For 37 seasons, Phil Keoghan has been the steadfast face that teams see at the start of The Amazing Race and on the mat at the end during each leg of the race. Whether his news is good or he’s sadly having to let a team know that their time in the race is over, Keoghan’s spirit is the heart of the series. Nearing a milestone anniversary soon, The Amazing Race has allowed viewers to see the world through the comfort of their home, all with Keoghan as a guide.
For Season 37, the Emmy-Award-winning host did his homework in order to give fans a “Season of Surprises.” With fan-favorite mechanics returning and new twists at every turn, the new season is going to keep fans glued to their screens, eager to see how it all turns out. “We would describe it as a season of big surprises, because Amazing Race is about surprises. Inherently, that’s what it is every time they rip and read an envelope, they don’t know where they’re going, they don’t know what they’re doing. That’s part of the enjoyment,” Keoghan says of the new season.
Phil Keoghan Talks What Makes ‘The Amazing Race’

Image via CBS

COLLIDER: Phil Keoghan! Congratulations on another season of The Amazing Race. How do you feel coming back for more?
PHIL KEOGHAN: Always excited. I’ve been doing a lot of press today and always get energized when I know that so many people are anxious to see the show back. It just seems to be one of those shows that’s universally liked, and so it makes it easy to get excited just because I know so many people have been looking forward to coming back.
Absolutely. I actually wrote a piece yesterday about the Top 10 reality shows of the 2000s, and of course, included The Amazing Race on there. It really has been one of the most impactful series in the entire genre. What has made the series have such a fruitful longevity?
PHIL: It’s unique. It really is unique. I don’t know what other shows you had on that list, but I would venture to say that there’s nothing else on that list that is like Amazing Race, so even with the top shows that are out there, it has its own lane. It’s got a special quality to it that as resonated and is still part of the Zeitgeist. I think the world has gotten a lot smaller since we came on the scene, because the world is communicating more. We’re seeing more of the world in content. We’re seeing it in our travels. There are more people traveling than ever before, so to me, the show is even more relevant now than it was when it started.
For me, what sets the show part really is the celebration of culture around the world, and you do such a remarkable job sharing the diversity that the world does have to offer. Why is that so important for you and the show to showcase?
PHIL: I think right now, the way the world is now, we need a show like Amazing Race, which shows more of what connects us and what makes us the same, more than content that is about divisiveness and what makes us different. I think we’ve prided ourselves from day one and always having a diverse cast. Not worrying about who voted for who or who, or who worships who, but more about what do we all have in common and that is, of course, the wonderful human spirit that we’ve all been given. And in a life to be able to explore it’s inherently part of our make up to want to explore and to share and to connect, and so our show is really about focusing on that, and that doesn’t mean there are dramas on our show, but those dramas are healthy, competitive dramas rather than all-out divisiveness. At the end of the day, when we gather on the mat, it doesn’t matter who we worship or who we’ve voted for or who we love, it’s more about what we all share in common, which is the human spirit.
You’ve been nearly everywhere. Is there a location that’s still on the bucket list as a dream destination?
PHIL: Yes, as a matter of fact. Antarctica has been on my list for almost 40 years, goodness me. I had a trip planned there in my very first job in television. I was a film camera assistant, and I was meant to go, and the trip was canceled. Then subsequently, I’ve had two other trips with other shows canceled and just recently got an offer to go again, and for a good reason, and so I think you might wish mine actually finally come true.
That’s amazing! Congratulations!
PHIL: Yeah, it’s been something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long, long time.
You’ve watched hundreds of teams race around the world. What makes a good team for The Amazing Race?
PHIL: Well, it’s difficult to zero in on the specifics only because if you look at the winners of Amazing Race across the board going all the way back to Rob [Frisbee] and Brennan [Swain] and then looking at our latest winners, they’re also different, and they will bring such different qualities. Some have got their with sometimes with poor communication. If you look at the say, Flo [Presenti] and Zack [Behr] in Season 3, they were ready to throw the towel in really, really early. Then you know you go back to a season where you’ve got the father and son, that’s a totally different dynamic. So I don’t know if you can sort of pinpoint any specific things. Certainly luck plays a major role in The Amazing Race. Every time you get in a cab, is the driver any good? Is he or she gonna say that they need to stop to get gas cause they didn’t fill up, and then that’s gonna slow you down. Or you misread some instructions, and you end up driving out of your way for an hour in the wrong direction. So many factors. Yeah, I don’t know if I can answer that question precisely.
No, I love that answer. I think that really sums up why this show is so incredible, because you’re right, we’ve had so many diverse winners in strategy, and how they play this game, so I think you’re absolutely right for me. I think the important trait is also adaptability.
PHIL: Yes, you gotta be adaptable. I think teams that are also out to have fun, I think that spirit definitely helps. Like if they’re focus is on really immersing themselves and enjoying the experience. I definitely think that helps. The better time you’re having, I think, the more likely you are to be relaxed. The more relaxed you are, the better decisions I think you’re likely to make. Listening to your partner. And seeing them as an equal. Double checking. Reading those clues. I think those are all good things. Stress does not necessarily play that well. I mean it makes a great TV, but it doesn’t necessarily play very well and in getting ahead on the race. Sometimes people, when they get stressed, they literally stop thinking straight. So you definitely wanna come in at least agreeing that you’re going to focus on the strength of your partner and know when to back away when maybe you’re not as strong as your partner on something, and rely on them to help you.
Phil Keoghan Teases ‘The Amazing Race 37’

