It’s been a little over twenty years since The Amazing Race won the first Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, and in the time since, the Television Academy has steadily added more awards to honor the great work being done in the reality space. Given the popularity and staying power of the genre, those honors have been well deserved, but there’s still one huge omission the Television Academy needs to fix.

Producers, hosts, casting departments, cinematographers, costume designers and more working professionals are now eligible to win dedicated categories, but the actual people we tune into these shows to watch still aren’t eligible to win anything at the Emmys. That’s a problem, and it’s also a huge missed opportunity. We need a category that’s for Best Reality Competition Contestant And/ Or Cast Member, and we need it as soon as possible.

Imagine an alternate universe in which Survivor legends like Boston Rob, Parvati Shallow, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Cirie Fields were Emmy nominees or even winners. Imagine a world in which Big Brother favorites like Rachel Reilly, Dan Gheesling and Taylor Hale could brag forever about being recognized by the Academy. Imagine if standouts from Drag Race, Top Chef, Amazing Race, American Idol, Love Island, The Traitors and other competitions were eligible to do more than just win the show.

And that’s doubly true for the stars of more traditional reality shows. The Real Housewives are the most obvious example. Nene Leakes, Lisa Vanderpump, Teresa Giudice and so many others have turned millions of people into passionate and dedicated fans. They’re fantastic at what they do and deserve the chance to be honored in the same way as the stars of more traditional scripted shows. How much drama and intrigue and fun would have been created by some of these women being put head-to-head in the same Emmy category? I’d watch a multiple episode arc of that every season.

I’m sure there are any number of practical reasons why this hasn’t happened. I’m sure there are issues with union vs non union performers. I’m sure there are issues with feeling like these personalities are supposed to be “real people” and not professionals working on a show. I’m sure it would be awkward for voters to try and figure out how to compare Tom Sandoval to Rick Devens and Bob The Drag Queen.

I get that it’s complicated, but the Emmys are about honoring people doing great work in television. Clearly, the Television Academy has decided the reality genre is worth celebrating and is here to stay. I agree. Now it’s time to start celebrating the actual people we’re watching each season. With all due respect to hosts, it’s the actual contestants who make or break a season. Assumedly, that’s why, back in 2017, the Academy officially added Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program. Now it’s time to do the same for the contestants and cast members.

If it were up to me, I’d add four categories and do Best Male Star In A Reality Show, Best Female Star In A Reality Show, Best Male Competitor In A Competition Show and Best Female Competitor In A Competition Show. Honestly though, I’d settle for just one that more generally honors the stars in the entire Reality-Competition space. They’ve collectively earned their moment. Now it’s time we give it to them.

I’ve been an Amazing Race superfan for years. I’ve actually seen every U.S. season of the series. I’ve followed the contestant drama. I know about how contestants get that million dollar prize. I usually know about newer twists in advance of new seasons. Yet, I just learned more about The Amazing Race rules from Kaitlin Olson in one video than I’ve learned in literal years of watching the show.

And I learned all this because of Hacks.

I assume you know Katilin Olson has not appeared on a traditional season of The Amazing Race, though some celebrity names like Mike White have. Instead, the final season of Hacks features a very memorable episode in which DJ (Olson) convinces her mom Deborah (Jean Smart) to compete on a celebrity edition of The Amazing Race with her. I've long wanted a celebrity edition of Race, but there are some obstacles to making it fully happen. Getting it this way was cathartic to me.

Anyway, they get eliminated early, but Olson recently admitted the show actually hired real crew members from the reality series in order to make sure they got the details right, which squares with similar comments the Hacks writing team has made. She told Awards Buzz:

So, she really did got schooled on some of the TAR rules, including a few I didn't know about.

The Fanny Pack Must Stay In Front

The actress went on to say she “does not” want to join basically any of the best reality shows after her Hacks experience, but she did learn a lot. That includes things like clue placement and where fanny packs must go.

While she doesn’t give us the answer to the envelope thing, they usually stick the clue back in the fanny pack and refer back to it throughout the race. I’m pretty sure throwing the clue on the ground and littering would be frowned on, but I had no idea about this fanny pack thing!

You Can’t Say “Fuck You” To Host Phil Keoghan

The second thing Olson mentioned was a bit of improv she attempted to include in the episode, which would have involved getting aggressive with host Phil Keoghan. Turns out, that’s a big no-no.

Phil's got a squeaky clean image, and The Amazing Race airs on network TV, so this entire thing squares away. But I do think the image of the actress going so over-the-top as a fake contestant is very funny, and would have played for shock value. That is, if it totally hadn't been against the rules.

I don’t think anyone would argue the last season of The Amazing Race was a fairly big departure from previous seasons. This mostly had to do with the format, which featured teams of Big Brother players and a loved one competing against one another for the winning million dollar prize. The previous CBS stars were all very aware of the cameras and how they wanted to come off, but mostly, it was really interesting to see reality stars from one game play another, and to see those fandoms collide. So, why doesn’t the show mix things up more often?

Apparently, There Is A Reason

I'd love to see a season of The Amazing Race that mimics what The Traitors has done for those with a Peacock subscription. While we've gotten some celebs on the reality competition series, I’ve honestly always wondered why it hasn't brought in more famous or semi-famous people. I do know it can be hard to get celebrities on the show in general, as Will Forte and Val Kilmer long wanted to team up for the show before his death in 2025. Scheduling was the major issue for the pair.

In an interview with Page Six, host Phil Keoghan basically confirmed scheduling was also the main problem with an all-celebrity season.

However, there would be several ways to remedy that. I can notably think of two:

• Do a shorter season (tighter windows would mean greater availability).
• Do fewer locations (this goes along with a shorter season and could be like the family season of the series, which took place in North America only, requiring less lengthy travel).

As it turns out, Phil is no dummy and has thought of this. He also explained what would need to happen if there would be a bigger, bolder celebrity lineup down the line.

I mean, c’mon Phil, Sydney Sweeney and Mike White want to team up. Let’s make that happen.

We Have Seen Some Celebrities On The Amazing Race Before

The Amazing Race has always been a place for semi-famous names to crop up. The White Lotus creator Mike White’s popped up. Fellow Survivor alum Boston Rob and Amber Mariano have showed up. Professional athletes have appeared from NFL teams, hockey teams and more, including paired teams like Cedric Ceballos and Shawn Marion or DeAngelo Williams and Gary Barnidge. There was also a whole season of influencers before the show tried the Big Brother season.

There’s also been a faction of people who are famous now who broke out on TAR. That includes names like Stassi Schroeder, who competed with her family back in Season 8. Or Natalie and Nadiya Anderson, who competed on the Phil Koeghan-led show before transitioning to Jeff Probst’s Survivor. Contestants flipping from Survivor to Race and vice versa feels pretty natural at this point.

Phil did also mention the “real people” seasons have anecdotally seemed more popular, but I’d argue a mix of a little bit of everything is better. It can be helpful to have some known faces during early episodes of shows. It’s easier to get to know teams in some ways. Mostly, though, I like it when TAR changes things up. I wish we had more seasons with All-Star or other returning characters. I’d also maybe like to see a mash-up where former teammates compete, but with a new partner from another team. Phil has said a season where the first-elimated teams came back would be the “worst” disaster, so we probably shouldn’t go that route.

Still, variety is the spice of life, and I wouldn’t mind giving some famous faces a go at a race around the world. Or, if Phil Keoghan is right, a race around one easy-to-navigate-in-a-short-amount-of-time continent.

One of HBO Max’s best shows is back and better than ever. The highly anticipated fifth and final season of Hacks debuted this week to rave reviews and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Following the Season 4 finale, Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance is back at rock bottom, declared dead by the tabloids and her reputation trashed, facing claims that she “killed late night TV.” The Season 5 trailer shows Deborah reassembling her team, including Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels, to claw her way back to the top. I didn’t anticipate an Amazing Race crossover to be part of that comeback, but apparently the writers had it planned all along.

The Emmy-winning HBO comedy will release new episodes Thursday nights in the 2026 TV schedule, and Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky revealed to Variety that Episode 5, titled “D’Amazing Race,” will feature a crossover with the popular CBS reality show. While this may seem like a random plotline, it’s a dream come true for Amazing Race super-fan Aniello, who says this idea was years in the making:

Downs and Aniello, the married comedy-writing couple behind Broad City, said they binged all seasons of Amazing Race during the pandemic lockdown, at the same time they were writing Hacks. The idea of comedy duo Ava and Deborah on Amazing Race, as offhandedly mentioned earlier in the show, was a little inside joke for the creators. However, Aniello desperately wanted it to be a reality, even pitching an entire Hacks/Amazing Race spinoff season, so Season 5 was their last chance.

After a tense and emotional season of Ava and Deborah being at odds and backstabbing each other right and left, I would love to see them find their flow again on the Amazing Race. They truly are a good team, but I think I like it even better that it’s the mother/daughter duo.

First of all, DJ (Kaitlin Olson) is definitely one to sign up for a side quest like Amazing Race, always looking to make a name for herself separate from her mom’s legacy. While there’s no doubt hilarity will ensue with this dysfunctional family pairing, Aniello told Deadline this storyline also serves as a turning point for their relationship in this final chapter, with Deborah seeing “that DJ is capable for more than Deborah’s ever given her credit for.”

That’s not to say they won’t argue. It would be out of character for Vance to not snap at DJ during a stressful competition such as the Amazing Race. Aniello said they had written into the script a moment where Deborah yells at DJ, which is not allowed on the real show. To make it as realistic as possible, the writers included an Amazing Race producer character in the scene, but Statsky said they weren’t gonna cut any corners with this special episode:

This isn’t just a crossover; it’s a true tribute to the Hacks creators’ favorite reality show. It meant directly collaborating and consulting with the producers of Amazing Race, host Phil Keoghan, and creator Elise Doganieri. Not only did Doganieri and Keoghan make sure the script was completely accurate to something you would see on their CBS show, but they also played themselves on camera in the Hacks episode. Hacks even flew in the Amazing Race camera crew to keep everything as authentic as possible. Imagine a normal day of doing your job and getting an acting credit for it!

Any dual Hacks and Amazing Race fans are sure to be obsessed with what has the potential to be one of the best, yet unexpected, TV crossovers ever. I can’t wait to tune in to this passion project of an episode when it’s available to stream with an HBO Max subscription on May 7.

The history of television is littered with reality stars who have been unhappy with their edit. Most of these individuals don’t sue, but one Amazing Race couple is getting litigious. The news is coming months, however, after one ½ of the TAR duo admitted to "inexcusable" behavior on the show. Here’s what happened, and what’s going on with the new lawsuit.

Fans Were Not Happy With Jonathan Towns’ Behavior During Season 37

Season 37 of The Amazing Race aired back in 2024. Most of the talk that season had to do with the addition of the Fork in the Road twist; however, the episodes also spotlighted one of the most notorious Race teams so far: Jonathan and Ana Towns.

Over the course of the season, Jonathan appeared to belittle Ana and her abilities more than once. He was not kind to her when she struggled in challenges, and she typically took his criticism quietly, from what the reality series showed us. I remember at one point Ana appeared to defend herself by saying, “You’re treating me like I did something wrong,” leading Jonathan to call her “rude.”

At one point during a confessional, Ana admitted she and Jonathan had broken up at one point before their TV appearance, but Jonathan was still putting in effort with the family. They ended up bonding over TAR episodes, and ultimately made it onto the reality competition series. They didn’t win the million dollars, but later said that watching the episodes back led Jonathan to an autism diagnosis and self-reflection.

In fact, in May of 2025, the Towns family said in a YouTube video “you only see certain things” during the course of the show and that “unfortunately” for them what audiences saw was “the very worst.” Jonathan said he’s learned a lot about autism and childhood trauma following his TV appearance, but they got help afterward for what Ana referred to in the same video as “childlike tantrums.” He called the behavior "inexcusable," also stating:

Ana Towns also told Parade in 2024 that rewatching the series had been hard, telling the outlet:

It seemed the story would end there, until this week, when an $8 million lawsuit was reportedly dropped.

CBS And More Are Now Being Sued For Defamation

Per reports, Disney, ABC, Jerry Bruckheimer’s production company, Paramount and CBS are being sued by Towns over defamation. The Amazing Race is a cross-production coming from CBS Studios and Twentieth Century TV, which are now owned by Paramount and Disney, complicating the number of companies involved. It’s also worth noting TAR actually airs on CBS, oftentimes in the same 90-minute block format as Survivor.

Via Deadline, the lawsuit claims production put on a smear campaign against the couple, calling it a:

The focus of the suit seems to be on Jonathan and not Ana, who was given a relatively benign edit, despite the stressors placed on the couple. Their struggles ultimately led them to place third during Season 37 of The Amazing Race. The suit claims Towns was not shown “accurately and completely” and that a “constructed, false and highly damaging portrayal” was shown, instead.

Per reports, the couple would also like the entire series re-edited to indicate a knowledge and awareness of the autism diagnosis Jonathan Towns reportedly had not known about prior to appearing on television.

Towns previously also told Parade that he’d hoped to “be liked” after his appearance on TAR, but that it became clear very early on he was being portrayed as a villain. He said Reddit and other places online helped to clarify people’s opinions immensely, noting the entire experience “mortified” him.

We’re inching closer to that exciting yet scary time on the 2026 TV schedule where shows find out if they get to return for another season or not. CBS is dishing out that news right now, though, as it just issued renewals for ten of its series. However, while that number is massive, it does not encapsulate its whole slate, and there are two scripted series that are still waiting on news about whether they’ll get another season or wind up on the list of shows ending in 2026.

CBS Renewed Ten Shows

Much like they did in 2025, CBS renewed a bunch of its shows in one swoop. So, without further ado, here are the ten series the network decided to pick up for another season:

• NCIS
• NCIS: Origins
• NCIS: Sydney
• Fire Country
• Matlcok
• Elsbeth
• Tracker
• Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
• Survivor
• The Amazing Race

In a press release from CBS, it was noted that Tracker is the No. 1 series, while Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is the No. 1 comedy, and Matlock is Thursday’s No. 1 entertainment program. Overall, none of these renewals come as a surprise, and I’m sure fans are thrilled they are getting more of them.

Now, before these ten shows got the good news, we did know the fate of a few other series. Ghosts picked up a two-season order in 2025, so we were aware that it would be present on the 2026-2027 slate. Meanwhile, Boston Blue and Sheriff Country were renewed in late 2025 for their respective sophomore seasons. Adding to the pile of renewals, FBI got a multi-season pickup a couple of years ago, and we knew about the fates of the new shows, Cupertino and Einstein.

So, now you might be wondering: What’s left? Well, two shows fates now hang in the balance, so let's talk about them.

Now, We’re Waiting To Find Out The Fates Of DMV And Watson

Looking at CBS’s 2025-2026 slate, only two scripted shows that are currently airing have unclear futures, and those are the new sitcom DMV and the drama Watson, which is in its second season.

So, I can’t help but wonder when news will arrive about their futures. CBS’s announcement did note that “additional series order and renewals will be made at future dates.” However, when news comes about almost every other show, I can’t help but be a bit nervous.

It’s also worth noting that, along with DMV and Watson, we don’t know if CIA or Mashals will get sophomore seasons. However, those shows haven’t even started yet, so obviously, we’ll have to wait for news about renewal or cancellation.

Now, hopefully, we’ll learn more about the fates of DMV and Watson sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can watch every show mentioned in this story on CBS or with a Paramount+ subscription.

The Amazing Race Season 39 closed out its Big Brother crossover season, and as the betting odds predicted, Jag Bains and his brother Jas won that grand prize money. It was hardly a surprise for those who've seen his win in Season 25 of BB, and now he's the first person in reality show history to win two of CBS' big three competition shows.

As I previously wrote, Jag should be given a chance to play Survivor and potentially become the first person in history to win all three games. That's assuming he'd want to take part in the show, of course, and in an interview with Parade, the latest winner of The Amazing Race shared how willing he'd be to play:

Glad to see Jag is more willing to play than Big Brother Season 23 winner Xavier Prather, who assured CinemaBlend long ago he'd never set foot on Survivor. Jag, on the other hand, is all about linking up with Jeff Probst, and joining the short list of former Big Brother and The Amazing Race players who also did the same.

Jag Bains wants to play Survivor, and presumably win, but that's going to be easier said than done. He had a target on his back going into The Amazing Race, but thanks to an early Express Pass and his equally competitive brother, none of the other teams ever really stood a chance of taking them out.

On Survivor, I know at least a couple of reality television fans would be in the cast. They'd be on high alert about Jag and just how dominant a competitor he can be physically. He would have an enormous target on his back, more so than anyone else that season. All this to say, I don't expect him to win, but I think it'd be the most impressive win in reality show history if he did.

And therein lies the hook for why Bains needs to be on Survivor. As a diehard Big Brother fan who hasn't watched a full season of Survivor in several years, I would be locked in on seeing if Jag could be the first person to win all three shows. Not that the CBS series needs help with viewership, but with such a clear opportunity to draw in more viewers, this is a no-brainer. Just like when Cirie Fields joined Big Brother, we need Jag Bains on Survivor.

The Amazing Race is over, but readers can revisit this latest season as well as the prior ones with a Paramount+ subscription. The same is true of Survivor and Big Brother, and with the upcoming break in television during the holidays, now may be the time to dive into a past season of one of those shows!

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race Season 38 finale. Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race Season 38 is over, and it looks like the betting odds were right on the money with which team would win that $1,000,000 grand prize. Jag and Jas Bains dominated most of the competition, and once Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers were eliminated, it was smooth sailing for them to the end.

It was another dominant performance for Jag, who previously won Season 25 of Big Brother and set the single-season record for most competition wins. He is now the first person in reality television history to win both BB and TAR, and I hope CBS realizes this and extends him the opportunity to complete the "triple crown" with another major reality show appearance.

