Phil Keoghan, host of "The Amazing Race" 35, is a citizen of the world. This New Zealander may call California home at the moment. Still, his stack of passports and ability to land shows that take him everywhere is enviable by anyone struck with wanderlust.
He took time out of his busy schedule to talk to "Idaho Today" host Mellisa Paul and entertainment journalist April Neale about this show and other projects. Along with being a multi-Emmy-winning producer, filmmaker, and star, Keoghan is also a philanthropist whose work has raised over $1 million for MS.
Keoghan's impressive achievements include 10 Primetime Emmy Awards as a producer and host of "The Amazing Race;" Best Director Award at the 2017 American Documentary Film Festival; the 2018 Sports Documentarian Award from the International Sports Hall of Fame; a World Class New Zealand Award; The Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life Award for services to MS; a 2012 Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award; and the Endurance Live, Celebrity Athlete of the Year in 2013.
His CBS series "Tough As Nails" celebrates essential workers from both the United States and Canada who are ready to test their strength, endurance, life skills, and mental toughness in challenges that take place in real-world scenarios. Keoghan's life work is a daily exercise of discovery and sharing stories of interesting people at every level, whether famous or everyday people like Idaho natives Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith, the two "Amazing Race" contestants still in the running.
The thirty-fifth season of the American reality competition show will head to three continents and eight countries and travel over 23,800 miles.
It began at the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles and will travel to a European country the show has never visited, Slovenia, though the group will first fly to Asia. There are thirteen teams of two competing in a race around the world for $1,000,000. And Idaho's intrepid and affable team may win this thing.
Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith met in the Idaho National Guard and have stayed pals ever since. For years, they dreamt of competing on the show, traveling the world together, and trying for the lucrative purse. Competition is in Strasser's playbook as he is a Guinness World Records holder. Strasser is a "serial record-breaker" for the impressive amount of things he sticks in his beard.
Serving as steward and guide is Phil Keoghan. His natural bonhomie and knowledge of so many places worldwide are exhaustive. Keoghan has hosted the long-running CBS hit series, "Tough As Nails," to his podcasts like BUCKiT and hosted Nat Geo's "Explorer."
For "The Amazing Race," Keoghan waits for each team after a leg of travel and a challenge to either reward them for moving onward or break the news that the team finished the task last and was out of the race. The series elevates the reality space by educating and celebrating kindness, collaborative teamwork, and perseverance. Keoghan sets the tone with an energetic and optimistic explanation of the challenges—some deceptively complex— that await each team at every stop.
The Finale will air Dec. 20, 2023
About the series:
THE AMAZING RACE is a multiple Emmy Award-winning reality series hosted by Emmy Award-nominated host Phil Keoghan, where teams of two embark on a trek around the world. At every destination, each team must compete in a series of challenges, some mental and some physical, and only when the tasks are completed will they learn of their next location. Teams that are the farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning THE AMAZING RACE and the $1 million prize.
Premieres its 35th season Wednesday, 9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Website: www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/
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The Amazing Race Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmazingRaceCBS