Coming up next week
Sunday 29 September
The Amazing Race Australia continues as six remaining celebrity teams travel to the Namib Desert in Namibia. They race through the unforgiving desert terrain, one mistake could cost a team the race.
Monday 30 September
Following a virtual pitstop, our celebrities continue the race along the mysterious Skeleton Coast. Fatigue starts to set in for some teams.
Matildas Chloe Logarzo And Emily Gielnik Eliminated From The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
The seventh leg of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition ended in heartbreak when Matildas teammates Chloe and Emily were the next team to be eliminated.
Emily said, “I found the fear of failure the most challenging, the anxiety around coming first every race day. Failure, for me, was not an option. I wanted to win at all costs… that was one of the most difficult things we had to deal with from a competitive aspect. No matter how competitive you are, sometimes things just aren’t going to go your way, even if you do want to win so badly.”
Chloe said, “We are extremely competitive, and we did come into this race wanting to be two females to win The Amazing Race Australia for the first time, but the beautiful thing is, along the way we got distracted… and we got humbled a lot in South Africa. For a split second, we didn’t care about what was happening in the race and enjoyed the beautiful moments we had.”
Arriving in Namibia, teams raced around the vast, arid desert in search of their first clue. In a Detour, a choice of two challenges, teams could either scale a massive sand dune on foot or complete a 12km drive through the dunes.
Teams then drove to Pelican Point, a peninsula swarming with seals, where they had to kayak out to four floating buoys and memorise facts about sea life.
The Tillies had once again secured a strong lead but, as they were leaving Pelican Point, Emily picked up Chloe’s bumbag and unwittingly left her own behind.
The pair didn’t realise the mistake until they were driving on the way to their next challenge but, as per the rules, teams can’t complete a leg of the race unless they have all of their belongings with them. It was a mistake that cost them a lot of time and put them right at the back of the pack.
Teams had to travel to Mondesa where a Himba woman would teach them the traditional method of making Otjize, a paste made from a mixture of fat and ochre. Finally, teams received a shopping list in Damara-Nama, a language unique to the region, that they had to translate with the help of some local friends. Once they found all the items on the list, they raced to meet Beau at the Pit Stop.
Unfortunately, the bag delay was enough and Chloe and Emily were the next team eliminated from the race. Their time on the race was in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Chloe said, “I have two incredible women in my life who have both overcome breast cancer, my mother-in-law and my Nonna. If we think about the journey we’ve had in our football career, the statistics are that one or two out of every single locker room will have breast cancer or go through that experience.”
Emily added, “Although we didn’t win for our charity, I think the overall message and goal was so that more awareness is raised. As sad as it was to not win that money for the charity, we hope we’ve done justice by at least raising more awareness.”
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
Continues Tomorrow At 7.30pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Ian mentioned a knee injury right at the start of last night’s episode, but it wasn’t really shown what actually happened, or did I miss that last week? When they showed a child asking him how he hurt it, he just answered that he has a sore knee but didn’t answer where or how he’d hurt it. So did something happen between episodes, eg on the plane trip to the next leg of the race?
He said he had “shin splints” and woke up and they had that got into his knee. So usually not caused by a trauma.
This week’s double leg in Namibia is unique in that it includes a virtual pit stop plus an elimination in the middle, then a non-elimination pit stop at the end.
EDIT: coming up next week - four episodes remaining
Sunday 6 October
The Dark Horses have already tasted victory, but can those teams maintain their lead as the final five continue the race in Namibia?
Monday 7 October
Only four teams remain as our race continues in the scenic location of Phang Nga, Thailand. Our teams will battle the heat and each other as they kick off in the fight for a place in the finals.
Enjoying this season so far. The challenges are so varied that any of the couples has a chance at winning. There have been some surprise first place finishes and eliminations.
The production feels like it has stepped up a notch. The quick cuts to the add breaks give it a different feel, a lot of the times I don’t see the add break coming. The non-eliminations don’t feel as often, and at the virtual pit-stops don’t feel as clunky. It doesn’t feel like there is any favouritism by the producers so far this season.