Jag Bains Needs An Invite To Survivor

With Jag having completed two of the big three of CBS reality television shows, the island is calling. I'm sure Survivor doesn't need the hype of inviting the Punjabi Sikh reality star to see if he could go three-for-three, but Jeff Probst has invited former Survivor players in the past. Former Big Brother winner Hayden Moss competed, as did Caleb Reynolds. Neither won, but maybe Jag will break the cycle?

Maybe Jas Bains Should Appear On Big Brother?

It takes two to tango, and to complete a leg of The Amazing Race. All this to say, yes, Jag Bains deserves credit for yet another dominant win, but what about Jas? We haven't seen him compete on Big Brother yet, and given how well he performed, maybe he should be considered for a future season?

Honestly, I would love to see a number of The Amazing Race siblings/relatives/spouses in the cast who hadn't played Big Brother before. Jas remains at the top of my list, however, because I'm shocked at how he thrived on TAR, despite it being his first brush with reality television. I think he has just as equal a chance of being a reality competition legend as his brother, if given the opportunity.

I'm assuming at this point we'll see both of them compete on The Challenge, because they're just too dominant a duo not to be invited. Plus, they both talked about wanting to spend more time together as they near the end of their 20s, and what better way to do that than to keep appearing on television shows and taking on a bunch of wild challenges, like rappelling off the Empire State Building?

Time will tell what the future holds for the Bains brothers, so we'll wait and see if they end up appearing on any reality shows set for the 2026 TV schedule. I'm crossing my fingers we'll get some good news on that front, but if either wants a break from the reality circuit, I can't fault them for that.

U-Turns are typically contentious on The Amazing Race, but even as U-Turns go, we’ve had a lot of hard feelings this season. Izzy and Paige were furious for multiple legs after they got U-turned by frontrunners Jas and Jag. A few episodes later, the live U-Turn devolved into a mess of accusations and hard feelings that criss-crossed multiple teams. Ahead of the finale, host Phil Keoghan was asked about all that bitterness, and it turns out we only saw a small portion of it.

Speaking to Parade Magazine, the longtime face of The Amazing Race was asked about the live U-Turn, and he said he had to step in multiple times to stop the drama from getting out of hand. Apparently the players voted, pointed fingers, argued and voted again for more than ninety minutes, and it would have taken even longer if he didn’t repeatedly try to keep them on track.

It’s not surprising that teams would have feelings about getting U-Turned. They’re in a race for huge prize money, and getting U-Turned means there’s a significant chance you’re going to be eliminated during that leg. With some notable exceptions over the years, however, there’s typically an understanding that getting U-Turned is part of the game, and while it’s annoying, the team that U-Turns you is well within their rights to do so.

This season, however, there has clearly been personal bad blood and resentment about the decisions teams are making. From Keoghan’s perspective, that’s less a byproduct of random chance or the game evolving and more a byproduct of the special circumstances this season. Every team has at least one Big Brother player, and many of them have personal connections with each other. Some are dating. Some used to date. Some shared prior Big Brother seasons and had a lot of unresolved conflicts. Others had positives relationships and formed very overt alliances.

Because of all these emotions, they brought a lot of that into the game, which is perhaps why people got so upset about the U-Turn choices. That’s certainly what Phil thinks…

This season has definitely felt different than the standard Amazing Race cycle. In addition to all that drama, we’ve also gotten players who were, by and large, more comfortable on camera because of their prior reality television experience. That’s made many of the confessionals more energetic and exciting, but at the same time, it’s also made them feel a little more polished, for better or for worse.

You can check out The Amazing Race finale on Wednesday this week. There are a lot of competitive teams left; so, it should be a terrific conclusion that may or may not be filled with drama.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the latest episode of The Amazing Race, "The Can't Can't." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race is nearing the end of its run on the 2025 TV schedule, and as we wait for the finale, the Big Brother cast members are already back home and going about their normal lives. While we have to wait another week to see who won, there's an exciting development involving two of the final competitors, Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber.

Izzy has been with Paige since she appeared on Season 25 of Big Brother, and apparently, after traveling the world during Season 38 of TAR, they decided to tie the knot. I'm not surprised by that, given how they've interacted throughout all of the competition, but I was a bit shocked to see they did it just before the penultimate in a legal ceremony that made for a super cute video.

Izzy And Paige Got Married Ahead Of The Amazing Race Season 38's Penultimate Airing

When I heard Izzy posted an update on Bluesky, I was secretly hoping it was news she was going to compete on The Challenge against her Big Brother arch rival, Cameron Hardin. Instead, I was surprised by the news that she and longtime partner Paige tied the knot. Check out the video below, which shows the happy couple all smiles as they say their vows:

WE WIFED UP on a Wednesday at 1:00pm: a thread

— @flutedyke.bsky.social (@flutedyke.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-05T14:50:54.850Z

The couple also shared news of their union on Instagram, albeit in a very different way. They photoshopped their heads on the wedding pictures of reality star Gabby Windey and comedian Robbie Hoffman. Man, I would love to see Gabby and Izzy interact on a reality TV show. Maybe we'll get both of them on a future season of The Traitors?

I'm Wondering If Izzy And Paige Will Be In The Finale

The latest episode of The Amazing Race left us in suspense on whether Joseph and Adam Abdin were going to get the final slot for the finale, or Izzy and Paige. Initially, I thought maybe the couple chose their wedding date to avoid feeling sad about their elimination, but what if this was to celebrate their eventual win in the upcoming finale?

I've written a bit about how Jag and Jas Bains are likely going to run away with the competition, and how they were the odds-on favorites to win at the start of The Amazing Race. I would be thrilled if Izzy and Paige somehow managed to beat the two brothers, but I don't see that happening.

With that said, they've been on a hot streak, and really, it's going to come down to who is closest to Phil Keoghan by the time all three Statue of Liberty clues are constructed. I do think the editing made it seem like Joseph and Adam were ahead of Izzy and Paige, but I guess we'll have to wait and see until next week to find out for sure.

Tune in to CBS for The Amazing Race Season 38 finale on December 10th at 9:30 p.m. ET. I"m so ready to see who won this season, and will be even more thrilled if it's someone that I didn't expect!

It’s been four days since I watched this last Amazing Race episode, and I have not cooled off. In fact, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. Amidst a live double u-turn, maybe the softest coming in last speed bump in the history of the show and multiple challenges that were way too easy, the frontrunners to win the season went home. The remaining contestants hooped and hollered on the map like it was some great victory, but judging by the fan reaction on social media, it certainly didn’t feel like a win for viewers or fairness.

I’m going to get into hyper specifics about episode 9 “I’m Not A Big Fan Of Olives,” which, by the way, should have been called “You’re Gonna Run Over A Turtle!” If you haven’t watched yet, bail out because there will be spoilers.

Still here? Great. Now, before I get into some aggressive complaining, I just want to offer a few thoughts on my basic perspective on the show so you know where I’m coming from. In general, I’m not a big fan of excuses or the type of person to moan about frontrunners going home. I don’t like when teams help each other too much or when a team goes home because their cameraman got lost, but for the most part, I think the players just need to suck it up and get the challenges done in front of them.

This past episode, however, had a serious game design problem. It was laid out in such a way that I found to be uniquely stupid and unfair. It was clearly biased against the frontrunners and designed to be frenzied and chaotic, and it was way too generous to the team that finished the previous non-elimination leg in last. So, I’m not mad that frontrunners Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers went home before the finale. I’m mad that they went home on this particular leg that was poorly laid out and biased.

Let’s back up and start at the beginning so I can walk through how many places I think producers messed up. During Episode 8, Joseph And Adam arrived last to the mat, but they were saved from going home because it was a surprise non-elimination leg. That happens from time to time on Race, and in general, I’m fine with getting that plot device once or twice a season. It often leads to really emotional and fun moments. As usual, they were told they would encounter a penalty the following episode.

Well, Episode 9 started with the teams flying to Athens, and they were all told to head to Pnyka Hill to meet host Phil Keoghan. They had to wait for all the other teams to arrive, which meant Tucker and Eric lost the entire lead they’d built up over the last four episodes. Phil then told the teams they were all going to vote to pick two teams to U-Turn.

Ordinarily, a U-Turn is a huge advantage to the team running in first place. Since they’re the first to arrive at the U-Turn, they can choose which, if any, teams they want to complete both sides of the detour, but a Live U-Turn is the exact opposite. Because every team is voting at the same time on who they want to penalize, there’s an overwhelming chance they will choose the team that's literally spent most of the race in first place. As the winners of four or the last five legs, Tucker and Eric were always going to be chosen as one of the teams.

As a penalty for finishing last in the prior leg, Joseph and Adam’s speed bump was that they would automatically get one extra vote toward them being U-Turned, but as a team that’s literally never won a single leg and finished last in the prior one, they were never going to get any votes to begin with. They’re one of the weakest teams left and no threat to get U-Turned. Because of that, their penalty was not a penalty at all. They didn’t lose a single second, and there was no scenario in which they were going to lose a single second because the teams were never going to vote for them.

So, to walk us through so far. Tucker and Eric built a lot of distance between themselves and the rest of the pack over the past several weeks. Production completely eliminated their lead (which they shared with Jas and Jag) by sending all the teams on the same flight and making them wait until everyone had arrived at the Hill. Then, they let all the teams vote on who should be slowed down, and they obviously picked Tucker and Eric as one of the teams since they’ve been winning almost every leg. Oh, and also, the team that should have been disadvantaged for being saved by the non-elimination leg, wasn’t disadvantaged in the slightest.

After the vote, the three strongest teams, Tucker and Eric, Jas and Jag and Kyland and Taylor, all were assigned to do both sides of the detour, while the weaker teams, Izzy and Paige, Joseph and Adam and Jack and Chelsie, only had to only do one side. The teams were then released to go do the detours: identifying olives, working as a busker or both. As per usual, Tucker and Eric and Jas and Jag immediately shot to the front of the pack again. They found the detours quickly and completed them very quickly, while other teams got lost and other teams took a half dozen attempts to get one of the detours correct.

Now, that might sound like a huge advantage, right? The detours were all really easy so getting U-Turned wasn’t a huge disadvantage. That’s true but also misleading. Everything during the first portion of the leg was so close together and so easy to do that getting lost and/ or failing a bunch of times didn’t really matter. Kyland and Taylor took six attempts to identify the olives, but because you could just change the identifiers and guess again, there wasn’t much time lost by messing up. The next road block of pushing a boulder up a hill didn’t matter either. All the teams seemed to do it very quickly and easily before being sent to another roadblock, where they had to memorize the Greek Alphabet.

This portion of the race was significantly harder and more complicated than every single other challenge the teams did during the leg. Not a single team got it during their first attempt, and you clearly had to run a fair distance between where you memorized the Alphabet and where you did the actual guessing so it was time-consuming. Tucker and Eric were the third team to arrive out of six, but unfortunately, they had a ton of struggles at the roadblock and wound up finishing it last. The next clue was to head to the pit stop, and by the time they got there, they were a few minutes behind and got eliminated.

Now, I’m not saying Tucker and Eric didn’t deserve to go home or that they didn’t make mistakes. Clearly, they were the worst at memorizing the Greek Alphabet, and had they finished in the same amount of time as everyone else, they would have survived the leg. They had their chance and are going home because they lost. No excuses.

As a viewer, however, it’s hard to watch that episode and not feel like producers really meddled and had a hand in who went home. They eliminated Tucker and Eric's lead which they had or shared for weeks, basically guaranteed they would get U-Turned, gave no penalty to the team who finished last week in last, made every challenge but one extremely easy and quick and then hit everyone with a really complicated memory challenge at the end. There was no driving, very little directions needed, almost nothing physical and no time to build any real distance between teams.

I love The Amazing Race and shows like it. It’s won ten Emmys and been nominated countless more times for a reason. This past episode, however, was not its finest moment, and the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Amazing Race episode "I'm Not A Big Fan of Olives." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

Another leg of The Amazing Race is finished, and unfortunately for one team, this week didn't skip the elimination like the previous oneone. Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers had dominated the competition in the past couple of episodes, but the Greek alphabet challenge proved to be their undoing. Big Brother Season 26's comp beast is gone, and I fear the path is clear for one team to steamroll the rest of the season.

As the CBS reality series continues its run on the 2025 TV schedule, I can't help but feel one team just got the help they needed to really run away with the rest of the competition and win that prize money. I'm not surprised by who seems poised to win it all, but I am hoping the battle at the end is more competitive than I think it will be.

Tucker And Eric's Elimination Paves A Clear Path For Jag And Jas To Win It All

Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers were the second-most-likely betting favorites to win The Amazing Race Season 38, but Jag and Jas Bains were the odds-on favorites to win it all. Outside of one leg, where they came in fifth place, they've been in the Top 3 of finishers for the entirety of the season.

While they had a tremendously bad episode when they were eliminated, Tucker and Eric were the only team on The Amazing Race to match the level of dominance Jag and Jas had. Now that they're gone, I'm not sure anyone stands a real chance of beating them. Everyone remaining has finished near the bottom of the pack at least once. With that said, is there anyone who could give the brothers a run for their money?

Which Teams Have The Best Chance Of Defeating Jag And Jas?

I think beating Jag and Jas will be a tough ask for any team, but one alliance could topple the brothers if they work together. Joseph and Adam Abdin could make a powerful alliance with Taylor Hale and Kyland Young and go their separate ways once the brothers are done.

Unfortunately, Joseph and Adam saddling Kyland and Taylor with the "Double Detour" has fractured their friendship, and at the end of the episode, it felt like any alliance they had was out the window. It's excellent news for Jag and Jas, but bad news for all remaining teams.

As for other alliances, Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber haven't shown any interest, and the same seems to be true for Chelsea and Jack Baham. Not that either of those teams would've made particularly great allies, as they've barely scraped by in The Amazing Race Season 38 throughout each leg. It's unfortunate, but I think the rest of this season will see Jag and Jas steamrolling the competition, and everyone unceremoniously dropping off the rest of the way.

The Amazing Race Season 38 continues on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. I'm hoping that some of the remaining teams can put up a good fight, but I'm more or less convinced this will be yet another dominant win on a reality show for Jag Bains.

Spoilers below for anyone who isn't caught up with the latest season of The Amazing Race, so be warned!

The Amazing Race said goodbye to Rubina and Kristine Bernabe in the latest episode, but not before the former dropped a bombshell comment on host Phil Keoghan. The host of the globe-trotting CBS series asked her who she'd like to win, and rather than mention her then-boyfriend Tucker Des Lauriers, Rubina mentioned Izzy Gleicher as her top choice to win it all.

Rubina and Tucker aren't together in the present, but they were during The Amazing Race after their love story on Big Brother Season 26 was highlighted throughout the season. As such, it was a bit strange to hear she didn't want Tucker and his brother Eric to win the million-dollar prize, though she explained why in an interview with Gold Derby:

Rubina and her sister are super fans of The Amazing Race, to the point she openly campaigned to be on the show while still filming Big Brother. She's correct that it's been a long time since an all-women team won the show, with the last instance of that happening back in Season 25 with Amy DeJong & Maya Warren. Given that context, I don't fault Rubina at all for making that comment to Phil Keoghan.

I'm also sure, in hindsight, Rubina is glad she didn't say she wanted Tucker to win as well. The reality star, who was on television before Big Brother, said in the same interview that she was "totally okay" with broadcasting that she's no longer in a relationship with him, despite Big Brother online feeds having fans thinking they would maintain a lasting bond.

No such luck. Ultimately, Rubina Bernabe relished thrbe opportunity to compete with her sister Kristina, having watched the show with their mother growing up. Her mother passed in 2018, but the sisters used their "trauma bond" caring for her over the years to make a solid run in The Amazing Race Season 38. They could've gone further, but their late start in last place did them no favors as they did the entire leg without running into the other teams.

As TAR rolls on, Jag and Jas Bains remain the odds-on favorites to win the season. That said, Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers have had a solid run the past couple of episodes, and could be the team that pulls the surprise upset in the end. Unfortunately for Rubina Bernabe, the number of remaining all-female teams is rapidly dwindling, but we'll see if the ones that remain can make a run.

The Amazing Race continues on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. I love watching this season so far as a hardcore fan of Big Brother, but I will be eager to see more feedback from TAR fans once it's over.

The Amazing Race completed another leg and took out another former Big Brother Houseguest, and they're out of the running for that million-dollar prize. Rubina and Kristine Bernabe weren't too upset, however, because they got to live a lifelong dream, and even made a family member jealous by competing on the CBS reality series.

The duo, fresh on the heels of their elimination episode airing on the 2025 TV schedule, spoke to Parade about coming on the show after decades of watching the show with their late mother. Rubina talked about how grateful she was to be invited to play, but said one family member was miffed she didn't ask him to play instead of her sister:

I love how Rubina shot her dad down, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace needed to win The Amazing Race. I can't really say she was wrong, as Enzo Palumbo and his brother were the first duo out, and Chelsie and Jack Baham have only barely scraped by in some episodes due to his knee issues. This is not a game that's easy for the older crowd, as evidenced by the betting odds to win for some of the teams with older people.

Rubina was thrilled to receive the call to be on The Amazing Race, but admitted that she had dropped hints whenever possible while in Big Brother Season 25. While others might have been pleading with the live feed viewers watching nonstop with their Paramount+ subscription for AFP votes, she was talking about playing TAR:

It's a crowning achievement for the sisters, who joked that their "trauma bonding" in childhood made them a great team in stressful moments during The Amazing Race. Rubina and Kristine Bernabe's mother suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke, and remained in a vegetative state for a decade until she passed in 2018 (via VoyageLA).

The sisters did what they could to hold on, but ultimately fell due to teams in this season of The Amazing Race adopting a strategy of maintaining alliances. This could've benefited Rubina, considering her former boyfriend, Tucker Des Lauriers, was on an opposing team. They were still dating during filming, but he didn't seem interested in teaming up. They've since broken up, though there's no evidence to suggest this experience on the show played a factor.

The Amazing Race is rolling on without the Bernabe sisters, and thus far, it's looking like there are some clear favorites to win it all. If I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on Jag and Jas Bains or Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers to win it all. Everyone else is finishing well after them, and I find it hard to believe that won't be the case the rest of the season.

