Phil Keoghan says new “Amazing Race” season features tension between teams
Kit Karzen/CBS
Racing around the world in pursuit of $1 million is an intense experience. And intense experiences can lead to some intense reactions. It appears we will be seeing more such reactions than usual when season 37 of The Amazing Race premieres tonight on CBS. That’s according to host Phil Keoghan, who tells Entertainment Weekly that the latest collection of teams features some serious competitors who will definitely be feeling the heat once the Race kicks off.
We spoke to Keoghan about the impending squabbles between both teams and teammates, and what else to expect after his trademark eyebrow arch.
Kit Karzen/CBS
Related: Watch first 5 minutes of The Amazing Race season 37 premiere (exclusive)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s start big picture. What can you tell us about season 37?
PHIL KEOGHAN: A couple of firsts. We’ve never done 14 teams before. We’ve called this season a season of surprises because we brought back some of our old favorite game elements, and then we’ve also introduced some new ones. We tried to build in some surprises in every episode that maybe get a little bit more of a jaw drop. So that was fun. In an episode about halfway through the season, there were a couple of new elements that we put in that I’m really excited about sharing with the audience.
There’s one in particular, which gives one team a different kind of power over the other teams, which played out really well. We’ll leave it to the audience to decide whether they want to see it back again, but I think it could be an element that stays a part of the format going forward. It gave us some really interesting content.
In what way?
Our show has never been the screaming, yelling, crazy, “I hate you” kind of content that some people rely on where people get really triggered with each other and then they get into a screaming match. We’re not that show. But there is some tension this season, particularly halfway through — competitive gameplay tension that was really interesting that happened in a way that we sort of thought might happen, but we didn’t know. And then it was sort of like, “Wait, whoa, these teams are incredibly competitive!”
I’m super competitive myself. I like competing. So I love that passion in people. I like when people really put it on the line and they are prepared to give it their all and that they get really passionate about wanting to win. I just love that fight in people, and we’ve got some of them this season where they want to win.
You want it to stay healthy. You don’t want people to get so competitive that it becomes a negative. For me, I like people that compete, and then if they realize they just got beaten fair and square and somebody else is better, just to accept that because most of the time you don’t win. It’s just the reality of life. And so it’s the acceptance of, “Okay, I gave it everything I could.” Some teams find it easier to let go and accept that and some don’t. So because we’ve got competitive teams, we see some of that this season, so it makes for some interesting TV.
Kit Karzen/CBS
Related: The Amazing Race cast for season 37 revealed
So to be clear, is this tension that you’re talking about between teams or is it between teammates?
Both. And that has a lot to do with that dynamic where you don’t sometimes get that perfect marriage of desire where maybe one team member is like, “You and I are a team and maybe you’re frustrated with me for not taking things as seriously as you want to take them. Or maybe you don’t feel like I’m being as hungry and fighting as hard as you are.” And you’re like, “Hey, look, you realize we’re a team and you want more out of me and I’m frustrated because I feel like your expectations of what I’m doing are too high, or I don’t feel that I can live up to your expectations.”
So there’s always that dynamic. Very rarely do you get a team where it’s equal and they have exactly the same aspirations and everything is perfect. You see it within any competitive sports team where there’s tension — like with Shaq and Kobe on the Lakers. It’s that competitive thing. I love that teams want to come on this show and that they’re there to have a good time and race around the world and everything, but I want to see that fight in them. I want to see them really want to win. It makes for an interesting race, and we’ve got a lot of that this season.
Kit Karzen/CBS
Related: The Amazing Race cast for season 37 revealed
I think fans like to see that, too. I know I do.
I went online and looked at: What are fans talking about with The Amazing Race? What do they like? What are the things they’d like to see more of? What are the things that they don’t like? They love airport drama, they love teams that are hungry and want to compete. I did a whole list of the top 100 favorite moments, and they’re not things that have necessarily come from twists and turns as much as they’ve just come from being put in a really interesting scenario.