Let’s talk about this new season. The biggest yet. 14 teams, and it is the “Season of Surprises.” What do we have in store for Season 37?
PHIL: Well, I think if we were to describe this season, we would describe it as a season of big surprises, because Amazing Race is about surprises. Inherently, that’s what it is every time they rip and read an envelope, they don’t know where they’re going, they don’t know what they’re doing. That’s part of the enjoyment, I think for an audience, is to just be like, “Wait what? they’re going to Slovenia! They’re gonna be working with bees!” Like, “They’re going to Bulgaria, and they’re gonna be milking a goat?” Like, “Wait what?” So I think there’s the surprise element inherently that is a part of Amazing Race. This season what we did, we decided let’s put in some of the favorite elements from the past, like let’s bring back the Fast Forward, which people have always loved. Let’s put in some more airport drama, as they say, you know cause people love that. Let’s do a bit more self-driving. I did a massive deep dive into, for almost a week’s worth of work, where I just dive headfirst into looking at chat rooms and looking at what people talk about, what their favorite moments are on the history of The Amazing Race, what they keep coming back for, what they’d like to see more of what they’d like and dislike. I broke it all down, and I shared with the team, and I just said, look, this is sort of, not that we have to do these things, but look, this is what people are talking about. This is how we can maybe continue to focus on the things that we know the audience is watching, and what we can maybe look to do more of. I think it’s super, super important. So we decided, people do love surprises, why don’t we put a big one in every episode? And so right out of the gate in episode one we have this Fork in the Road, and we’re forcing half the teams this season, I mention 14 teams, so seven teams go in one direction and seven teams go in the other, so this creates a parallel race. And that parallel race, seven on one side, seven on the other, those seven teams race to the pitstop where we have two check-in mats and where I eliminate the last team from each of those Folks in the Road. So again, not something we’ve ever done before, but where there’s a little bit of strategy of play because you may not have a choice to go in one direction because seven teams have already gone. Or maybe more teams have gone in one direction than the other, and you figure even though I might be better at that particular challenge on that side in the Fork in the Road, I don’t wanna be where all the crowd is. I wanna go on the side where maybe there are less teams and where I have more of a chance of staying in the race and avoiding elimination.
I really am so excited for this Fork in the Road twist. it really does sound brilliant and anything that throws in strategy, I am always here for. This itinerary, pretty exciting. This season is the first time in Bulgaria. What it was not like getting to film there?
PHIL: Well, we really enjoy immersing the teams in something that looks so different from their neighborhood, right? It looks so different from something that they would see in America. Where you really get the sense that they feel like they’re a fish out of water. They’re doing something they never imagined themselves doing. They might as well be on another planet. It’s like what is going on right now? And, there’s this moment where they’re part of a procession where there’s a traditional dance going on down the street in a small village. Bulgaria. I believe is the oldest country in Europe. It’s got a lot of ancient history and all of a sudden you know, you imagine you come from Philadelphia and then the next minute you’re in the small village in Bulgaria going down the street in this procession with these people dressed up that look like wooly mammals from the dinosaur era, dancing up and down with this cacophony of sound that’s that’s deafening. I had to put earplugs in when I was there. I was introducing what it was they were doing. It was so loud as they came past. And that’s the stuff I love. I just love to see when they really feel like they’re in another world by going to another country. And then by us being able to share that with the viewers. And with the viewers being able to vicariously experience it with the cast. We love getting notes from people to say, “Oh I saw this in Bulgaria or Slovenia or wherever we go, and now I wanna go there.”