We'll see how it plays out as new episodes of The Amazing Race air on CBS on Wednesdays beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET. I'm ready to see who will leave in the next leg, as we're really starting to whittle down the remaining teams left.

Sydney Sweeney loves a challenge, whether she’s breaking into Hollywood through several prestige HBO dramas, producing her own films, or transforming her body and mind for Oscar-caliber roles. But in a recent interview, the Emmy-nominated actress revealed that one surprising bucket list goal is to team up with The White Lotus creator and Survivor competitor, Mike White, for The Amazing Race, and the director and writer made an A+ point about it.

Sweeney, who worked with White on HBO's Emmy-winning series The White Lotus, shared her admiration for his reality TV history during a wide-ranging profile with Variety. Yes, the School of Rock co-writer has already competed on both Survivor and The Amazing Race, but Sweeney is floating the idea of joining him for another go-round on the globe-trotting competition. She explained:

She’s probably right. Mike White isn’t just a brilliant writer-director; he also made it to the final four on Survivor: David vs. Goliath and previously competed on two seasons of The Amazing Race alongside his father. Sweeney, on the other hand, before going full Rocky for her role as Christy Martin in the upcoming sports biopic, Christy, trained in MMA growing up and has shown she can thrive under high-pressure, physically demanding conditions both on set and in real life. If we’re building a dream team, this duo is seriously stacked.

And the script doctor-turned-reality-TV-scene-stealer seems to agree with the Anyone But You star. Here is what he said on the matter:

White makes a wonderful point. And anyone who’s watched Sweeney navigate the Hollywood machine, her American Eagle jeans controversy, and red-carpet moments with both grace and grit knows he’s got a point. It also helps that the two have history.

White cast Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher in The White Lotus, a role that the rising Hollywood powerhouse made her own by adding unexpected layers of vulnerability to an otherwise cold and cutting character. The mind behind the series admits he didn’t initially envision the young actress for the part, that was until she walked in and completely redefined it. Since then, their creative bond has only grown.

Would The Amazing Race actually cast them as a team? Who knows. But if CBS and host Phil Keoghan are paying attention, this has all the makings of a prestige-meets-pop-culture crossover that could get everyone talking. Just picture the A-list duo rocking matching backpacks—it’s a win-win for CBS anyway you slice it.

For now, it’s just a fun hypothetical. But if you’ve been following Sydney Sweeney’s meteoric rise, you know better than to bet against her—especially when she sets her sights on something.

Up next on her 2025 movie slate is Christy, landing in theaters on November 7. As for Mike White, he’s heading back to the island for Survivor’s landmark 50th season, which will air in the spring of 2026.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race Season 38 episode "What Would Houdini Do?" Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race is sending former Big Brother players all around Europe in the season currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule, and thus far, it's been an enjoyable ride. We've seen teams forming power alliances and some difficult challenges that felt mildly unfair. All of that continued in the latest episode, where the teams ran around Budapest, Hungary, trying to get one step closer to winning that prize money.

Hungary was a challenging leg for players for various reasons, but for Joseph and Adam Abdin, it was significantly more complex than what I feel the episode illustrated. While it highlighted some of the challenges faced when it came to favorites Jag and Jas Bains trying to get a taxi, we didn't see what the Abdin brothers had to do to finally get to their location, and I wish we had.

Joseph Abdin Explained Just How Hard It Was To Get A Taxi In Hungary

The latest episode of The Amazing Race was by far the most difficult for Joseph and Adam Abdin, who ultimately fell from their position in the top four teams all the way down to seventh place. Part of the issue was due to trouble hailing a taxi, as well as getting lost on the way to their clues. On the Chat BCC app, however, Joseph gave some more context as to what was happening and what viewers didn't get to see:

Now, The Amazing Race did highlight Jag and Jas needing to hide their turbans with hoods in order to get a taxi to stop for them. The brothers commented on it during the episode, noting it's not new for them:

I'm happy The Amazing Race took an opportunity to highlight that issue they had to deal with, but bummed we didn't get to see Joseph literally jumping in front of a taxi.

I Would've Liked To See That Scene Just To Drive Home The Struggles Those Two Teams Faced

I understand there's only so much time in an episode, and The Amazing Race has to highlight a lot of teams on this journey. That said, I don't think it was made too clear that Joseph and Adam's struggles finding the right location were tied to the uncontrollable challenge of hailing a cab and people giving them the wrong directions.

I think there was an opportunity for The Amazing Race to also talk about the challenges both Jag and Jas and Joseph and Adam faced that the other teams didn't.

I think it's fair to say that The Amazing Race tends to have a positive spin, and at the end of the day, its main goal is to highlight multiple teams making their way from each checkpoint of the race. I can certainly understand that there isn't enough time in an episode to give Joseph and Adam Abdin more time to talk about their struggles, when they also must show the circumstances that led to Kat Dunn and Alex Romo's elimination.

However, I do wish we could have spent more time addressing this issue with the taxis, seeing as it impacted the outcome for two teams.

Fortunately, we have other platforms for players to share what we didn't see and better inform us on the struggles all people face.

The Amazing Race continues on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. I'm psyched to see where the rest of this season goes, although I feel like I know who is going to win based on the edit so far.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race episode "Cry And Rally." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race Season 38 is chugging along with its Big Brother cast and just aired the elimination of its third team. It ended up being a "wake-up call" for Matt Turner, but not because he and his wife, Megan, did so poorly that Phil Keoghan had to meet them well before they got to the finish line. Following the episode, he took to social media to talk about what happened, and he opened up about the body transformation it inspired.

Turner, known more commonly by his last name throughout most of his run on Big Brother Season 24, posted on X that he was close to 200 pounds at the time he competed on The Amazing Race. He's since hit the gym and looks very different in his latest picture, which was taken over a year after filming the season. Take a look:

I'm not sure the body transformation would've kept him and his wife from only narrowly staying ahead of Angela Murray and her daughter Lexi, but it's impressive to see the amount of work he's put in over the past year! He's looking fit and possibly ready to compete on more reality shows in the future. I could easily see him on The Challenge now.

While Matt Turner continues to train for whatever lies ahead for him in life and maybe the reality television space, I'm still eager to see who will win The Amazing Race. The betting odds have Jag and Jas Bains winning it all, and based on what we've seen thus far, I wouldn't be surprised if they do. One doesn't break Big Brother records and then suddenly stop excelling in competitions.

As for the overall feeling of how The Amazing Race is going this season, I think it's one of those seasons that could fundamentally change the game. I have a feeling the strategy of the top teams all allying to push everyone else out will live beyond the 2025 TV schedule, which could have longtime fans feeling some way. Perhaps similar to Big Brother, TAR might try to shake things up to keep this from happening in future seasons.

The Amazing Race airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. Hopefully, we'll get a lot of updates on everyone this season, a year after filming has concluded, because, like Matt Turner, I'm sure a lot has changed for many of them since they had their big Europe trip.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race episode "Cry and Rally." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race Season 38 is humming along with former Big Brother Houseguests traveling all across Europe, and outside of some minor gripes, I'm enjoying it. That said, after seeing a couple of eliminations and how the game is proceeding through three legs, I once again have to talk about something I feel needs to change going forward.

As someone who religiously watches Big Brother online every summer, it's been interesting to see the alliance element from the other reality series bleed into The Amazing Race. It seems like a strategy that other future winners who want that prize money will pursue. However, I don't support it and wish there was less support between teams overall. So, let's discuss.

I'm Growing Tired Of The Alliance Between The Top Teams

Jag and Jas Bains quickly realized that by aligning with the teams of Joseph and Adam Abdin and Natalie and Stephanie Negrotti, they could gain a significant competitive advantage over the other teams. I know enough about The Amazing Race to know alliances aren't entirely uncommon, but I think through three legs we're seeing this go a bit too far.

By working collaboratively on each challenge thus far, they're blazing through each leg at a wild pace, completing them much faster than other teams, based on what we're seeing in the episode. They had a significant lead over Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers, to the point that even with a massive holdup, Joseph and Adam were still able to comfortably slide into fourth place after being beaten out for third by the brothers.

I really hope that this alliance dies, and fast. The top four teams are absolutely demolishing the competition, and as long as they stay at the top, no other team has a real chance of gaining ground on them until they are eliminated. For that reason, I do hope they start to go their separate ways in future episodes of The Amazing Race, but I wouldn't count on it.

Who Is In The Best Position To Win This Season?

As CinemaBlend reported earlier this season, Jag and Jas Bains have the best odds of winning this season of The Amazing Race. Big Brother fans won't be surprised by this, considering Jag is the record-holder for the most competition wins in a single season of the series.

I haven't looked at any spoilers from this season, but I think it's very easy to believe the Bains brothers will win it all based on what we've seen in the first three legs. Jag remains a competitive force to be reckoned with, as he ripped a goal on the hockey rink on his first shot, and gifted Stephanie and Natalie the win on their latest episode because her birthday is coming up.

Even with the strength of their alliance, they're still the best team out of those three, and it's only going to help carry them to the end, where they can steamroll their allies when the time comes. That's just my opinion, though, and I'd love to be proven wrong and see an unexpected team rise to the top in The Amazing Race Season 38.

The Amazing Race continues on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. I'm eager to see what else the 2025 TV schedule has cooked up for the fall season, but for now, watching former Big Brother players run around Europe is plenty of entertainment for me.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race Season 38 episode "Mom's Gonna Have The Willies." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race Season 38 went on to the second leg after an unfair challenge in the premiere, but as someone who primarily watched Big Brother online before this, I'm beginning to learn that fairness is relative in this CBS series. Train delays plagued contestants in Prague, but ultimately, it was a chair challenge that led to another BB team being eliminated.

So, who was sent out at Prague, and how did the eliminated team react after watching their episode of The Amazing Race from home and missing out on that big prize money? I'll tell you right now, if you're a fan of some of the wilder moments of Big Brother Season 26, you're going to like the answer.

Angela And Lexi Murray Were Eliminated

BB 26 Houseguest Angela Murray and her daughter Lexi were eliminated, and I'll be honest, it wasn't much of a surprise. The team had the lowest odds of winning The Amazing Race in terms of betting, but I would've expected that due to Angela's unpredictability and emotional moments during her season of Big Brother. Despite having a sizable lead on BB 24 Houseguest Matt Turner and his wife, Megan, they ended up being the last team to make it to Phil Keoghan.

How Angela And Lexi Reacted To Their Episiode

Angela was able to shed a lot of tears in the two episodes of The Amazing Race they were in, which was similar to her experience on Big Brother. Whether she had a breakdown over having a veto used on her or because someone ate the leftovers from her charcuterie board, the tears were flowing. As such, it's no surprise her first photo on Instagram was with her daughter Lexi, getting misty-eyed watching her elimination episode:

The best thing about Angela, however, that eventually won me over to being a fan of her on Big Brother, is that she's never down for long. Just an hour after posting a picture of herself crying on the couch in the dark, she was out on the Las Vegas strip with her daughter Lexi, ready to hit the town:

I couldn't help but chuckle that Angela ended The Amazing Race episode talking about how the experience taught her that she needs to be less of a "helicopter parent." Then we learn she's traveled to Las Vegas to watch the episode with her daughter, and now they're out on the town together. Do you think she allowed Lexi to remove the AirTag that's in her car on that trip?

There have only been two episodes of The Amazing Race, but so far, it's playing out exactly as I imagined it would. Jag Bains was a record-setting competitive force of nature on Big Brother Season 25, and adding his brother Jas to the mix has only made them even more powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if they remain in first place for the entire season at this rate, though it may be too early to start making such claims.

Catch new episodes of The Amazing Race on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. I can't wait to see where else in Europe the teams head, and if some surprising teams will be fighting for their chance to stay in the game in the next leg.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from The Amazing Race Season 38 premiere, "Two Worlds Colliding." Stream the feeds with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

The Amazing Race Season 38 premiered, and as someone who has been watching Big Brother online for the past three months, I was thrilled to see teams of former players and their families compete. That said, I'm all for fairness and have to call out the travel series for an unexpected moment that I feel was pretty unfair, considering how much money is on the line.

Phil Keoghan is always listening to fans and their ideas, even the bad ones, so may I suggest they do a bit more vetting with businesses they partner with for challenges. I saw this after watching the premiere, in which I feel like teams encountered an unexpected additional challenge during the flower phase that impacted the game.

The Flower Challenge Was Much Easier For The Bains And Des Lauriers Teams Than Everyone Else

As the first two teams to reach the flower-picking challenge, the teams of Jag and Jas Bains (the odds-on favorites to win) and Tucker and Eric Des Lauriers were already at an advantage. They decided to help each other advance, which only helped more, and were in and out in what seemed like a fairly reasonable amount of time.

In all honesty, this was a tough challenge. While it initially seemed like all the teams had to do was color-match flowers, it soon became evident to The Amazing Race teams that many of the flowers they needed looked very similar and only had subtle differences that one needed a keen eye to notice. That played a key factor later on, as shortly after Rubina Bernabe and her sister Kristine showed up, the retractable roof, letting in all the sunlight, closed.

It Was Completely Unfair To Make Many Of The Teams Complete The Challenge In Darkness

Fortunately for Team Bernabe, Kristine works as a florist in Los Angeles. They were able to complete the challenge in darkness in a reasonable amount of time, but it was a different story for a lot of other teams. Spotting the differences in these flowers was tough enough, and adding darkness to the situation really dragged out the process.

The challenge was especially tough on some team members, like Kat Dunn, who shed tears of frustration over not being able to find the right combination. Matt Turner also struggled to the point where it seemed he might throw in the towel entirely. Fortunately, both were able to get out of it eventually and were able to stay to fight on The Amazing Race for at least another episode.

Unfortunately, Enzo Palumbo and his brother Jack weren't quite so lucky. While they also struggled a good deal from the flower challenge, their downfall was more that they were saddled with a bike that required one of them to ride in a large clog. The Amazing Race didn't save the duo with a non-elimination leg, and they will be the first taken out of Season 38. That said, who knows if they might've escaped elimination had they had ample lighting to do the challenge?

The Amazing Race airs new episodes on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. Check out what else is on the 2025 TV schedule as the fall television season gets underway, and keep tabs on the new season to see who landsTAR's coveted $1 million dollar prize.

The Amazing Race Season 38 is coming up on the 2025 TV schedule, and it has a little bit of a twist this time around. For the first time ever, the series is bringing in a cast comprised entirely of former Big Brother Houseguests and pairing them up with each other, relatives, or significant others. Now, the odds are in on who stands the best chance at winning. And, to be quite honest, I'm not surprised in the least who's expected to come out on top.

VegasInsider.com shared the odds for the teams most likely to win The Amazing Race Season 38, which kicks off on CBS and, for those with a Paramount+ subscription, on Thursday, September 25th. I could've predicted who would be the most likely to win before seeing this, but it's good to have another source back up that assumption.

Jag Bains And His Brother Are The Favorites To Win The Amazing Race

Big Brother Season 25 winner Jag Bains and his brother, Jas, top the list for most likely winners of The Amazing Race Season 38. That being said, they have Season 23's Kyland Young and Season 24 winner Taylor Hale right behind them, so it's not like they're heavily favored. Take a full look at the breakdown of who is most and least likely to win below:

• Jas & Jag Bains +300
• Kyland Young & Taylor Hale +400
• Matt Turner & Megan Turner +500
• Joseph & Adam Abdin +600
• Enzo & Jack Palumbo +700
• Tucker & Eric Des Lauriers +700
• Kat Dunn & Alex Romo +800
• Izzy Gleicher & Paige Seber +1000
• Jack & Chelsie Baham +1100
• Natalie & Stephanie Negrotti +1200
• Rubina & Kristine Bernabe +1300
• Hannah & Simone Chaddha +1300
• Angela & Lexi Murray +1400

As far as one of the surprises on this list, I am surprised to see Tucker Des Lauriers and his brother, Eric, middling on the totem pole, given his overall competitive dominance in Season 26 of Big Brother. He's just below Enzo Palumbo who, despite finishing runner-up in Season 22, didn't really have a ton of competition wins to show for that position.

I'm also not surprised to see Angela Murray and her daughter, Lexi, at the very bottom, given she's the eldest Big Brother player participating on The Amazing Race Season 38. She also wasn't particularly good at keeping her cool or competitions, so I think her winning this season is a longshot, to say the least.

Jag Was A Record-Setting Competitive Force In Big Brother

Jag Bains was dominant in Big Brother Season 25 and holds the record for most competition wins in a single season. With seven veto wins and three Head of Household reigns, there was no denying he was the deserving winner when Season 25 came to an end.

That said, some diehard Big Brother fans may put an asterisk on Jag Bains' win. He had an unprecedented advantage in Season 25, being able to compete in back-to-back Head of Households down the stretch, thanks to a "Secret HOH" twist. This allowed for the game to significantly shift in his favor, and that effectively won him the game.

Be that as it may, his ability to win competitions can't be denied and will be of great use on a show like The Amazing Race. Assuming his Jas doesn't prove to be a massive dead weight in terms of getting tasks done, it's easy to see why they're the favorites to win this season over some of the other competitors. As for whether that will happen, however, we'll just have to wait and see as the season unfolds!

Tune in for the Season 38 premiere of The Amazing Race on CBS on Thursday, September 25th at 9:30 p.m. ET. Both shows are also available to watch with a YouTube TV subscription. With Season 27 of Big Brother about to end, this will be the best chance to keep the party rolling. So BB fans on the fence about watching should consider tuning in if they're going to feel a void after a winner is finally crowned at the end of this season.

I am a dedicated Big Brother fan who occasionally watches The Amazing Race. Therefore, I was quite intrigued when rumors started to go around that The Amazing Race Season 38 would feature a full cast of Big Brother alumni and loved ones.

However, I wondered if by the time it aired, I would have Big Brother fatigue. I didn't know if I would still be excited to watch these former Big Brother houseguests compete for a million dollars after watching nearly 90 days of captivating gameplay.