If you remember in season 36 when the brother and the sister couldn’t turn around on that tight street — that wasn’t something that we ever planned. It wasn’t like, “Oh, let’s do a thing where teams can’t turn around.” That ended up becoming a favorite moment of the whole season, and it wasn’t even set up. It literally was just this random thing that happened. And because you put interesting people into a scenario, it became this great piece of content. At the end of the day, it really does come down to, what do these people do within the structure of the show?
What’s your favorite location this season?
Bulgaria is a place we’ve never been to before, so definitely a favorite for me. And on a personal level, Strasbourg. When I rode my bike around France, it was one of my stops. It’s an incredible place, a little city right on the border of France and Germany. There’s a lot of German influence. There are these beautiful Tudor-style 14th century buildings and great cathedrals. And the last time I was there was literally when I was riding around France and I was exhausted every day. So I hadn’t been back for 10 years and I really enjoyed going back this time without the pressure of having to ride 150 miles a day. So that was a highlight for me.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Amazing Race premieres Wednesday, March 5, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
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St. Louis father-son duo to compete on new season of ‘The Amazing Race’
FOX 2
by: Joey Schneider
Posted: Mar 5, 2025 / 09:00 AM CST
Updated: Mar 4, 2025 / 03:12 PM CST
ST. LOUIS – A father-son team from the St. Louis region will compete on the new season of “The Amazing Race” reality TV show.
“The Amazing Race” is a long-running reality competition show that challenges two-person teams to race around the world, tackling intense physical and mental challenges while navigating unexpected twists and cultural experiences, all in pursuit of a $1 million prize.
The 37th season of “The Amazing Race” premieres Wednesday on your local CBS affiliate.
From St. Louis, Jeff “Pops” Bailey, 65, and Jeff Bailey, 36, are set for the adventure of a lifetime.
According to Bracketology.TV, a fan page devoted to information on the show, both Jeff and Pops are lumberjacks, which could suit them well for physical challenges. Jeff is described as a fierce competitor with a hardworking nature, while Pops is described as an intimidating force with strength and wisdom.
Jeff has shared several Instagram posts on his excitement for the upcoming season. “We’ve cooked up something incredible, and we can’t wait to share it with you,” said Jeff on Feb. 23. The father-son team was also honored at St. Louis CITY SC’s season opener.
Jeff and Pops will compete against 13 other teams in a high-stakes race for the $1 million grand prize. Each episode consists of multiple challenges, set in iconic cities around the world. Generally, the team that finishes in last place will be eliminated each episode, leading up to a three-team finale.
The new season features 90-minute episodes, airing Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. CT on your local CBS affiliate. Many previous seasons have consisted of 10-13 episodes, though the total count for this season has yet to be revealed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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When does ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 37 premiere? Date, cast, where to watch and stream
“The Amazing Race” is back for its most jam packed adventure in the show’s nearly 25 year run.
Season 37 of the Emmy-winning reality competition series hosted by Phil Keoghan will follow 14 duos traveling across the world, the largest cast in the show’s history, all vying for the $1 million prize.
Though the goal of each team has always been simple – to not be last – the journey is anything but. Competitors must overcome mental and physical challenges at various Pit Stops in order to learn their next location. The teams that are last to reach the Pit Stop will gradually be eliminated with each episode.
The Season 37 cast’s first stop will be in Hong Kong, where the contestants will learn a surprise twist that forces them to choose which direction and route they want to take, CBS confirmed. The twist will create two parallel races where two teams will be eliminated at separate pit stops.
Here’s what to know about Season 37 of “The Amazing Race.”
The new season features 90-minute episodes, including the premiere, which airs Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. EDT/PDT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
New episodes of “The Amazing Race” Season 37 will air Wednesday nights at 9:30 p.m. EDT/PDT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
New episodes will be available to stream the day after the episode airs and on-demand on Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers. The first 36 seasons are also available on the streaming platform.
“The Amazing Race” Season 37 will feature the following teams of two:
New York City couple Ricky Rotandi and César Aldrete won Season 36 of “The Amazing Race.”
Rotandi is a preschool teacher and Aldrete is a chef. The pair won seven of the 11 legs and came in second place three times.
Best friends Juan Villa and Shane Bilek ultimately came in second place, while married couple Rod and Leticia Gardner came in third.
Contributing: Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
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