Ian Thorpe And Christian Miranda Eliminated From The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
The ninth leg of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition saw Olympic legend, Ian Thorpe, and his childhood best mate, Christian Miranda, eliminated from the race.
Having battled shin splints for multiple legs of the race, Thorpie had been struggling with injury and pushing through some very difficult physical challenges.
Christian said: “As the race went on, unfortunately Ian’s injuries were becoming more limiting. Having to navigate The Dome just wasn’t something he was going to be able to accomplish, and it was at this point that we knew our time was up, as much as we would have loved to have found a way to get through it.”
Racing around Namibia, teams ventured to Omandumba to take part in the local sport of Bokdrol Spoeg – otherwise known as dung spitting. Collecting hard pellets of kudu dung from the surrounding area, each team member had to spit a piece of poop into a stone circle before they could move on.
Having checked in last in the previous leg, Thorpie and Christian also had to complete a Speed Bump challenge where they needed to fill a container with enough dung before they could begin spitting.
Teams then faced a Detour, a choice between two challenges each with its own pros and cons. In Weapons, teams had to follow a local hunter and hit a target with a bow and arrow. In Water, teams had to craft a water carrier out of an ostrich egg, using traditional tools.
From there, it was back to school for our teams as they made their way to an animal research station to work with conservationists in identifying 10 animals from video footage of the early morning.
Teams then had to race to find a clue atop the massive Dome boulder, before making their way to the Bridge where Beau was waiting at the Pit Stop.
Ian and Christian’s time on the race was in support of ReachOut Australia, a mental health organisation designed with and specifically for young people offering a wide range of support.
Christian said: “ReachOut Australia is a cause that is close to both of our hearts, having both navigated and supported one another through mental health issues over the years. To bring awareness to such an impactful charity that is making support much more accessible to today’s youth is something I was very proud to be a part of.”
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
Continues Tomorrow At 7.30pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Sunday 13 October
Our celebrities race into Phuket to secure a grand final spot. They dive into the real Phuket, from its stunning natural landscapes to the bustling old town, all in a thrilling, nail-biting finish.
Season finale is Sunday, 20 October.
Pete And Bridget Helliar Eliminated From The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
The race was hotter than ever as our four remaining teams fought for their place in the Grand Finale. Sadly, Pete and Bridget Helliar’s time on the race came to an end after a road block dropped them from an early lead into last place.
Pete said: “We were trying to stay positive because we always reminded ourselves that weird things can happen on The Amazing Race and you’re never quite sure where you are.
“It was pretty disappointing to get so close to the grand finale. To say we got through every episode and experienced it all would have been great. With that said, we were lucky enough to survive a non-elimination. Sometimes the luck went our way, sometimes it went against us, but we had a great time.”
Arriving in Phuket, teams searched massive turtle egg sculptures at Phuket Gateway before making their way to an elephant sanctuary, treating some of the magnificent pachyderms to a spa day of a mud bath and a shower.
Then it was time to head to a school where one member from each team had to knock down a stack of 10 tin cans using a slingshot. While other teams had a difficult time with the task, Pete really struggled and was the last to leave the challenge.
From there, teams faced a detour – a choice between two challenges, each with their own pros and cons. In Frame, two teams headed to the historic Thalang Road to find and memorise photos of three windows. They then had to venture out, find the real buildings and memorise the street numbers for their next clue.
In Fame, two teams went to a nearby theatre to help a cabaret performer get dressed, matching their outfit to the one shown at random intervals on stage. With only 10 seconds to view the outfit at a time, teams needed a sharp eye for detail.
Finally, teams had to race to find Beau at the pit stop, locking in their place in the grand finale. With just minutes between them, Pete and Bridget were heartbroken to be so close to the final leg of the race, but still reflected on the amazing adventure they had, all for their chosen charity, Cure EB Foundation.
Pete said: “We got involved with Cure EB about a year and a half ago and [Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)] is this horrific disease which is basically akin to having sunburn on the inside of your skin. There’s no government funding because it’s a pretty rare condition, so awareness and money is needed.