I also wondered if Big Brother Season 27 would be so entertaining that The Amazing Race Season 38 would feel boring in comparison. But actually, Big Brother 27 had the opposite effect.

I Am Hoping The Big Brother Season Of The Amazing Race Makes Up For My Disappointment in Big Brother Season 27

I am not loving Big Brother 27. Not only did they take away a Big Brother legend in one of the most infuriating ways, but I am just not invested in this season as much as I would have hoped. The BB Block Buster stayed far too long. Strategy and social game almost feel useless this season. Plus, overall, though there is nothing inherently wrong with them, this cast isn’t the most interesting to watch. The Big Brother Live Feeds have been stale, except for a few recent days, ever since Rachel Reilly left. And I say this as someone who only recently became a fan of her game.

This season has made me question the show in ways I have not before in my 25 years of watching. Therefore, I hope that The Amazing Race Season 38 restores some of my affection for Big Brother. The Amazing Race and Big Brother are completely different shows, but I hope seeing former houseguests again reminds me of the better days of Big Brother.

The Cast Includes Some Of My Favorite Big Brother Houseguests

Just from an entertainment factor, Big Brother Season 26 is one of my favorite recent seasons. The Amazing Race Season 38 features four cast members from that season.

We’re in for a double dose of chaos with Tucker Des Lauriers and Angela Murray. I am very curious to see how their chaotic personalities translate to The Amazing Race setting. Chelsie Baham is one of the most dominant players and winners in Big Brother history: a strategic, social, and competition beast. How will these skills play out while racing across Europe?

Rubina Bernabe is someone I watched on the Live Feeds constantly and loved. She seems like a really endearing and entertaining person, who fans didn’t really get to see shine on the Big Brother Season 26 episodes. The Amazing Race could be the perfect show to showcase her fun spirit and tenacity.

Taylor Hale is one of my favorite Big Brother winners. Therefore, I am always excited when she appears on more reality TV shows. Izzy Gleicher is one of the shining stars of Big Brother 25. She’s hilarious, and another player that the episodes didn’t feature nearly enough. Izzy is also someone very much integrated into the Big Brother and reality TV communities. It will be like rooting for a friend watching her compete on The Amazing Race.

Joseph Abdin seems like an all-around caring, kind, and compassionate dude. I can’t wait to see his Amazing Race journey. Some of these contestants are my favorites to ever play Big Brother, mainly from an entertainment perspective as a dedicated live feeds watcher. I can’t wait to see them on my TV screen again. Additionally, there are other Amazing Race Season 38 contestants that I am excited to see produce great reality TV moments.

I Have Heard A Lot Of Teasers About The Drama, And Can’t Wait To See It Unfold

I followed news surrounding The Amazing Race Season 38 fairly closely and have heard things here and there from the contestants and their friends. They have teased about this upcoming season. There are rumors about how difficult this season is to complete and drama amongst the former Big Brother players.

The drama could be explosive. Even just from The Amazing Race Season 38 trailer, many scenes capture my attention. I want to know exactly why Joseph’s brother Adam is throwing up, and why Kat Dunn is crying so much. Who is having an emotional breakdown in front of Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan? I am intrigued by this season.

I Want To See How The Preexisting Relationships Impact The Amazing Race

We’re going to watch 14 familiar faces plus 12 new faces. Because the former houseguests compete with family members, I am curious about these familial dynamics. For example, Chelsie is competing with her dad, Jack. Angela is competing with her daughter Lexi. I am curious how these parent-child relationships work in this competition.

It’s definitely not easy competing with a parent, especially compared to competing with a sibling. Then Kyland Young and Taylor are racing together. Those in the Big Brother community who follow the lives of these houseguests after they leave the house know their on-again-off-again relationship. However, this will be the first time fans have seen them interact as a couple. They have been very private about their relationship.

Another interesting layer will be watching Tucker and Rubina compete on different teams while still in a relationship. They were still dating when the show filmed in March and April 2025, but have since broken up. As they'll be busy with the race, we likely won't see them interacting much on The Amazing Race 38, but even the official trailer shows a kiss between the former couple. There will be at least a few scenes about and featuring their relationship at the time. So that’s an added layer of intrigue, because I have never watched an Amazing Race season with a couple competing against each other.

They are not competing as a team but are invested in each other’s success. This also goes for Joseph and Taylor, who are also exes and were during the time of filming, but are best friends. How do they help or hurt each other to win or lose the prize money?

Also, most of the Big Brother houseguests know each other in some capacity. Some are longtime friends, new friends, or met while filming the show. These new relationships or pre-existing ones have to play into the season.

I Hope It Feels Like An Extended Version Of Big Brother Without The Stress

I love Big Brother, but the show stresses me out. It’s usually 90+ days of anxiety and a bit of insanity. I have watched at least ten seasons of The Amazing Race, and it has never stressed me out.

I have seen a few with Big Brother contestants on them and have not known the outcome of the season. Yet, still not stressed. It’s just been for fun, but also allowed me to root for familiar faces. I view this Big Brother season of The Amazing Race the same way. I will root for contestants and not stress. It should be a fun way to ease back into the non-Big Brother Live Feeds watching world, without having to fully disconnect from my summer obsession.

The Amazing Race Season 38 premieres on CBS on Thursday, September 25.

To me, one of The Amazing Race’s most successful pieces is making changes and tweaks that benefit the competition and don’t detract from it every time the show returns to the TV schedule. Sure we get the occasional controversial or unlikeable twist, but for the most part the CBS competition series knows what is going to work and how to execute it. This doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t occasionally get absolutely bonkers feedback from the fans.

Phil Keoghan Is Not Enthusiastic About One Suggested Fan Twist

In fact, longtime host Phil Keoghan recently admitted he's heard from fans who have "the worst" idea related to how they feel TAR should format an upcoming season. To be candid, the reality host is not a fan. Here's what he told Gold Derby:

Let's "kill that idea", quash it, put the kibosh on it, dropkick it out of sight, whatever, because Phil will not be bringing back failed reality contestants. As a fan, I hear him and I think it's a sound POV.

Sure, there are probably some teams that might have made reasonable runs had they gotten their teamwork together in the very first episode of any given season. However, I can tell you as a fan who has watched all 37 seasons that for the most part the teams who go home early are the teams who should go home early. The teams who make it to the end are the teams who are able to face adversity and pull through despite facing challenges and things like travel that may not be their strong suit.

For example, In the more "contentious" Season 37 we saw this happen. Jack and Carson got some lucky breaks during twists like the Fork in the Road and more, but a pizza making challenge was nearly their undoing. Instead, however, Carson worked through being flustered and burning multiple pizzas, and finally got an OK. They later ended up winning the season -- though it did take a little time to nab their Amazing Race prize winnings.

Regardless, while having last place contestants return is not remotely on Phil's bingo card, he does still want to hear from fans.

Amazing Race Fans Sometimes Have Great Ideas Too!

It’s not like every idea that comes from the fanbase is bad. Phil recently said he keeps data points on what fans are discussing online, which helps The Amazing Race team create challenges for the contestants. He also said in the interview it was the fanbase who came up with the concept of bringing in Big Brother contestants for Season 38.

The show has brought in reality contestants from Big Brother in the past, including probably most famously Rachel Reilly, but the new season will be only Big Brother contestants. This time around, Phil Keoghan calls the full cast from CBS' sister reality show “an experiment,” and one he is excited to see play out on the small screen.

Phil's not worried about it, however, and thinks Season 38 is going to be a great time, and might even bring another demographic from CBS over to his long-running series.

We'll have to wait and see. The Amazing Race is scheduled to actually be returning to CBS this fall, which is really exciting news for the fans. The first episode of Season 38 will return on Thursday, September 25 at 9 p.m. ET for a special premiere. Thanks to the newer 90-minute format, subsequent episodes will air on Wednesdays after Survivor at 9:30 p.m.

Phil Keoghan is an excellent reality TV host. I know this because of his long tenure on CBS and also because he has a really good grip on what The Amazing Race is and what the show needs to survive and thrive in the modern reality era. (Hint: it’s the occasional twist.)

So, I know he’s a reality rock star, but did you know he even maintains his own data tracking of what Amazing Race fans talk about on the Internet? His breakdown is on point, and also it’s absolutely wild that he does this.

Fans Of The Amazing Race Are Apparently Obsessed With Travel Snafus

A short while ago, Keoghan spoke with TV Insider about the data he's pulled together concerning The Amazing Race over the years. He admitted he knows the fans' most oft-touted favorite moment of all time was Season 17's watermelon catapult. If you watch the show, I know you remember this.

If you didn't see that season, it was like a medieval challenge in which a watermelon was being launched in a giant slingshot-type apparatus, and a contestant named Claire was busy launching. She got some good shots off, but then her science was a wee bit messy, and the "catapult" slingshot rushed back and slapped her in the face without launching the messy fruit. The moment has lived on in Internet infamy, and Phil said that while other moments with contestants like former Big Brother contestant Rachel Reilly and more have stood out, the watermelon catapult has been huge.

But what repeat stuff are fans really obsessed with? Well, any sort of travel snafu. The longtime reality host told the outlet two things always stand out when he's looking over TAR data points:

• Fans love when contestants are "self-driving" (*usually poorly)
• Fans love when "there's drama at the airport with getting tickets" (which frequently happens as there almost never enough room on the first flight, whether by accident or design)

Phil's kept tabs on all of these frequently touted points over the years, and there's more where that data came from.

Breaking Down What Else Amazing Race Fans Still Talk About By The Numbers

In fact, Phil is very analytical about what it takes to make a great season of the longtime CBS reality series. He said he's broken down the math, and they've figured out how much of the show should be emotional versus serious game play. Who is this man? Here's what he said:

I’m just imagining Phil hunched over an Excel spreadsheet, or maybe even a poster board since he strikes me as the kind of guy who might like to go old school. Looking at his data, what he's saying honestly feels like an average episode of The Amazing Race to me.

During one episode alone, we’ll go from some sort of traveling snafu to everyone competing in a challenge, with one team having to overcome some sort of emotional obstacle (ex: fear of heights, hatred of dancing) in order to do so. Next, if someone is self-driving (always the best), they might get pulled over or stuck in the mud. Will the other teams help out? Will they be on their merry way?

When it plays out on TV, it all feels very organic, but it’s all crafted in a way that ultimately makes for compelling TV year after year after year. While I noted before The Amazing Race does like a good twist, one thing I do think that sets it apart from its sister reality TV series Survivor is that in general the show doesn’t take twists too far.

Season 37 was honestly borderline too much for me, but in general it’s nice to pepper in new ideas among the old, whereas Jeff Probst has even admitted Survivor is absolutely trying to throw a twist in whenever it can. As we can now see, Race is more analytical about the risks its taking with viewers.

The best news is the show is absolutely renewed, and didn’t make the lengthy list of all the shows canceled in 2025. In truth, that’s a testament to Phil, the production team, and their ever-evolving knowledge of what makes the show so great. You can catch The Amazing Race Season 38 when it hits the 2025 TV schedule on September 25th.

Winners of The Amazing Race receive a not-so-paltry million dollars, but that’s not always the full story. In fact, it’s not as if those who take home the big prize on shows like Survivor, Big Brother and more always get their money right away. In fact, there’s a lot of red tape in the process, and it’s becoming more and more common for reality winners to speak out about it.

Such is true of the most recent The Amazing Race winners for Season 37, Carson and Jack. The two fought through obstacles like the Fork in the Road twist and quietly racked up more wins than any other team. Even more impressive, they did this without being seen as major threats, which led to them being targeted less than other teams. In the end, they won the money... or at least in theory they won the money. Here's their viral TikTok:

Carson and Jack were so likable not only because of their friendship story, which helped them both come out as gay in a small town, but also just because of how silly and funny their on-camera interviews were. They weren’t the strongest or the most cunning team and they had their weaknesses, but they also never gave up or got down on one another – even when one of them was a disaster at making pizza and blew a reasonable lead. Their support led to them being the No. 1 team again and again, and their story mimicked that of fellow winners Ricky and Cesar in 2024.

Now, they are taking their amusing antics to another level on TikTok where we see them drinking beer out of champagne glasses and still eating ramen weeks after The Amazing Race aired the Season 37 finale. C’mon Phil, where’s their money?

Getting Paid Late Is A Common Problem On Reality Shows

This isn’t a problem that’s limited to network TV. Last year, a monumental season of Peacock’s Traitors had the Internet talking for weeks, but when the season ended with three faithfuls sharing the prize money: Dylan Efron, Gabby Windey, and Ivar Mountbatten. After the monumental win, however, the talk of the town was them NOT getting paid right away. In fact, one of these winners Gabby kept going off in delightful videos of her own. Finally, back in April, Windey confirmed she’d gotten her money, but that was several months after the finale aired and many, many moons after she’d filmed the series.

So, it happens. On pretty much all reality shows, the contestants don't land the prize money until after the finale airs, which makes sense, as the shows don't want the winners going out and spending, which could alert savvy people to spoilers. But some shows seemingly pay out more quickly, as Survivor's recent winner Kyle Fraser said he was paid a few weeks after the finale aired.

In fact, he was alerted in advance, and he and his wife watched the payment come in together (via Business Insider). The experience as winners can vary, but one thing is for certain: A lot of stuff in reality is faked, but the delayed payment thing is very real.

If you’ve been paying attention to Hallmark’s upcoming movies, you may notice that several of them seem to be connected. The Love on the Danube movies, for instance, were part of May’s lineup, and this month features a special double feature set in Barcelona, Spain. I had the opportunity to speak to the stars of those movies — Hallmark fan favorites Ashley Williams and Alison Sweeney — and they broke down why we’re seeing so many of these on-location series lately.

To Barcelona, With Love will premiere on the 2025 TV schedule on Saturday, June 7, where fans will get to see Alison Sweeney’s Erica develop a friendship with Ashley Williams’ Anna after meeting under professional circumstances. A week later we’ll get a second helping of their Spanish adventures in To Barcelona, Forever, and Williams told CinemaBlend that’s a result of the network tapping in to what viewers want. She said:

Fans of the network do get really invested in the stories and the characters (and maybe even picking up some of those Hallmark life lessons along the way), and it makes sense that audiences would enjoy seeing the same beloved characters in different scenarios. Just look at Alison Sweeney’s Hannah Swensen mysteries!

Speaking of the Days of Our Lives alum, she told me it’s not just about the characters; these on-location series also allow viewers to experience parts of the world they might not otherwise have access to. Sweeney said:

Indeed, To Barcelona, With Love is not just arbitrarily set in the Spanish city. The film pays homage to Barcelona’s traditions, its food, its language and architecture. Alison Sweeney compared it to how she experiences a different show on TV — The Amazing Race — saying:

That’s a great comparison, and I love that Hallmark appears to be picking up on how special that is and providing more of these opportunities for fans. In fact, a couple of these types of projects have already been announced for this holiday season.

Hallmark is trying something new this Christmas, with a limited series based in Blexford, England, that will star Mae Whitman looking for love in The Twelve Dates of Christmas. We’re also getting a sequel to last year’s Holiday Touchdown, but instead of the football-inspired romance being set around the Kansas City Chiefs, A Bills Love Story will center around Buffalo’s NFL team and film on location in New York.

Before all that, though, be sure to stamp your passports to Spain in To Barcelona, With Love premiering at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, June 7, on Hallmark and then To Barcelona, Forever, at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, June 14.

It’s hard to believe The Amazing Race Season 37 has come and gone on the 2025 TV schedule, with its new “Fork in the Road” twist and its only somewhat unexpected million dollar prize winners. However, as one chapter closes, another opens, which typically leads to some interesting questions from the fans. And this time, someone asked host Phil Keoghan who he would love to run the race with. His answer did not disappoint.

Typically, ahead of a new season and toward the end of a given season veteran host Phil Keoghan is a little more active in the interview space, and this was true as Season 37 approached its end. TV Insider actually asked Phil Keoghan who he would love to run The Amazing Race with. He said he’d absolutely love to run it with his dad, a family member who is near and dear to his own heart, which was maybe to be expected, but I did not see his emotional and heartfelt backstory coming.

It’s wonderful that Phil can always take away the positives from their many adventures despite his dad’s recent health issues. While his answer was far and away more touching than I would have expected after someone asked a hypothetical, he went on to explain why his father would make such a wonderful race competitor. Turns out, there are many, many reasons he feels his dad would “be the ultimate partner.”

As the host of The Amazing Race it’s unlikely Mr. Keoghan would ever be able to compete in the race, given he’s been privy to all the challenges and their ins and outs over the years. It’s also worth noting Phil’s dad did appear on TAR once back in Season Season 13 when Marisa and Brooke were eliminated. I’m pretty sure Phil’s dad even gave them a hug.

Still, while there would be some problems with Phil and his dad competing, even notwithstanding the aforementioned health issues, I think it’s a compelling question for the face most connected with the show, as I bet it’s something he’s thought about from time to time as someone on the creative side of the series. Either way, his answer did not disappoint.

Now, I’m actually wondering what it might be like if Phil competed on something like CBS’ Survivor or one of the other great reality shows out there. The last time he was a celebrity guest and not a host was I think way back when Password got revitalized as Million Dollar Password for a new audience, but I believe that was more than 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, The Amazing Race will live on. The show has been renewed for Season 38 and will continue the 90-minute episode trajectory it started alongside Survivor a couple of years ago. And while Phil most definitely won’t be competing with his dad, I can pretty much guarantee there will be some dynamic father-son duos in future seasons, just like Jeff and Pops in Season 37.

We're still waiting to see who takes home the prize during The Amazing Race Season 37, but it's been a doozy of a season so far. Ahead of the latest batch of episodes, host Phil Keoghan was touting some big changes -- including the already-seen “Fork in the Road” twist for the new season. Across the last few episodes we’ve seen everything from double U-turns to the aforementioned "Fork" and more, but nothing prepared me for the return of the non-elimination leg this week. Apparently fans are here for it.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same way.