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Phil Keoghan Looks To the Future

Image via CBS

Absolutely. Now listen, lot of people keep talking about Mike White and Survivor, but Mike White did The Amazing Race first. Twice. What is it like seeing Mike succeed the way he has after first being on this journey with his dad, Mel White, on The Amazing Race?
PHIL: I am so proud of Mike. I ran into him at the airport in New York on my way to Europe. When he was on his way to scout locations for the latest The White Lotus. And he is such a genuinely nice guy, like you wanna see him do well. I have a very close relationship with my dad, as he does, and every now and again we’ll text each other, and we discuss that connection that we have and how lucky we both feel that we had that special relationship with our father. So I couldn’t be more proud of him. It’s a groundbreaking series, and ‘m so happy to see him do well. You know when you really genuinely like someone, and you see them do well, it just makes you feel really good, and I feel really good for him.
Let’s say Mike calls you and Jeff Probst for a cameo on The White Lotus. What kind of characters do you wanna play?
PHIL: Well, years ago on a drama I played a bit of a shady character and I quite enjoyed that. I like disappearing into a darker character. So I’d wanna play somebody pretty shady. And just you know to juxtapose what I hope is my normal personality. That’s really the antithesis of how I live my life. It would be kind of fun to escape in a character like that. I love disappearing into a character when I have done acting, and so that would be fun.
Just like Survivor, The Amazing Race is coming up close to a milestone anniversary. If we had another All-Star season in the future, are there any teams you would love to see race again?
PHIL: I would leave that to the fans. With favorites, I’m a firm believer in the fans telling us what they want. If you’re gonna bring people back. I mean, I have so many people that I really love. The Globetrotters, the Cowboys, the Beekmans, Kynt and Vyxsin. Great teams this season, I love Nick and Mike. They did seven years trying to get onto the show. Ricky [Rotandi] and Cesar [Aldrete] are such great Amazing Racer. It’s just so many great characters, but I would much prefer to put it out to the fans so that they’re getting what. They deserve to get what they want. That said, I’m also a big fan of giving new people a chance to be on the show as well, just because it is such a unique opportunity. So if that’s what the fans want, then yes absolutely, but really my favorite seasons really are less about all stars, and more about new people. Like this season that we have, where I really feel like we have one of the best casts we’ve had in years.
I am super-super-excited for this season. Now you are a professional traveler. What travel tips do you have for us all if you’re going on a leisure trip?
PHIL: Baby aspirin before you get on the flight. Good for the circulation. Stay hydrated. Make sure you’re hydrated before you get on the plane. If you’re gonna have a drink, don’t go crazy. You know limit the amount of alcohol you have on the plane, but do stay hydrated. Earplugs and eye mask are a must. A good book to read in case there’s delays, and in case, you know, the movie goes down on the flight, or you don’t have a form of entertainment. Make sure that you can entertain yourself. Maybe some podcast to listen to. You always want to be prepared with some materials to keep you occupied, if one reason you get delayed. Obviously you wanna never leave home without your sunscreen. Where have you heard that before? I think it’s a good idea to take a light jacket with you on the plane, because if you do get stuck, sometimes planes can get quite cold and then can get quite chilly. Yeah, the things that make you happy, I guess, but that are super light.
I love that. Well, I’m actually traveling this week. I’m actually going to visit my brother in Nashville, and I’ve been trying to convince him to apply with me for The Amazing Race, and I think this is now the push I needed to get him to do an audition tape of me. So expect a tape from the Block Brothers.
PHIL: Well, I like that! And just remember to be yourself. Don’t try to be anybody else. Every season, we’re choosing people because they are not like anybody else, and because they’re not like anybody else, we’ve ever had on the race. And you’re gonna see that this season. Each of the teams, each of the characters we’ve got, they’re all very unique. They’re not like anything we’ve had before. So yeah, have fun and yourself.
Thank you so much. This really is a bucket list conversation. I’ve admired you and the show for so long. Thank you so much for chatting with me.
PHIL: Well, we appreciate you getting the word out there, and we really hope you enjoy the season

The Amazing Race

Release Date

September 5, 2001

Network

CBS

Showrunner

Elise Doganieri, Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman