The Magici, Jey and Checco Lillo: “Pechino Express Shows Just 30% of Our Journey”
Naples, Italy – April 10, 2025, 2:21 AM PDT
Jey and Checco Lillo, the dynamic brother duo known as “I Magici” from Pechino Express 2025, have opened up about their whirlwind adventure on the Sky Original reality show, revealing that viewers witness only a fraction of their transformative experience. In an exclusive interview with La Stampa published today, the Naples-born siblings—eliminated in the fifth episode aired April 3—shared candid reflections on their journey through the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, emphasizing that the televised version captures just “30% of what we’ve lived through.”
Jey, 28, a TikTok-famous magician with over a million followers, and Checco, 24, a competitive gamer and university student, entered the grueling travel competition with a mix of excitement and trepidation. “We’d heard from friends who’d done it—it’s intense,” Jey told La Stampa. “But living it? You can’t prepare for that.” The brothers, who clinched victory in the first leg on March 6, quickly became fan favorites for their blend of tenacity, humor, and heartfelt sibling bond. Yet, their exit last week—after a brutal stage marked by a malus from rivals Gli Estetici—left fans reeling, with posts on X proclaiming, “Jey and Checco won our hearts; the show won’t be the same.”
The Magici’s journey wasn’t just about racing to checkpoints with a mere €1 daily budget or mastering autostop (hitchhiking). Off-camera, they say, lay the real story: profound human connections and personal growth. Checco recounted a poignant moment staying with a local family: “They apologized for their ‘ugly’ home and simple food. We cried. I felt a knot in my stomach—I hugged them and said, ‘This house is full of love.’” Jey added, “They gave us everything despite having nothing. It changed how we see life.” These untelevised encounters, they insist, taught them more than any race could.
The brothers’ competitive edge—honed by Jey’s street-smart magic and Checco’s gaming grit—shone through, but so did their softer side. A rare on-air apology to Le Atlantiche after a heated spat showcased their humility, earning praise like “bravi, bravi, bravi” from Quotidiano Nazionale. “We’re aggressive because of where we grew up,” Jey explained early on, though he later clarified it’s about wanting to win, not their roots. Checco agreed: “It’s a game, but those moments of kindness? That’s us.”
Reflecting on their elimination, the pair expressed no regrets. “We’d do it again—ten, no, a thousand times,” Jey laughed. Checco nodded: “On the flight home, we were already asking, ‘When can we go back?’” The web has split on their legacy—some hail them as “favorites who deserved to win,” others critique their intensity—but their impact is undeniable. As Pechino Express 2025 marches toward its Nepal finale, Jey and Checco’s tale reminds us: the real magic happens beyond the 30% we see, in the unseen struggles and bonds that redefine a journey.