Fans Were So Happy About The Return Of The Amazing Race Non-Elimination Leg

In a Reddit thread aptly titled “We are SO back” Amazing Race fans waxed poetic about the (sort of) surprise non-elimination reveal at the end of last week’s episode. In another remarkably close Season 37 finish, Han and Holden got to the mat seemingly just shortly after Carson and Jack mucked their way through the pizza challenge. Based on the rules of the last few seasons, they should have been eliminated, but in a hail Mary moment, Phil announced it was a non-elimination leg. The two siblings will compete again this week.

Whether excited for the twist to return or excited about Han and Holden themselves, fans on Reddit seemed pumped for the events that played out on TAR.

• Ha, my friend and I were watching and I actively said “oh, they got rid of non-elimination legs like three seasons ago”… so I was happy to be immediately corrected.
• When they arrived on the mat it occurred to me that Phil hadn’t said anything about the last team to arrive will be Philiminated. So glad for this team!
• I’ve been sad ever since they eliminated the non-elimination
• Yeah, loved that! Didn't expect it, but they deserved it. Jack / Carson might need to win some cooking classes. 🍕
• The scream I scrumpt tonight when Han & Holden were saved!! I really hope they make this a regular part of the show again!

Some seemed surprised by the twist and some did not, which checks out given our intrepid host did say there would be a twist during the leg and then we made it basically fully through the episode with no real hiccups or changes. But overall, people seemed super excited for the return of the non-elimination leg. Unfortunately, I do not mark myself among them.

Why I’m Less Excited About The Amazing Race’s Latest Twist

As I noted prior, TAR has been chock full of twists and turns in Season 37, some of which I feel have been more successful than others. I was actually loving the larger cast, but I feel several of the teams have been mentally upset about twists other teams had no control over, like when Ana and Jonathan had to assign weight to teams during one challenge.

It’s also worth pointing out that I have actually been a big fan of non-elimination legs throughout the history of The Amazing Race up until they got rid of them back in Season 34 (which in the scheme of things was not that long ago). I'm only annoyed about this happening because:

1. I feel like the return of non-elimination legs should have come with a bit more fanfare and ....
2. making it a surprise sort of made me feel like the show just kept the non-elimination leg in its back pocket until there was a team they really wanted to save. (I have no evidence, it just felt that way.)

Previously, it's been revealed that non-elimination legs are (allegedly) determined by production in advance as part of the roadmap of the season. So, it's more likely this was one of the Season 37 twists the producers already had in the cards. However, because of it coming literally out of left field with no notice for the fans, to me I was more annoyed than excited about Han and Holden getting a pass this week.

This has nothing to do with Han and Holden in particular, but it is worth noting they have been doing a lot more following than leading in recent weeks as the weaker teams kept getting picked off and the stronger teams prevailed. Han and Holden are smart and get through challengers very well, but they suffer from something they call "race brain" --what non-race fans might call "group think"-- and they get frazzled periodically and make mistakes, which puts them behind. We saw that this past week during the mozzarella challenge.

Meanwhile Carson and Jack have been really scrappy and enterprising and have held it together well enough to stick around, making for entertaining TV. I personally do think the best teams this season are basically the strongest left (though an argument could be made about a couple of teams that exited due to twists earlier in the season), but I guess I was ready for Han and Holden to go home last week.

Now it's a new week on the 2025 TV schedule and anybody's game.

The Amazing Race has given us some fantastic sprints to the mat over the years, and this current season added a new one this past week. Father and son Jeff & Pops were beaten in a foot race to host Phil Keoghan by brothers Nick & Mike after the former pair missed their train by seconds, allowing the latter duo to catch up and hop on the same one. It was heartbreaking to see Jeff try to throw his hand in to stop the closing door. It didn’t work, but it turns out thanks to a rarely discussed Amazing Race rule, they weren’t actually as close to getting on as you’d guess.

We get a lot of shots on The Amazing Race of teams desperately trying to make various departure times, but in order to actually get on, they’re not the only ones who need to make the departure time. The team’s camera crew also needs to get on or else the team isn’t allowed to proceed. In this case, they weren’t very far behind Jeff & Pops, but thinking about how Jeff would have needed to hold the train for himself and then Pops and then the camera crew offered some reassurance to the eliminated pair as they watched the episode back. Here’s what they told Gold Derby during an interview…

There was no discussion of the camera crew also needing to get on the train during the actual Amazing Race episode, which follows the pattern of what we normally see from the long-running reality show. The producers aren’t deceptive about the rule, but it’s typically only discussed if it plays a major factor in the outcome of the show. We saw that last season as a rare example when one team was forced to wait in their car because their camera crew got lost. The show blamed it on the racers for not making sure their crew was behind them, but a lot of fans weren’t happy campers and didn’t feel like it was fair.

I don’t share those sentiments this time around. If Pops & Jeff had gotten on the train, waited for thirty seconds and had to get off because their crew wasn’t there, I’d be screaming loudly, but that definitely wasn’t the case here. The crew is always five or ten seconds behind the team as they need to follow them to record their movements. So, waiting a reasonable number of seconds is just part of the rules of gameplay.

Fortunately, Pops & Jeff don’t seem too bent out of shape over what happened. They’re competitors and, of course, wanted to stay longer, but they also quite obviously had the time of their lives during the competition together. They got to visit a ton of amazing countries, had a lot of great experiences together and even recently go to throw out the first pitch at the St Louis Cardinals game. It was a joy to watch them, and I’m glad they’ve coped with what happened so well.

The Amazing Race 37 is currently airing on Wednesday nights on CBS. This season has featured a lot of new wrinkles and game play tweaks. It's also already been renewed and reportedly casting a lot of former Big Brother players for an upcoming season, which should be a lot of fun.

The Amazing Race Season 37 is currently airing )with a big change worked in) amid the 2025 TV schedule. For those already looking ahead, the CBS reality series is hard at work on Season 38 and a big crossover. It's not uncommon for Big Brother to jet around the world and compete for glory under the watchful eye of host Phil Keoghan. However, the next season of Race will allegedly feature cast that'll see every team have former Houseguest.

Given they were locked in a house with no contact with the outside world, I guess it's only fitting former Big Brother stars get to travel the world and compete on The Amazing Race. Keoghan seemed to drop a not-so-subtle hint about the reveal as he talked about the start of Season 38 in a video shared to Instagram:

"Out of the house," followed by a key, seems like an obvious link to the Big Brother franchise, and sources are reporting on the chosen cast members, as they are spotted at the airport and making their way across The Amazing Race's challenges during filming. As a longtime fan of BB, who frequently watches previous seasons with a Paramount+ subscription, I have one major complaint regarding who was selected.

Which Former Big Brother Houseguests Are Rumored To Be Joining The Amazing Race Season 38?

Instagram insider @RealityTV_Fan shared the alleged cast for The Amazing Race Season 38, including the Big Brother Houseguests who would be a part of it. Take a look at the cast below, which features three former BB winners and other memorable players:

• Tucker [BB26] & Eric (Brothers)
• Angela [BB26] & Lexi (Mother/Daughter)
• Rubina [BB26] & Kristine (Sisters)
• Chelsie [BB26] & Jack (Father/Daughter)
• Jag [BB25] & Jas (Brothers)
• Kyland [BB23] & Taylor [BB24] (Dating)
• Izzy [BB25] & Paige (Engaged)
• Turner [BB24] & Megan (Married)
• Natalie [BB18] & Stephanie (Sisters)
• Joseph [BB24]& Adam (Brothers)
• Kat [BB21] & Alex (Dating)
• Enzo [BB12/22] & Giacomo (Brothers)
• Hannah [BB23] & Simone (Sisters)

I love seeing record-breaking winner Jag Bains on the list as well as fellow champions Taylor Hale and Chelsie Baham. That said, there's something a little weird about this list, and it's not just the fact that real-life partners Tucker Des Lauriers and Rubina Bernabe are on separate teams.

The Major Complaint I Have As A Big Brother Fan With This Cast

It may be because I'm spoiled by The Traitors finding the biggest Big Brother legends and exposing them for being awful at the game, but there's a serious lack of classic BB representation on the alleged cast of The Amazing Race Season 38. Ten of the teams competing have a Houseguest from the past three seasons of the show and, while I understand it's the most recent seasons, where are all the classic players fans have come to love?

Enzo Palumbo is the oldest veteran of the bunch as a Season 12 Big Brother Houseguest, but even that is skewed, considering he was on Season 22 as part of the dreaded All-Stars sequel season. So many seasons with popular Houseguests are left out of this lineup entirely, and that's so shocking. As someone who watched Season 16 for the first time a while back, I'm floored no one from that beloved cast is involved.

There's no time to fix it (assuming this casting is legit) with the season already underway. Still, I do hope that if The Amazing Race does more seasons like this in the future, the producers will look to spread out casting choices more rather than stack so many people from the same season together. I'm sure I'll still enjoy the season when it does premiere, but I'm just a little down about not being able to see more of my favorites from previous seasons in the mix.

Catch new episodes of Season 37 of The Amazing Race on CBS on Wednesdays starting at 9:30 p.m. ET. Big Brother fans should tune in now to get a feel for the other series if they've never watched and prepare for the next season in advance.

The Amazing Race finally returned to the 2025 TV schedule this week, and Season 37 is already bigger than normal. There will be some changes outside of more teams this season, as well, as longtime host Phil Keoghan already shared the new Fork in the Road twist and we’ve seen it in action during the show’s season premiere. If that’s not enough new-ness, there is only more to come, as the host with the most also admitted the new season is going to be far more contentious than usual.

What’s Going On With The Teams In Season 37?

According to Phil, with 14 teams when the show kicked off, there were just a lot more people than normal with that competitive kick. In fact, while TAR is not exactly known for "screaming," "yelling" or "crazy" it seems like we'll be getting a bit more of that in this explosive new round of episodes.

Honestly, I like this new wave of competitive teams. One of the biggest criticisms of the last few seasons has been how kumbaya teams were throughout the competition. There have been multiple legs in past seasons in which teams fully worked together --and I'm not talking like a "hey I'll scratch your back if you scratch my back" hint or a point in the right direction, I'm talking literally doing entire challenges together.

The show's producer had said they would address the "too much help" problem, but for a few seasons it seemed like that didn't really happen. Now, though, perhaps both the Fork in the Road twist and signing on more bullish teams will be enough to keep the teams from offering too much in the way of help Whatever happens, Phil does have feelings about what they filmed for Season 37, also saying in his interview with EW that he is "super competitive" himself and that he wants "passion" from the people he is interacting with on the show.

He also said that they aren't looking for toxic TV. They just want engaged teams that want to put in their best.

It makes me wonder if this was a conscious casting choice by the producers or just the way the cookie crumbled this season, but all the drama feels a little more like old school reality competition, and I can’t wait.

We’ve Already Gotten An Inkling About What To Expect From The Rest Of Season 37

Speaking to CinemaBlend at SCAD newcomer competitors Nick and Mike Fiorito, who are brothers in real life, spoke to us about the drama we’ll see from them as they are running their own race this season. Nick mentioned how they would “curse” and “freak out” on each other in an exclusive interview with CB.

He also called disagreeing an “art,” which I think means he and his brother are OK with a little drama as long as it yields positive results. The two brothers made it through this tumultuous first round of the race, even with the Fork in the Road twist, landing in fifth place on one side of the race.

That’s not tops. However, as I’ve always said, the name of the game early on is to avoid being last. As long as they can keep a temper on that “short fuse” it could serve them well. But as Phil was saying, it sounds like a lot of fuses will actually ignite this season. Jury's out on who will eventually get that Amazing Race payday, but I'm excited to see what happens.

The days are finally counting down until The Amazing Race arrives in the 2025 TV schedule with the Season 37 premiere, almost exactly one year to the date from the Season 36 premiere. CBS has spent weeks building hype, including teasing the upcoming Fork in the Road twist that may be a step up from the change to elimination legs. One of the biggest twists ahead of the new season has to be the size of the cast, which is the biggest in The Amazing Race history with a total of fourteen teams.

Two of those teams spoke with CinemaBlend about what they see as their advantages, but I'm not convinced they'll count as much with the amount of competition as they might in a smaller season.

The Biggest Season Yet

Perhaps as part of the Season 37 reset teased by longtime host Phil Keoghan, fourteen pairs of competitors were cast for the race around the world. This has been dubbed the "Season of Surprises," so it's a safe bet that a super-sized cast is just the beginning of twists that fans don't usually see in a season of The Amazing Race.

Most seasons of TAR have had ten or eleven teams total, with Seasons 35 and 36 previously tying for the record of most pairs with thirteen. Hopefully the long wait for Season 37 will be worth it by the time the first episode premieres on Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and fans can look forward to 90-minute episodes again this time around. Just with more competitors than usual packed into those 90 minutes! (You can also stream next day with a Paramount+ subscription.)

I was fortunate enough to speak with two teams who will be competing in Season 37, and while I'm no Amazing Race statistician with all the data for the past 24 years, I'm wondering about just how advantageous some of their advantages will be with the extra competition this time around.

Han And Holden Nguyen's Advantages

Phil Keoghan and members of The Amazing Race's new season were on hand at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta to speak with press, including sibling duo Han and Holden Nguyen. Holden, who is a 22-year-old Stanford student, shared this when I asked what gives them the edge in the supersized competition:

As somebody with a pair of brothers myself, I had no trouble understanding where Holden was coming from about siblings as friends and enemies. Han, a 26-year-old former energy consultant, had her own take:

With fourteen teams and 28 competitors, the Nguyen siblings may need all of the scrappiness and creative problem solving they can muster to edge out the competition. Hopefully they're able to achieve at least their goal of breaking stereotypes. The duo didn't know that they'd be part of a season with the largest cast ever until they showed up on the mat and got a shock, and they won't be the only set of sibs arriving on CBS on March 5.

Nick And Mike Fiorito

A pair of entrepreneur/podcaster brothers will arrive on the mat as well, and their thoughts on advantages aren't entirely different from the Nguyen siblings. Nick, 32, said on the SCAD TVfest red carpet:

Mike, 28, agreed with his brother, then added that he "thought we were going to be the most physically strong team on The Amazing Race"... until they saw their lumberjack competitors Jeff "Pops" Bailey and his son Jeff Bailey. Laughing, Mike admitted that seeing the Baileys "completely deflated our egos," but that "fitness was also a pretty strong suit for us." Nick continued:

So, will either of these sibling duos be able to rely on their advantages to beat out the other thirteen teams in the mix for Season 37? Fans will have to tune in to find out, but other teams include sisters, spouses, parent/child, friends, and more. Stops over the course of the competition include Osaka, Japan; Strasbourg, France; and the countryside of Bulgaria, to name just a few.

Tune in to CBS on Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET for the Season 37 premiere of The Amazing Race. It will be paired with Survivor Season 48 in primetime and put CBS on the map in a big way for the competitive Wednesday night field on network TV. The reality competition duo will most notably be up against Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary as ABC's top comedies as well as NBC's established One Chicago block.

The Amazing Race Season 37 will finally be hitting the 2025 TV schedule soon – March to be exact– and it has promised a slew of twists, including the brand new Fork in the Road. That’s not the only twist coming to the new season, as the show will also feature the largest cast ever for a season of The Amazing Race, a fact the contestants were not warned about before hitting the mat for the first time.

During a recent interview CinemaBlend’s own Laura Hurley conducted at SCAD TVfest, we spoke with newcomer contestants Han and Holden Nguyen, who were among the surprised when The Amazing Race’s big upcoming season filmed. They spoke about the moment being a “huge” shock, and I can’t even imagine.

It's all part of a big "reset" Phil Keoghan and co. are trying for this season, but it doesn't change one fundamental aspect of the show.

Ultimately, the whole goal of Race up until the finale is to just not come in last. That’s easier said than done, but having 14 teams should honestly help some of the laggers early on. Then again, that’s also one more leg teams have to prevail through, and the reality competition show is not all based on skill and strategy. It also includes outside factors like travel, luck, the TAR rules, choosing the right tasks, and whether roadblocks and more are actually in a team's wheelhouse.

The previous two seasons of The Amazing Race only had 13 teams competing. All previous seasons before that only had 10-12. So, to win, basically you have to be able to knock out 1-3 more teams than you would in a normal season in order to make it to the final three, and then you need to be the first team to the mat when it really matters if you want to land that $1 milllion prize package.

Still, Han and Holden told us their strategy was really to “just survive” and make no enemies along the way.

Holden: And so if that meant, like, 'Hey, man, help us please. We'll help you!' That was our approach.

Han: But I think more generally speaking, be nice to everybody. Make no enemies.

Helping others at key moments is honestly a giant pet peeve of a lot of Amazing Race fans. However, in the spirit of healthy competition, I will say it’s always better to be friendly than to lash out or be aloof in relation to your fellow contestants. Will that strategy be enough to get Han and Holden into TAR's final 3? We'll have to wait and see, but I am personally very excited to see how all these changes play out in the show's upcoming 90-minute episodes.

After a long wait, The Amazing Race is almost ready to return to TV, and we’ve just learned about a big change coming to Season 37. It's yet another challenge twists the show has been experimenting with in recent seasons, but if I’m being honest, I’m a lot more stoked about this one than another one.

What Is The Fork In The Road Twist?

Imagine if The Amazing Race were more like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, meaning there were multiple directions instead of one path a team could take in the actual travel portion of the journey. The show in the past has often employed the use of continuation legs, and gives choices when it comes to Detours.

Now, in Season 37, things are changing again as part of what host Phil Keoghan previously called a "reset." It's already one of the best reality shows on TV, but even great shows need to spice things up every now and again, and this time teams will be pushed into something the show is calling the Fork in the Road, which means they will be given an opportunity to choose one of two paths, both presumably with pros and cons. Keoghan said this of the twist:

Phil Keoghan said the twist is gonna be pretty epic in an interview with TV Line, because at the end of each of the forks two teams will be eliminated. He said the season heading to the 2025 TV schedule next month will definitely be “a season of surprises," and I can’t wait for the jaw-dropping fun:

I don’t know exactly how it will play out on the small screen, but from the description I really like this twist. There’s always been an element of chance with TAR. Sometimes there are multiple flights contestants can end up on which can give them a time advantage. Or sometimes people will get to challenges early only to find out they need to wait overnight in order to compete.

