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Amazing Race host on ‘brutal’ conditions that sent teams packing
Aussie viewers have shown quite the appetite for watching other people push themselves to their limits, whether that’s physically, mentally or emotionally. Just look at the success of shows such as Survivor, SAS Australia and I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
Hot on their reality TV show heels comes season two of The Amazing Race Australia which will see 14 teams tear their way across the country for a chance at a whopping $250,000 grand prize.
Unlike the first season, which aired in late 2019, international travel was off the cards this year thanks to the pandemic meaning the entirety of season two was shot Down Under.
Returning host Beau Ryan tells Yahoo Lifestyle that aside from a few concerns when filming began, COVID did not put a dampener on things.
“There was some angst and stress early on with quarantine and testing,” he says.
“But we had a risk assessment crew and we followed all the protocols correctly and got the show made,” he adds proudly.
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Bigger and better
Beau promises fans a season bigger and better than the last, largely thanks to the 28 contestants taking part.
“The casting was brilliant. Last year was great but this year was even better, the teams were much more prepared,” he explains.
Even so, Beau admits he discounted a few contestants early on, which turned out to be a big mistake.
“I did underestimate some of the teams, I’m not gonna lie,” he says.
Filipino-Australian father-daughter duo Rani and Jobelle was one such team that, to Beau’s surprise, just ‘kept turning up’ at each checkpoint.
“They were underdogs from the get-go mainly because of Rani’s age and just looking at the physical prowess of everyone else, but jeez was I wrong,” he says.
Other teams that Beau had tipped to go all the way didn’t fare as well with the ‘brutal conditions’ this wide brown land presents, from the freezing mountains of the southern states to the unbearable heat of the Top End.
“There are so many moving parts when we’re in this country and with the brutal conditions we lost a couple of teams which I thought would go all the way so there’s plenty of drama, plenty of tears,” he says.
“It’s a real reality show, there’s no scripting and we don’t tell people what to say or how to say it. Everything that happens is what we get as-live. When you get followed around by a camera crew for 14 hours a day your true character comes out,” he adds.
The Amazing Race Australia airs Monday, February 1 on Channel 10.
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