
- Małgorzata Socha and Mariusz "Mario" Szydeł secured their spot despite a sudden and much-publicized traffic accident on location, as reported by tvn.
- Katarzyna Zillmann and Janja Lesar survived the semi-final elimination cut despite finishing near the bottom with the Banasiuks, according to Plejada.
- Michał Danilczuk i Paweł Danilczuk awansowali, biorąc udział w wyścigu.
- Edyta Herbuś and Piotr Bukowiecki round out the finalists heading into the final leg of the competition.
The 11th episode kicked off in Malacca, where contestants had to track down a monument dedicated to local bodybuilding legend Gan Boon Leong—widely known as “Mr. Malaysia”—and replicate a drawn pose, as detailed by Plejada.
Competitors then traveled to Muar to try their hand at traditional wood carving before heading to the pineapple hub of Pekan Nanas. In Pekan Nanas, the two fastest pairs battled head-to-head for an immunity amulet, followed by a memory and observation test at the Mini Malaysia park.
Plejada said that the final stretch of the semi-final required duets to carry a live Johor Darul Ta’zim tiger mascot while deciding whether to purchase missing sticker albums detailing the 13 states of Malaysia using time penalties.
The leg culminated in a sprint toward the finish line near the Zarith Sofiah Opera House in Johor Bahru. While Katarzyna Zillmann and Janja Lesar also lagged at the back of the pack, the cumulative score meant Mateusz Banasiuk and Aldona Banasiuk crossed the final checkpoint too late to continue.
| Eliminated Duet | Previous Exits | Final Four Finalists |
|---|---|---|
| Mateusz Banasiuk and Aldona Banasiuk | Adam “Naruciak” Zimmermann & Jakub “Dezydery” Stulin | Małgorzata Socha and Mariusz “Mario” Szydeł |
| (Eliminated in Episode 11) | Maria Jeleniewska and Zoja Skubis | Katarzyna Zillmann and Janja Lesar |
| – | Błażej Król and Robert “DrySkull” Krawczyk | Michał Danilczuk and Paweł Danilczuk |
| – | – | Edyta Herbuś and Piotr Bukowiecki |
Contestants have also faced extreme physical endurance tests across earlier legs, including climbing the 272 colorful steps of the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur while balancing lit candles amid local wildlife interference, and mastering traditional plate dances at a museum in Seremban, according to mamNewsa. The remaining four duets will now face the final challenges to determine who takes the crown in Singapore.
Reflecting on their departure just steps away from the grand finale, actor Mateusz Banasiuk remained philosophical about their exit from the TVN production.
“Zabrakło odrobiny szczęścia, no ale daleko doszliśmy,” Mateusz Banasiuk told Plejada.
“Pomyślałem rano, że jak miałby się ten program zakończyć, to pięknie się kończy — z pięknymi ludźmi, pięknymi wspomnieniami, taką pozytywną energią,” Banasiuk added, as reported by Plejada.