Having the fork in the road twist will doubtless mean some teams might make poor choices that ultimately lead to elimination, but I do think it will jazz up the journey quite a bit, and do so in an unusual way. Plus, if it doesn't work, it's not something the reality series has to stick with long-term.

The Amazing Race Twist I Was Less Enamored With

Twists on TAR have ranged from flight changes to mask requirements and more in recent seasons. A few seasons ago, Phil Keoghan announced there would be no elimination legs. It's been a thread that continued through Season 35, Season 36 and will presumably continue in Season 37.

Showrunner Elise Doganieri previously said at Paleyfest 2023 that they will not be coming back, because viewers (allegedly) prefer to see an elimination at the end of each episode.

I mean, I've watched The Amazing Race since Season 1, and I absolutely beg to differ. Yes, having the non-elimination leg occasionally meant a team that didn't deserve to hang on would hang on for a few more weeks. It did happen, and that could be annoying. Oppositely, periodically, there are episodes of Race where it's super obvious one team is way further behind than the other teams, and leaving the non-elimination leg as an option meant there were still stakes when those episodes happened.

Maybe the team wouldn't be eliminated, and maybe they would. That's more interesting to watch than knowing a losing team is 100% going home or having the show have to fake an edit to make it seem close when it's obvious it's not.

The only thing losing the non-elimination leg does from my point of view is saves the show money, because if someone is being eliminated every episode, they don't have to plan extra episodes. Meanwhile, this new Fork in the Road twist is basically the opposite of the non-elimination leg, because two teams will be eliminated, and that means one less episode the show will have to produce, also presumably saving money. I'm still excited about seeing how it plays out, but I'm just saying, I hope the show is choosing these twists for the right reasons.

As someone who has watched Survivor, Deal or No Deal Island, The Amazing Race and now Traitors, I’ve seen a lot of “Boston” Rob Mariano styles of gameplay. He can be bold and brash and sometimes those manipulations have paid off. Other times, they’ve gotten him voted off in record numbers. One thing’s for certain, however: The reality star has racked up a lot of TV appearances and some wins. So how much has he made from his reality career?

Rob Mariano’s Prize Winnings

The big headline here when it comes to Rob Mariano’s six Survivor appearances is that he won Season 22 of the long-running competition show. Survivor winners take home a cash prize of $1,000,000 dollars. Survivor notably has a large payout when it comes to runner-ups as well, and when his (now) wife Amber Brkich won in Season 8, Mariano came in second and would have taken home additional prize money, as well.

One interesting fact about returning players on network reality shows is that they are often incentivized to come back. While not verified by CBS, it has been reported that stars like Boston Rob and Parvati Shallow were paid a fee of $100,000 just to show up for Winners at War. Rob would definitely have been paid separately, as well, to appear as a mentor for Survivor: Island of the Idols, though Mariano would tell you it was more of a “pay it forward” idea than one about getting paid, as he recounted to EW.

Survivor isn’t the only reality show Mariano appeared on. He and his wife Amber appeared on The Amazing Race twice, landing in second and eighth place. Amazing Race winners also take home a million dollar prize, but runners-up do end up making somewhere in the tens of thousands just to appear on the show.

Last season, Rob Mariano appeared on Deal or No Deal Island and Sandra Diaz-Twine and some other former Survivor players disclosed on Instagram Live he was allegedly paid $100K just to appear on the show (though I've seen rumors it was more). He ultimately took fourth place on that series. Adding Mariano turned out to be worth it, as he helped set up the show to it's highest potential.

The celebrities appearing on Traitors are also being paid a hefty sum just for showing up even if they don’t take the final prize, with some alleging contestants are getting paid upwards of $250,000 even before diving into challenges to win prize money. It’s unclear what Rob Mariano is making for his latest venture, but one thing is clear: reality TV pays well for those who create great TV. And Rob’s move against Bob The Drag Queen certainly made for spectacular television.

Other Sources of Income

Originally known for working construction, Rob Mariano has done some “celebrity” type renovations for homes and sells merch on his website for Mariano Construction in order to bring home a little extra bacon. The reality star has written books and offers signed and personalized copies on his website, as well.

Like many reality stars, Mariano is also on Cameo (though his wife is not). He charges "$199+" for videos there and has more than 1,200 reviews, so that's certainly a pretty penny. He’s certainly not afraid of a little hustle, which tracks with his appearances on reality TV.

Rob Mariano’s Alleged Net Worth

Per varying net worth resources, Boston Rob is alleged to be worth somewhere between $1.3 and $2 million, per various estimates, though from knowing all of the above, plus the fact he and Amber's wedding was even televised, this feels like it may be a little low.

It’s also worth noting his wife Amber (Brkich)Mariano is a reality star in her own right and brought home the $1 million prize on Survivor after beating Mariano in Season 8, marking one of the all-time great Survivor seasons. She also competed on The Amazing Race with Rob and has made other TV appearances, including ads.

Celebrities normally don't shout from the rooftops about how much they are spending and earning, but it's clear reality TV has been good to Mr. Mariano and has helped sustain his family for a long time.

There have been a lot of changes to The Amazing Race over the years, most recently when the show switched to 90-minute episodes or when they briefly had contestants fly in a chartered jet during the pandemic. Despite trying to spice things up a little bit, veteran host Phil Keoghan has been at the reality TV game for a really long time. But there’s one thing he is trying to change ahead of Season 37 hitting the 2025 TV schedule.

Speaking on the red carpet as The Amazing Race was nominated for (yet another) Golden Globe award, the longtime reality host did say he’s always “honored” to be at events. But he did allude to the tedium that can creep up when one is doing the same job for 20+ years, as Mr. Keoghan has done since joining The Amazing Race in 2001. Season 37 will be his 24th year hosting the same game, but he’s really trying hard to think of it as a “reset,” as he put it to Gold Derby.

I honestly think it’s a really healthy perspective to have. While it’s probably hard for some to understand how hosting a TV show could feel like a real chore, it is a job. Which means there are likely a lot of things about the job that are tedious or difficult. Still, the reality host is self-aware enough to know there are absolutely worse jobs out there, and his approach for the new season is to remember all of the cool stuff the show also affords him.

Phil Keoghan actually opened up a short while ago about one of the most challenging parts of filming The Amazing Race. People are constantly asking him what he does when the teams are racing, but he says they forget he and the production team have to travel at the same time the racing teams do, then they have to set up for the end of the challenge and film all of the stand-up opportunities where Phil explains what the contestants are doing, all in a short window of time.

The whole thing sounds really stressful, honestly, and I can see where it can become a “we have to do this” situation. That’s particularly true as Keoghan nears 60 (he’s 57 right now). He’s been at it a long time, and while I think a lot of fans would miss him hosting Race, I also think when you are at the same game for more than 20 years and you are hitting the twilight of your career, it’s probably easy to shift into thoughts about what possibilities are next.

I could be putting words in Phil’s mouth, but all of this is to say that Phil was working on this mindset shift when The Amazing Race 37 was filming and hopefully it will show on the small screen. He was notably stoked to be nominated at the Globes again, remarking on other reality shows and the “talented people” involved with that, and mentioning that getting to sit in the room where it happens “is huge.” Hopefully, he'll continue to be able to do so in the years to come.

Amazing Race mega fans probably remember the last couple of seasons, and how wonky they were. I’m not talking about the million dollar prize winners, but rather how the show went from the Covid era where people were masked and precautions like chartering flights for contestants were taken in Season 34 to a totally normal Season 35 and then back to Covid masks and precautions in Season 36. No, this wasn’t a continuity error. In fact, longtime host Phil Keoghan is calling it a “risk that paid off.”

Why The Amazing Race Aired A Couple Of Seasons Out Of Order

Ahead of Season 37 finally heading to the TV schedule, what had actually happened was The Amazing Race aired a couple of seasons out of order. This was precipitated by a change on CBS that went down with The Amazing Race and Survivor, its unofficial “sister” reality series at the Eye Network. I had no idea, but apparently what ended up being Season 36 of The Amazing Race had already been edited and put together when CBS made the sudden decision to begin airing 90-minute episodes of both shows.

Obviously, adding 30 minutes to every. single. episode was a huge change for the show, and given what ended up being Season 35 of The Amazing Race was filming when the news came down the pipeline, what the creative team ultimately did was filmed and edited Season 35 with 90 minutes in mind. They then had more time to go back to the Covid-filmed season (which ultimately went to couple winners teacher Ricky Rotandi and chef Cesar Aldrete) and put together a much more comprehensive 90-minute edit that ended up becoming Season 36.

I honestly had no idea, but it’s wild to think about editing an entire season twice. Phil Keoghan told Gold Derby “it was a risk that paid off,” also explaining why the longer-episode format has been great for Race.

It’s a sentiment that’s been shared by Survivor’s Jeff Probst, who loves that fans are able to see 4-5 minutes of an idol hunt instead of a quick 30-second soundbite with the longer episodes. The same thing is true for challenges on Race. Keoghan admits the coolest thing about the re-edit and other future edits is that fans now have a way bigger picture regarding what’s going on with teams, as well as the challenge choices the show is making.

Context is important, and we’ll be getting a whole more of it when The Amazing Race hits the 2025 TV schedule for Season 37 on CBS (or with a Paramount Plus subscription). Those episodes start airing on Wednesday, March 5th, and Phil is also teasing a few "surprise elements." Though this time I'm assuming these surprises won't be as over-the-top as entire seasons airing out of order.

The Amazing Race has long been considered to be one of the best reality TV series on the air, and has garnered one of network TV's most loyal fanbases. During the most recent season that was doubly true, with an entire cast of former Big Brother contestants shifting over to the Eye Network's other popular series. There was drama, there was tears, and there were some big prizes won, much of which Phil announced on air.

However, I’ve always wondered: How much do general Race contestants as well as the winners make? Let's unpack the stats, as there's a lot going on any given Race season, but particularly this year. Let’s take a look at what could happen if CBS loves your audition tape one day, too.

The Big Prize On The Amazing Race

While each of the final legs on TAR have been different over the years, the final moment has typically involved all of the eliminated teams waiting for the winners to cross the threshold on the mat to cheers, sometimes tears, and one final interview with host Phil Keoghan.

Each season, the first team to see both participants reach Phil and touch the mat earn the $1 million dollar prize. This number is oft-repeated throughout the season by Phil himself. It's one of the only constants on the series, as the locations, travel types, and even number of teams are consistently in flux. This season also had the additional wrinkle of asking Big Brother teams to participate. More on this later.

While the big prize has stuck at the $1 million mark, a lot has changed on the show over time. In Season 34, there were no non-elimination legs for the first time, so someone went home every single episode, while this season the non-elimination leg came back. In another recent example, the Season 37 cast was shocked when they showed up to the mat and saw they'd have to outlast more teams than ever before. This season, we saw a lot of similarities with teams, as Big Brother contestants are already familiar with how to act when there are cameras around. With Season 40 around the corner, I almost wonder if we might get some bigger and bolder prizes, but Phil and the gang have not spoken out about this yet.

During most past seasons, the show has featured teams of two competing (with the exception of a very memorable family season featuring a young Stassi Schroeder, who later starred in and was fired from Vanderpump Rules.) This is an important distinction because not every twosome that competes is a married couple, which means prize winnings are typically split in half, with $500,000 (pre-tax) going to each contestant.

Taxes are a big thing to factor in. So how much does one individual winner take home on Race? Experts in varying states estimate the government pulls a cool $300-$350,000 from that million team total. Split that in half, and that’s still not too shabby, though, as winning contestants (likely) take home around $350,000 apiece or so in cold, hard cash.

Seemingly confirming this, the Holderness family admitted a few years ago in a podcast that after taxes they took "a little over half" of the prize money home. Though they also noted in the same interview that it "took a while" to get paid by the show.

In a more recent season, boyfriends Ricky Rotandi and César Aldrete took home the big prize, but they also dominated challenges as varied as dancing theatrical performances and welding. The couple actually won 7 of the 11 total legs last season, and six of those were before the finale. Similarly, frontrunners Jas and Jag have taken home a whopping six No. 1 wins this season, which means they have earned a lot of additional prize money on the show so far. They had some tight competition from Tucker and Eric for a while, who were eliminated during a controversial Amazing Race episode.

This brings me to how non-winners can nab some additional compensation.

How Does Additional Compensation Work For Contestants On The Amazing Race?

Additional compensation can also be important to teams with varying skill sets that are able to set themselves apart from the pack. Season 39 of The Amazing Race was a little weird in that there were a lot of competitive teams but only two teams that were really taking home prizes, as noted previously.

During most seasons, the competition is usually a bit more spread out, and the race leg prizes offer teams a nice way to earn even if they don't ultimately take home the big prize. In general, there are two additional routes to money and prizes on The Amazing Race. The first is to -- and I'll borrow a phrase from my other favorite reality TV series Survivor -- outwit, outlast and outplay the other contestants in the race. How does this work? The longer you make it on the show, the higher the cash payout from CBS just for appearing.

Early on in the series during Season 6, one outlet found the 11th place contestants only took home $1500 as a duo, which is admittedly not a lot to split between two people and have taxes taken out. The money continues to climb from there though the longer contestants are on the show. In that same season (via Men's Health), the second place team took home about $25,000 in additional money while the third place team took home $10,000.

This season is obviously a celebrity edition of the series, and there's every reason to think CBS is shelling out a bit more for Big Brother players to appear with beloved family members. Unlike Survivor contestant salaries, TAR tends to keep the numbers way under wraps.

However, an Australian version of the show in 2024 did note that prize packages for that version of the series varied wildly, with Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe allegedly taking home around $350,000 while additional contestants took home between $50-$75k for their appearances. It's worth noting this was a celebrity edition of the show in another country, and not the famous version hosted by Phil here in the U.S. but it does show how salaries can vary widely. I'd be willing to bet the Big Brother stars made a nice chunk of change for appearing on this reality show, too.

Another way to "make money" on The Amazing Race? The show often has prize packages ranging from cash amounts to free trips and even cars that can extend the goodies contestants can take home if they win specific legs. Of course, those prizes also come with a caveat; like The Price is Right and other prize-specific shows before them, contestants must pay taxes on these prizes.

One of the most unique prizes the show gave out came in Season 8, when the Branson family won "free gas for life." Patriarch Wally later clarified that actually meant $1,200 in gas for 50 years, and to make it less of a hassle, BP and Arco actually let the family cash out after one year.

Contestants Are Paid In Exposure (And A Trip Around The Globe)

Like Season 39's Big Brother cast, some famous names have chosen to participate in TAR over the years, including The White Lotus' Mike White, Big Brothers' Rachel, Alison, Survivor's Rob and Amber and so many more. Some athletes have competed as well, including Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly, pro eater Joey Chestnut and a slew of former NFL and NBA stars, among others. Some additional Survivor names and more have been bandied about as well.

Heading into the Season 39 finale, Izzy Gleicher, Jag Bains, Joseph Abdin, and their respective partners, plus Kyland Young and his partner Taylor Hale all were left to compete for the big prize. Jag and his brother consistently were formidable forces throughout the season, and came through in the final moments, landing the big prize. Now, both brothers are reality winners.

Even for those who aren't famous before the show, fan favorites can sometimes build followings on social media or land outside opportunities after their time on the show. Then, of course, there's the whole point of The Amazing Race: the unique opportunity to travel around the world with someone you love (or at least hopefully can stand). The real prize? It has to be the priceless experience.

There’s no one more bullish about the future of The Amazing Race than the show’s longtime’s host Phil Keoghan. Ever since the show switched from two cycles to one cycle per year, a common fan refrain (at least among my Race-watching pals) is that we wish we could be on the same cycle as Survivor and do two seasons per year. While the powers that be have not granted us that wish, the host of the reality competition series on CBS did recently give us a piece of good news: Season 37 is finally on the 2025 TV schedule.

Keoghan recently made the announcement on social media, confirming CBS’ winter TV schedule, but also addressing the fan complaint I’ve heard most often in recent years. Per his Instagram post:

Survivor and The Amazing Race have long been tied together by fans, many of whom do watch both. The two shows have been on the air for more than two decades (with Race starting in 01 after Survivor premiered in 00), both air on CBS, both have fanbases that have aged with the shows, and now both are even airing 90-minute episodes. There’s a lot of commonalities, but Survivor still gets two seasons a year while lately Race has only gotten one, and that's remained true as Survivor Season 47 has played out on TV.

I’d hedge Race has been cut back for several reasons. First, its ratings, while not way lower than Survivor, are lower than Survivor. In recent years, the Jeff Probst-led show has also been able to cut back on budget by filming repetitively in Fiji, cutting the number of days and reusing challenges and puzzles rather than globe-trotting and more. Race doesn’t really have that ability, as its whole premise revolves around traveling across varying parts of the globe. In fact, during the pandemic, the show even had to rent a private jet in order to move contestants around. Assumedly that cost a pretty penny. To boot fandom for Survivor is also incredibly high across streaming, podcast, Twitter (X) and other platforms while Race fans seem to enjoy the show more quietly, so it gets more interest that way, as well.

As a longtime viewer myself (who has even re-watched the series in the past with my Hulu subscription), I totally get why it’s a bummer we only get one season per year (usually) now. But on the same note, I always try and remember there have been a slew of competition shows that have come and gone in the time frame since Survivor and The Amazing Race first started. The fact they have survived and thrived for so long is an achievement, and it’s a testament to all of us who make it a point to tune in. Amazingly (pun intended), longevity is something Phil Keoghan himself frequently brings up when discussing the show.

So, yes, I’ll be watching when Season 37 kicks off on March 5th and I’ll count myself lucky to be able to do so. And yes I also hope Survivor’s Franny and Matt eventually say yes to appearing on the show. Because nothing is truly better than when two fandoms collide on one reality show.

Survivor showmances happen all the time, but it’s rarer for a couple who meets on the show to make it over the long haul. If there has ever been a couple I was most invested in, it’s probably Season 44’s Frannie and Matt. The dynamic duo were fine enough players in the game, but their meet-cute on the show actually led them to a real life relationship, and now they are even having conversations about joining my other favorite reality show The Amazing Race in an upcoming iteration of the TV schedule.

It turns out though, both parties are not of one mind when it comes to (maybe) (one day) meeting feel and making their way to the mat on a worldwide adventure.

Matt’s Take On The Amazing Race

For Matt, the thought of another adventure sounds wonderful, and I can see why. You get more TV time and the chance at another big prize package while getting to travel around the globe with someone you love and respect immensely? Where do I sign up? Here’s what he said to Us Weekly about the prospect of joining the cast of The Amazing Race.

Honestly, I’m not sure if “easy” is the word I’d use, given contestants are traveling around in different time zones, they are tasked with competing in a variety of physical and mentally laborious challenges – some of which they are pretty much guaranteed to be terrible at –and they also need to be able to navigate complex directions in foreign cities in which they don’t have Google maps and may not be able to speak the language.

But I appreciate his chutzpah. Unfortunately for Matt, his partner Frannie who, let the record show did outlast Matt on the CBS show (seriously, watch it with a Paramount Plus subscription), she’s less bullish about the prospect of returning for another great reality TV show.

Frannie’s Take On Hopping From Survivor To The Amazing Race

According to Frannie, while she’s a bit of a “type A” personality, one of the more interesting things about being with Matt is that he's more go-with-the-flow and loosey goosey with timelines. While it sounds a little endearing, she's not sure it would help them to compete against myriad teams on the other CBS reality competition show.

There are some big similarities and big differences on The Amazing Race and Survivor. There's a social element to both competitions as teams can choose to help or not help one another on Race in a way that's different but reminiscent of the island-based survival show. There are competitive challenges in both and both recently switched to a 90-minute format. Finally, both have led to some of the most iconic reality TV moments of all time.

However, in Race the team component plays a way bigger role than on Survivor, which switches to individual gameplay at The Merge and is way more heavily a social game with the vote being important. The Amazing Race also has 11 teams instead of 18-20 contestants, so it's easier to win the money but also easier to loose and go home early on.

For me, I kind of love when people I already know compete on The Amazing Race. And the two franchises do have a storied history. Rob Mariano and his wife Amber Brkich (who later took his last name) both competed on Survivor, winning different seasons, and made it far on The Amazing Race. Natalie Anderson and Nadiya Anderson competed on both, with Natalie winning Survivor: San Juan Del Sur. Mike White also competed on both, though only did pretty well on each show. I'm just saying, sometimes when one show doesn't give you a W, the other show has proven to be fortuitous. We'll keep you posted if Frannie and Matt ever join.

If you watched Season 36 of The Amazing Race when it hit the 2024 TV schedule, you probably already know that one team got royally screwed before their elimination. You probably also know preschool teacher Ricky Rotandi and chef Cesar Aldrete were one of the most well-rounded teams to ever compete on the series, possibly the most well-rounded. The two spoke out about the whirlwind of a race they participated in, explaining how “being queer” really gave them “an advantage.” Having watched the season, I totally see their point.

Nearly all teams have limitations on The Amazing Race . Some teams might have two athletic people who aren’t as good at detail-oriented challenges. Some teams are super smart but struggle with the physical challenges. Some teams are good at music or dancing or memorization or with dealing with multiple languages and "different cultures." It's what Phil Keoghan has said keeps the show "fresh" year after year.

But Cesar and Ricky honestly really were just hyper well-rounded at almost everything we watched them do, and Rotandi attributed this to being queer in an interview with Glaad.

I think the word here that he’s reaching for is “well-rounded.” The two of them were so ridiculously good at most things they attempted. Some of the episodes were set in Spanish-language countries and Cesar was able to help navigate them to where they needed to go. Then, in a dance challenge, the two were much better than another female-led team at over-the-top dramatics and impressing the judge. The sportier challengers weren’t huge problems, either, and the two said they really worked hard to train before they got onto the show so they could physically feel “fit.” They put in the work until the gaps in their game were hard to spot.

There was one time when everyone had to weld that I thought perhaps the team would be tripped up, but guess what? Cesar had actually taken a welding class in Junior High because he’d been told he couldn’t participate in Home Economics. I’m sure that sucked at the time feeling boxed in, but now it’s also the most turning lemons into lemonade story I think I’ve ever heard. Here’s what Cesar said about how they ultimately dominated the race.

The other key point that I don’t think the couple mentioned here is that they really worked hard to be supportive, read clues and stay on task in the race. They said they knew they “needed to be flexible” and that “fast decision-making” was key, too.

These are both key focal points for most teams who have won on the 36 seasons The Amazing Race has been on air. The more you bicker or get frustrated in challenges, the higher the likelihood of failure. That piece can’t be attributed to their LGBTQ+ background, but it is a good sign for them overall as a couple. And it led them straight to the $1,000,000 Race prize.

It could be some time before we see a team this dominant again. No matter, The Amazing Race has been renewed and will return to the schedule for Season 37, and it's keeping the 90-minute episodes fans have come to love.

The sights change. The challenges change. The mix of contestants changes. While The Amazing Race is known for sometimes repeating successful challenges and often repeating the types of challenges contestants face, Phil Keoghan opened up about the “huge advantage” the longtime CBS series has over other shows in the space, and while I’ve never seen it put so succinctly, I agree it’s the magic bean that has grown the show’s success from the ground up..

The Amazing Race is heading into its 37th season when it returns to the TV schedule in 2025. While the show has gone from two cycles in its peak to one a year in more recent years, it’s still immensely popular and a staple for a large swathe of television viewers across platforms. Keoghan recently spoke about the show’s longevity, calling it a “testament to consistency” and also explaining to Gold Derby the “huge advantage” the series has over most reality shows.

The closest thing to Amazing Race probably used to be Survivor, but while Survivor has added new “twists” (both good and bad) in recent years, it also has a more homogenous cast (in some ways) than it used to and has stopped switching locations globally for filming, instead typically going to Fiji. Because it is so much less contained, The Amazing Race probably has the most moving parts to pull off of any reality series (that I can think of at least) and that forces constant innovation.

As part of the list of 2024 Emmy nominations, Keoghan also said that landing awards nods helps them to understand where they are as players in the reality game. This year it landed its 21st Emmy nod. It beat it's own previous record for most nods in the reality category. That's how the show knows it's still in the zeitgeist.

The overall tone and vibe of The Amazing Race has changed across its decades on the air. We’ve gotten away from some of the more dramatic reality personalities of early seasons and there have been myriad changes to the way the game is played as time has gone on. New challenges crop up, as there's been a big complaint about teams working together in recent Race seasons.

But I think the important thing to note is that Phil Keoghan and the Amazing Race team are never stagnant, and that has produced a consistently exciting show for more than 20 years. With a little luck, they'll be a lot more where that came from.

Only one month remains before 2025 TV officially sizzles up and ceases to exist, coinciding with the final season of Stranger Things and a slew of New Year's Eve specials. Thankfully, it'll lead right into the 2026 TV schedule, but there are still a slew of premieres, winter finales, stand-up specials and more to enjoy before truly calling it quits. (To say nothing of all the NCAA and NFL football.)

Be sure to bookmark all those upcoming 2025 Christmas movies airing soon, as well as Hallmark's holiday movie schedule, but save lots of room for all the non-Christmas fare coming as well. Also, get ready to bid temporary farewells to the bulk of everything airing on network TV, with midseason finales popping up all over the place. We've noted the full-on season finales lower down.

[Note that all times listed in the schedule below are for the ET/EST time zone, and that all brand-new series premieres will be listed in ALL CAPS.]

December 2025 TV Premiere Dates

One end-of-year holiday deserves some more, and December always delivers tons of family-friendly parades and specials to both celebrate Christmas and beyond, while also setting up to welcome in the new year, often with Ryan Seacrest involved in some way. (Not to mention the plethora of new made-for-TV Christmas movies debuting on Hallmark, GAF and more.) For all the yuletide cheer, December features some brutal debuts from TV creators like Kurt Sutter, Steven S. DeKnight, and...Rowan Atkinson, as well as the latest streaming retrospective for Taylor Swift fans.

December 2025 Biggest TV Finales

As much as we love to celebrate when new and returning shows arrive and start off their new seasons, attention should also go to the variety of shows that are ending (temporarily or otherwise) for winter hiatuses. So let's take a look some of the most noteworthy season and midseason finales that are hitting soon.

• Murder in a Small Town Season 2 (Fox) - Dec. 2
• Bel-Air Series Finale (Peacock) - Dec. 8
• All's Fair Season 1 (Hulu) - Dec. 9
• The Amazing Race Season 38 (CBS) - Dec. 10
• South Park Season 28 (Comedy Central) - Dec. 10
• The Kitchen Series Finale (Food Network) - Dec. 13
• IT: Welcome To Derry Season 1 (HBO) - Dec. 14
• The Voice Season 28 (NBC) - Dec. 16
• The Floor Season 4 (Fox) - Dec. 17
• Survivor Season 49 (CBS) - Dec. 17
• The Road Season 1 (CBS) - Dec. 21
• The Kardashians Season 7 (Hulu) - Dec. 25
• Pluribus Season 1 (Apple TV) - Dec. 26
• Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 (Paramount+) - Dec. 28
• Stranger Things Series Finale (Netflix) - Dec. 31

When you're done setting up your own personal TV lineups, be sure to check out everything hitting the big screen in the near future as well with our 2025 movie release schedule.

Phil Keoghan has been hosting The Amazing Race since it hit the TV premiere schedule back in 2001. He has more than twenty years of experience heading from country to country and challenge to challenge on one of the best reality shows still airing, which means he’s seen a lot of excellent choices the show has made, as well as not-so-wonderful twists over the years. He was recently asked which challenges he personally does and does not enjoy when the show is filming, and I have to say that I agree with him.

The Amazing Race has actually repeated challenges during its long and storied history on CBS, but even when challenges aren’t repeated they often fall into similar buckets. For example, there might be difficult memory challenges contestants face. Each season there’s usually at least one activity in which a certain number of items are buried/available and the cast has to track those items down, with the task growing more onerous as more objects are found. There are usually some tasks that involve fitness and physical labor, some tasks that involve musical or dance challenges (or both), and some tasks that involve high octane activities and maybe even facing fears (like heights). Phil and co. love getting contestants out of their comfort zones.

The point is, he's seen a lot as he travels with the Race teams around the world, but the challenge Phil most disdains? Anything that involves food.

In an interview with ET, Phil explained exactly why the food challenges aren’t his cup of tea. He doesn’t want to eat bugs or other weird foods his palate isn’t used to. I get it. The food challenges would be bad for me too, and not just because the thought of eating a bug really, really grosses me out.

Sometimes it's literally a gross amount or circumstance for food. There was another time in Season 7 where the contestants were tasked with eating four pounds of barbecued meat. Yes, lbs. This was the well-known season featuring former Survivor champion Rob Mariano and he got other people to actually quit the heinous challenge with him. Classic.

I'm not sure given what Mr. Keoghan says here that he even blames Rob Mariano for that bit of gameplay, though it didn't ultimately land him or his partner Amber the "W" that season.

But back to food challenges. Another time, there was a spicy soup challenge that still gives me weird stomach sensations thinking about it. People were like throwing up and re-eating it, if I'm remembering correctly. It was really icky.

Granted, a lot of times the show doesn't go for as much shock value in the food tasks these days, and instead makes the food either a fun little cultural reward or some sort of memory challenge, as happened with the contestants having to remember what steak cuts look like this past season.

If it's one of these food tasks, where you get to eat a cool regional food at a food truck or maybe recite a poem and then drink a beer or coffee or something, I think I’d be fine. But it’s the weird food challenges that Phil Keoghan is talking about, and it’s the weird food challenges I’m pretty sure would be my downfall too.

Plenty of other people hate heights, and my husband has specifically told me to my face a dance challenge would be the worst day of his life, so there's no wrong answer here. Being well-rounded is certainly a help during each leg of the race. Now, if only The Amazing Race would fix its biggest problem...

For many of us, reality TV is the ultimate guilty pleasure. Whether we’re watching people look for love, show off their talents or navigate challenges en route to a cash prize, one thing is always guaranteed — there will be drama. The biggest moments have a way of transcending their individual series to become a larger part of pop culture, and below are 32 of those iconic reality TV moments.  

Real Housewives Of New Jersey Table Flip 

Everyone’s heard of Teresa Giudice, and that’s thanks in part to the infamous table flip in Season 1 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. After being told by Danielle Staub to “pay attention,” as she addressed rumors and gossip being spread about her, Giudice went ballistic, banging her hands on the table and ultimately flipping it in rage. 

Tyra Banks Screams At America's Next Top Model Contestant 

On Season 4 of America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks could not maintain her composure after contestant Tiffany Richardson appeared to have a blasé attitude about that week's challenges. After it was announced that Richardson had been eliminated, Banks gave her now-famous speech, shouting, "I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!"

Kim Kardashian Cries Over Her Lost Earring 

Kim Kardashian is the queen of reality TV, thanks to iconic moments like the 2011 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in which her then-fiancé Kris Humphries threw her in the water during a family vacation, causing one of her $75,000 earrings to fall out. Not only did we get a great ugly cry face in this scene, but her sister Kourtney's iconic quote: "Kim, there's people that are dying."

Snooki Is Punched By A Stranger On Jersey Shore 

By all accounts, Jersey Shore has got to be one of the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, but things got serious in the first season when an altercation between Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and a guy in a bar resulted in him punching her in the face. MTV controversially showed the whole scene in its original 2009 airing but blacked out the screen during the assault on repeats. The man was arrested and reportedly got fired from his job when the episode aired.

Lauren Conrad’s Mascara Tear On The Hills  

Lauren Conrad was involved in plenty of drama during her time on The Hills, but one image sticks out more than any other. Her Season 4 fight with Audrina Partridge had L.C. in her feelings, with a single black tear falling down her face, leaving a trail that went unwiped and unforgotten.

Giannina Is Love Is Blind’s Runaway Bride 

On the first season of Love Is Blind, Giannina Gibelli was completely humiliated when, after saying "I do" to Damian Powers, he did not return the favor. Gibelli quickly walked up the aisle, straight out the door and took off running as a camera crew chased her. She trudged down a road, through some grass and ultimately got mud all over her wedding dress when she slipped in a ditch.

Real World: Seattle’s Stephen Slaps Irene

Stephen and Irene were a hot mess on Real World: Seattle. After Irene announced that she was leaving, the two exchanged some heated words, with Stephen throwing her teddy bear in the water and her outing him as a "homosexual" on national TV. As Irene's cab started to pull away, Stephen chased her down, opened her door and shockingly slapped her in the face.

William Hung’s Infamous American Idol Audition 

In the early days of American Idol on Fox, the show would sometimes feature "bad" auditions for the sake of humor. The most famous of these was undoubtedly William Hung, who became a laughingstock with his cover of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." 

The Note On Jersey Shore 

In an attempt to anonymously clue Sammi Giancola in on Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's cheating on Jersey Shore Season 2, Nicole Polizzi and Jenni Farley typed out all of his transgressions in The Note. After an investigation within the house led right back to Snooki and JWoww, a huge brawl ensued between Farley and Giancola.

Justin Timberlake Cries On Punk’d 

In the very first episode of Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd on MTV, Justin Timberlake was told by a fake IRS agent (an unknown-at-the-time Dax Shepard) that his house, cars and even his dogs were being repossessed by the government because he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. The pop star cried and called his mom until the That '70s Show actor revealed himself.

Jonny Lies About Grandmother’s Death On Survivor: Pearl Islands  

Jonny "Fairplay" Dalton went full pro-wrestling heel on Survivor: Pearl Islands, crying as he told his castmates that his grandmother had passed away. He later revealed to cameras that it was all a ruse to gain an advantage in the game. 

Pedro Zamora Reveals He’s HIV Positive On Real World: San Francisco

The subject of HIV and AIDS was highly misunderstood by many in the '80s and '90s, and while divulging such personal information would take great courage even today, coming out as gay and HIV positive on TV was simply unheard of back in 1994. On The Real World: San Francisco, Pedro Zamora educated his housemates — and America by proxy — about the disease, making him one of reality TV's most important figures. He died at the age of 22, just hours after the final episode of The Real World: San Francisco aired.

Jessica Simpson’s Chicken Of The Sea Mixup 

Jessica Simpson has released pop albums, acted in movies, and started a fashion line, but she'll always be remembered for not knowing if her tuna was fish or chicken on Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. 

RHOBH Fight Becomes A Meme 

If you've never seen the above image before, I'm going to guess you've never been on any social media platform. This photo of Taylor Armstrong from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills crying and pointing her finger at Camille Grammer has become the go-to meme to illustrate anyone with a passionate opinion.

The Bachelor’s Colton Underwood Jumps The Fence 

Colton Underwood's time on The Bachelor was not easy, but things really came to a head after Cassie Randolph broke up with him, causing him to jump a fence to escape production. Chris Harrison was sent after him, calling out as he and the camera crew searched for Underwood down a pitch-black road.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 Separation Announcement 

It was clear to any viewer of the TLC reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8 that there was tension between Jon and Kate Gosselin, but that didn't make it any less shocking when they announced their split on a May 2009 episode. In separate interviews, Jon and Kate each revealed that they had decided to separate for the sake of their children.

Trading Spouses’ God Warrior 

Fox's Trading Spouses got more than it bargained for (or maybe exactly what it wanted) when Marguerite Perrin, thereafter known as the "God Warrior," moved into a Wiccan home. Upon returning to rural Louisiana, Perrin's tirade went viral — not an easy thing to do in 2005 — and that scream of, "She's not a Christiaaaaan!" is still ringing in our ears.

The Bachelor Airs Unedited Footage Of Arie Dumping Becca  

Shortly after Arie Luyendyk proposed to Becca Kufrin on Season 22 of The Bachelor, the racecar driver had a change of heart and chose to dump Kufrin in favor of runner-up Lauren Burnham. The breakup was filmed by ABC's cameras and then aired on what was, for obvious reasons, a controversial season finale. The footage was supposedly unedited, utilizing a split screen to show the incident from Kufrin and Luyendyk's perspectives simultaneously.

Dan Stages His Own Funeral On Big Brother 

Dan Gheesling knew he was a "dead man walking," so to speak, on Season 14 of Big Brother, so he concocted one of the wildest plans in reality TV history, staging his own funeral and falsely accusing his top ally Danielle of betrayal. His big swing paid off, as Gheesling survived not just the week, but all the way to the final two that season.

The Voice’s Adam Levine Throws His Team Member Under The Bus

In one of the most controversial moments in The Voice's history, Adam Levine played favorites on Season 15 when he found two of his team members in the bottom three. After DeAndre Nico performed to try to earn America's Instant Save, Levine shockingly asked viewers to vote instead for Nico's teammate Reagan Strange, who was sick and unable to perform. While many were confused by the move, it worked, and Nico was eliminated.

Flavor of Love’s Mess On The Stairs 

When you gotta go, you gotta go. Flavor of Love 2 contestant Tykeisha Thomas, aka "Somethin," simply wasn't able to make it to the bathroom, and it wasn't long before Flavor Flav and the other women became aware of the No. 2 she left on the stairs.

Top Chef: The Case Of The Missing Pea Purée 

Where were you when the Pea-gate Scandal hit Top Chef's seventh season? After fretting over what to pair with his salmon, contestant Alex Reznik was shown plating his fish atop a pea purée. Meanwhile, his castmate Ed Cotton was running around the kitchen looking for his own pea purée that had gone missing from a cooler. Coincidence?

Survivor: Cagayan's J'Tia Dumps The Rice In The Fire 

J’Tia Taylor secured her place in reality TV lore on Survivor: Cagayan, when she went on an epic rant and dumped all of the rice that her already-whittled-down and hungry tribe had left into the fire.

Abby Lee Miller Gets Slapped In The Face On Dance Moms 

Dance Moms was known for plenty of fighting but rarely did anything turn physical. During possibly the most intense scene on the Lifetime show, Brooke and Paige's mom Kelly Hyland slapped Abby Lee Miller and pulled her hair after the dance instructor advanced on her while gnashing her teeth. Hyland was arrested and charged with assault, and she filed her own lawsuit days later alleging assault, breach of contract and other offenses.

Love Is Blind’s Zanab Destroys Cole At The Altar 

It's always a big moment when someone says "I don't" at the altar on Love Is Blind, but Zanab Jaffrey went a step further by absolutely demolishing fiancé Cole Barnett in front of their friends and family. As far as wedding vows go, it's probably not a good sign when they start with: "You have disrespected me. You have insulted me. You have critiqued me. And for what it is worth, you have singlehandedly shattered my self-confidence."

Kourtney Kardashian Delivers Her Own Baby 

The Kardashian family members have made quite a few boss moves over the years, but possibly none of them was more impressive than when Kourtney Kardashian reached down during labor to bring her own son Mason into the world on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

90 Day Fiancé: Danielle Calls Mohamed A User 

90 Day Fiancé couple Danielle Mullins and Mohamed Jbali seemed doomed from the start, with her family (and viewers) questioning the Tunisia native’s intentions. The bad vibes seemed to be warranted, as the couple became estranged after Mohamed got his green card, and things came to a head when Danielle confronted him in the streets of Miami with a binder of proof that, “You’re a user, Mohamed!” 

Amazing Race’s Mika Won't Go Down The Waterslide 

Mika Combs and Canaan Smith saw their journey on The Amazing Race 15 end after Mika, who was afraid of both heights and water, was unable to go down a six-story waterslide in Dubai. She had an epic meltdown as Canaan tried apparently for 45 minutes to get her to complete the challenge, even grabbing her arms and trying to force her onto the slide at one point.

The Hills’ Final Shot 

There were a lot of questions about how "real" The Hills actually was, and the series finale provided an answer in epic fashion. After a tearful goodbye between Brody Jenner and Kristin Cavallari in the final scene, he appears to be standing in front of the Hollywood sign as he watches her limo drive away. The camera then pans out to reveal they're in a studio backlot, and the Hollywood sign backdrop is wheeled away as Cavallari — whose limo never actually went anywhere — exits the vehicle and hugs Jenner.

Survivor’s Rat And Snake Speech 

Dozens of seasons into Survivor, perhaps the most infamous scene hails from the very first finale when Sue Hawk made TV history with a speech comparing Richard Hatch to a snake and his fellow finalist Kelly Wiglesworth to a rat. She appealed to the jury to let it end the way Mother Nature intended: “For the snake to eat the rat.” 

RHOA’s NeNe Leakes Says, ‘Close Your Legs To Married Men’ 

Kim Zolciak and NeNe Leakes had some wild moments on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but one of the sickest burns was served up during the Season 1 reunion after Zolciak clarified her situation with “Big Poppa.” She told Andy Cohen that her on-off man was going through a divorce but was still legally married, ultimately prompting Leakes’ infamous line: “Close your legs to married men.” 

Phaedra Pleads ‘Not Ekin-Su’ On The Traitors 

Phaedra Parks has had plenty of noteworthy moments on reality TV, but she became an instant meme on The Traitors Season 2 with her reaction to learning that Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu had drunk from the poisoned chalice. Parks’ mouth dropped, eyes rolling back in her head as she pleaded, “Oh my Lord, sweet baby Jesus, not Ekin-Su. Lord, not Ekin-Su,” fanning herself with a napkin as if she were about to faint.

As long as there's reality TV, there will continue to be iconic moments like these, and I for one can't wait.

The Amazing Race left many viewers confused and one team frustrated this past week after an obscure production rule seemingly had a major effect on the outcome of the leg. Now, the eliminated team is sounding off (in a pretty nice way) in interviews, and I’m left wondering why producers haven’t already announced they’re changing the absolutely stupid and unfair rule.

Let’s go over what happened blow-by-blow. Amazing Race 36 contestants Angie and Danny Butler, a mother and son who seemingly get along better than any mother and son I’ve ever met, were racing to the Detour when they lost their crew. Apparently, unbeknownst to most fans, this is a huge no-no for players, and a rule requires you to be reunited with your crew before continuing. So, Angie and Danny waited at the Detour and waited at the Detour and waited at the Detour as team after team passed them. After Danny spotted the crew, they were able to jump into the Detour, but they weren’t able to complete it as fast as the other teams and ultimately went home.

The episode’s production went out of its way to make it clear the crew getting lost was apparently Angie and Danny’s fault. The preview for the episode accuses them of making "a crucial mistake." The Wikipedia page even points out that Angie made “an illegal turn” in a roundabout, which caused them to get separated from their crew, but apparently, the truth is a lot more complicated than that. Their crew wasn’t just delayed, they allegedly got full on lost. The contestants told US Weekly it took the crew an hour and a half to get to the Detour which was less than twenty minutes away.

I haven’t seen any quotes from producers on exactly what happened or how the behind the scenes conversations went, but according to Angie and Danny, they were eventually told to film with a different crew. Production had Danny record a line, which aired on the show, about how the crew had just shown up (even though they hadn’t), and then they were allowed to move on. You can read a portion of the quote below…

Now, let me defend The Amazing Race for a second. You could easily make a case that Race is the best produced reality show in the history of television. There’s a reason it won the Emmy for Reality Competition Series the first seven times it was given out. There’s a reason it’s still routinely nominated almost forty seasons after it premiered, but that doesn’t mean the show gets it right every single time. Fans have complained during several seasons about contestants helping each other too much, which still hasn’t been fully addressed, and now, we seemingly had an episode where a production crew getting lost may have altered the outcome.

There are a lot of fans complaining about what happened online, but I suspect there are two reasons this hasn’t gone mega-viral outside The Amazing Race fan bubble. First, Angie and Danny have been so nice about this entire thing. They took responsibility for what happened during their confessionals on the show and in the subsequent interviews, they even said they were “content” with how it all played out since they went home for something outside their control. Second, while Angie and Danny were a delight, they never felt like a threat to win. I don’t know if they would have gone home without the crew screw-up, but this sorta felt like the right week for them to go home, given the other teams that were left.

But whether they want to be nice about it or not, whether they deserved to get further or not, The Amazing Race producers need to look at what happened here and change the rule. Contestants should make an effort to stay connected to their crew. They should encounter some kind of minor penalty if they lose them. Maybe that means pulling over to the side of the road until the production crew performs a u-turn or makes the next light or whatever. But these problems should be measured in 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. If the crew legitimately gets lost and can’t figure out where they’re going, the producers need to step in and just let them go. I realize this might mean we’ll miss out on some footage and it’ll be complicated to edit, but maintaining the integrity of this being a race is more important than ensuring you have the best possible footage.

Questionable decisions aside, this season of The Amazing Race has been terrific, as always. You can catch new episodes on CBS on Wednesday evenings after Survivor.

Did you watch the most recent episode of Amazing Race 36? Well, let me summarize a key plot point: three teams just did the entire thing together. I’m not talking like they gave each other a little help. They literally, as a group, traveled to and completed every step of the mega leg together. It was really frustrating to watch as a viewer, and it was even more frustrating because the producers of the show vowed to fix the problem several seasons ago.

How much help is too much help is always a common argument amongst both Amazing Race fans and players on The Amazing Race. There are some who like to see every team run their own race the entire time, while there are others who think occasionally navigating together or pooling resources on a particularly difficult Roadblock is good strategy. Practically the entire fanbase, however, collectively complained very loudly during Season 32 when the so-called Mine Five Alliance gave each other answers and specific instructions on various Detours and Roadblocks, partially as a strategy to try and eliminate specific teams. 

At the time, the complaints were so loud that producer Elise Doganieri had to address them in an interview. She admitted all the helping was “frustrating” to watch and said they’d need to put in a rule to prevent it from happening. Here’s a portion of the quote she gave to Reality Blurred…

Makes sense, right? Well, unfortunately, it apparently didn’t make enough sense to actually implement because Amber literally did the Roadblock for Angie and Leticia this week. She finished after a few tries on her end, and then she walked over to their puzzles, stood behind them and told each step-by-step where each one of the pieces went. She may as well have just put the pieces on the board for each of them.

Now, I’m not going to call what she did cheating because there’s clearly not a rule against it. So, it’s not cheating. It’s helping. And, to be clear, I get exactly why she helped. It’s hard to see your friends struggle with something difficult when you have the answers, and from a strategic standpoint, if you’re worried about navigating to the next step of the leg, it makes sense to give your allies the answer so you can all keep working together. If the only goal is to be not last and survive, then working together with other teams to not be last is the ideal strategy.

But watching all the teams help each other doesn’t make for a good viewing experience, and it also doesn’t help the teams that are behind catch up. Something needs to change. The Amazing Race has made a number of rule changes and format tweaks over the years, and now it’s time for another one. Maybe it means teams can’t talk to each other during Roadblocks and Detours. Maybe it means teams can provide help but they are banned from directly giving each other answers. Maybe it means something else. I don’t know what the solution is, but sitting back and letting teams do entire legs together is not it.

I love The Amazing Race. It’s one of my favorite shows on television, but it needs to be proactive to solve the issue here. Talking isn’t enough. It’s time for a clearly defined rule change. 

There’s nothing The Amazing Race loves more than a frenzied sprint to the mat. A healthy percentage of the beloved reality show’s episodes end in a back-and-forth editing sequence in which the final two teams head for the finish line. That was certainly the case during last week’s episode, as viewers wondered whether Kishori Turner and Karishma Cordero could out navigate Derek and Shelisa and overtake them before the end of the leg. Upon further review, however, it turns out the finishing sequence wasn’t actually close at all.

Kishori and Karishma were, of course, eliminated during the last episode, but it wasn’t exactly as nail-biting as the show made it out to be. The cousins sat down for an interview with US Weekly after their elimination, and they were honest about how things really went down. Apparently it took Karishma several hours to put together that blasted skateboard, which put them way behind. Here’s a portion of Kishori’s quote…

Now, anyone who watches The Amazing Race with critical thinking skills on a regular basis won’t be blindsided by hearing this. Provided there’s not one team falling so far behind it’s noticeably dark out, the show almost always makes it seem like the finish is close, especially since flight problems aren't as much of an issue. That being said, there’s still something jarring about hearing how long it took them to do the roadblock and assumedly, how big the gap was. We definitely got some footage of Karishma struggling, but it wasn’t clear how bad things got or how far behind they finished.

There’s nothing morally wrong with a TV show making a finish seem a little closer than it actually was. That being said, you also lose something by doing that too. When you make every single finish seem like it’s down to the wire, the ones that are actually down to the wire lose that extra WTF intrigue. We get the edge of your seat shock when two teams are within seconds of each other literally racing to the mat in the same camera shot, but because everything else is edited to seem close, from a viewer perspective, there’s no difference between a five minute victory and a five hour victory. 

Personally, I would rather have a more accurate reflection of what happened, even if it removes some of the drama. I don’t need an oh my God, who is going to get eliminated moment to be emotionally satisfied with an episode. I would rather the show give us a few close finishes a season so they feel really impactful, but there may be others who would rather have a compelling finish almost every episode, even if they’re mostly using the same editing style.

Complaints aside, The Amazing Race is in the middle of its 36th season, and the show remains as fun and compelling as ever, thanks in part to longer episodes and some smart rule changes. There are a lot of capable teams and potential winners this time around, and the challenges are still unique and enjoyable to watch. You can check it out on Wednesdays on CBS after Survivor. 

With the SAG-AFTRA strike finally over, various Hollywood stars are getting back to work, as production on shows and movies restarts. While it may seem like it’s early to think about when TV series, programming moves are only being made by at least one network. CBS just announced midseason premiere dates, and a whole lot of its tried-and-true hits are returning, including The Amazing Race and Survivor. And both of those are sticking to one big change made amid the labor disputes, and I'm excited! 

Back in May, it was announced that both Survivor and The Amazing Race would change by having their upcoming seasons feature 90-minute episodes, instead of the usual 60-minute block. While that was initially due to the strikes, it now seems the hour-and-half approach will remain. According to Entertainment Weekly, in addition to its new chunk of air time, the Jeff Probst-hosted series' 46th season will also kick off with two episodes that are two hours in length. So yes, fans of the long-running reality show should definitely be hyped.

Season 45 of the survivalist series saw some changes because of the exciting 90-minute approach. The sit-out rules had to be altered to make sure contestants participated in every challenge because the gameplay format had to be changed. The intent behind it was so that participants wouldn’t sit out for two episodes in a row, which makes sense. It’s likely the rule will still be in play for next season, but it will be worth it if that means even more extended episodes. And now that the producers have been working with these longer installments for a little while, the format should be a bit more refined this time around.

And of course, you also can't help but love that The Amazing Race will contain super-sized episodes for the upcoming season. However, the specifics are a tad different. When it comes to production order, the currently airing Season 35 is actually the 36th to be shot. The former was not originally filmed for 90-minute episodes, and CBS switched the two seasons because of the strikes. That shelved season will, interestingly, now air with longer episodes, but it's unclear as to how that will work from a logistical standpoint.

Regardless though, the idea of getting more time for each installment of these two shows is great. Whether or not the change will remain intact for the remainder of their runs is unknown but, if it proves successful, I wouldn't be surprised if both productions keep it in place. Here's hoping these jumbo installments deliver the goods and ultimately become commonplace!

While CBS will be kicking off its midseason schedule after the Super Bowl, Survivor Season 46 will kick off on Wednesday, February 28 at 8 p.m. ET with a two-hour premiere. The Amazing Race will once again be paired with the long-running series beginning on March 13 at 9:30 p.m. ET. And as you look forward to those entries on the 2024 TV schedule, be sure to grab a Paramount+ subscription to stream past episodes of both.

Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended and the bulk of the entertainment industry can return to their previously scheduled duties, TV network execs are finally able to start hammering out scheduling details for when everyone's favorite shows will be able to return. CBS is the first broadcaster to go to bat with its additions to the 2024 Winter/Spring schedule, with dates locked down for new (alebit shortened) seasons for ratings winners such as NCIS, the FBI franchise, Young Sheldon and more, including This Is Us vet Justin Hartley's TV return.

CBS viewers will be able to use NCIS: Sydney and its upside-down previews as a procedural life preserver until all the returning favorites start raining down, with the bulk of the planned premieres set for February. (Starting up production again right before the holidays doesn't exactly allow for immediate turnarounds.) Let's take a look at what'll be popping up the soonest, and note that all times listed are in ET.

That should be a busy week for all involved at CBS, and audiences will hopefully be along for the ride. The network wisely left that Wednesday wide open, as not to compete with Valentine's Day evening drawing millions of potential viewers' away from their TVs and onto their loved ones.

Still, it's a stocked schedule, and largely resembles what CBS viewers are used to, with Justin Hartley's Tracker as one of only two brand new series joining the network's ranks. From Monday's sitcoms and NCIS franchise eps to Tuesday's FBI lineup to Thursday's dramedy motif to Friday's star-heavy dramas, it's a schedule that clearly works, and won't be messed with going into all these shows' shortened seasons.

There are more hits left to arrive after that big premiere week, however, including returning favorites and the other new addition, the Good Wife and Good Fight spinoff Elsbeth, starring Carrie Preston's Elsbeth Tascioni.

Elsbeth will likely feel right at home amidst the quirkiness of CBS' Thursday night lineup, which also includes Young Sheldon, Ghosts and So Help Me Todd. And for those hoping that Survivor and Amazing Race would adhere to their extended runtimes going into the next seasons, that will indeed be the case. 

Check out the promo video CBS released to hype fans up for new episodes, which seemed like a pipe dream in the weeks and months prior.

Stay tuned for more possible release dates coming from CBS, and be sure to snag a Paramount+ subscription to watch all the most recent seasons of your favorite shows before the new ones arrive.