“We were pretty driven to try and win it for Cure EB and the kids who suffer from it, it certainly helped us in those moments when you’re thinking, ‘this is hard’, that there are kids who have to get bandaged up every day so that their pain is bearable or manageable. We were very proud to be supporting them and will continue to do work with them in the future."
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
Grand Finale. Sunday, October 20 at 7pm On 10 And 10 Play.
Unless the camera angles were deceiving, it looked like they allowed Pete to move closer to the cans at the end, to be able to complete the challenge. The editing was actually quite abrupt which made me realise he’d moved positions.
See the statue to the right of the tree, on the right in this picture:
Now see where it is later in the episode (under Bridget’s umbrella). You can also see the other buckets and logs in the background, from where the other teams were standing earlier.
Poor Billy, losing his fifth grand final 
Tai ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa And His Brother Logan Win The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
In an epic grand finale, three teams battled it out for the top spot, but it was MMA pro Tai ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa and his brother Logan who were the first team to hit the Pit Stop, winning the glory and $100,000 for their chosen charity, the Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation.
Reflecting on the moment Beau told them they had won, Tai said, “It was a bit surreal, we kind of knew we were in first place but in this race you can never get too ahead of yourself. It was really cool.”
Logan added, “I haven’t been to many Grand Finals in the footy, so this was like a Grand Final for me.”
Oscar and Billy Brownless, Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, and Tai and Logan all began the final leg of the race together, heading to the heart of Bangkok’s cultural district to learn a traditional Thai sword dance.
Next, the teams travelled to Chinatown to deliver two fish, by hand, to a local market vendor, weaving through the busy market while being careful not to drop the massive fish. Although they left the dance challenge first, Brooke and Adam got lost in the market, leaving room for the other two teams to sneak ahead.
Teams then had to prepare and eat a local Thai delicacy of fresh frog curry, with a delicious dessert of duck neck and water bugs to wash it all down. Teams then faced one final challenge: a puzzle testing them on their whole journey.
Over the past 11 legs of the race, symbols had been present at challenges in every country. Teams had to arrange a puzzle with the symbols in the correct chronological order. With all teams arriving at the puzzle, and struggling equally, it was Tai and Logan who managed to solve it first.
Heading to the final Pit Stop at the original Bangkok Central Railway Station, the brothers celebrated their win with a shoey, or shoeyvasa, out of Beau’s shoes.
The pair were competing on behalf of the Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation, a community-controlled not-for-profit whose mission is to improve the health, social, emotional, and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal people.
Tai said, “It’s going to be awesome, [SRAC] does a lot of work with kids from the area, from Western Sydney, and they take a lot of football gear and stuff out to the Aboriginal communities, hand them out and do football days.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing where they get to now, and how far out in the community they can reach. That’s really important to me so I’m pumped about that.”
I really enjoyed this season and its contestants. Some very interesting countries and a variety of challenges that evened out the competition making it hard to predict winners for each round so that any of the three finalists could have been eliminated on one of the earlier legs. In the end one of the most consistent teams won.
The final was interesting in that after the first challenge it took place at night. Perhaps due to traffic and logistics - looked like the final pit stop had been cleared of everyone that wouldn’t have been possible at another time of day.
I would’ve been happy if any of the final five teams won. All were great teams and Thorpie always gave publicity to his charity when ever the opportunity arose.
The only way to tell the time difference between the teams is looking at their shadows. Obviously you can’t do it at night, but it was still a great finale all the same.
10’s press release didn’t say that Billy and Oscar finished second, and Brooke and Adam came third.
It was a great comeback for Billy and Oscar, they were on the brink of elimination in Phang Nga in Thailand. Brooke and Adam wasted so much time in Chinatown (missing the fish stall when they first arrived, then got misdirected by a local while carrying the fish), which made the difference in the end.
TV Tonight can reveal another season of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition is coming with casting about to be revealed soon.
“I am very passionate about the Celebrity edition,” Monaghan continues. “Yes, it gives you another Celebrity show but what I think is interesting is they’re running with their family member. And I think that’s really important. It’s not a Celebrity show where we pair two people from different shows…. this year we’ve got siblings, married couples, engaged couples, famous parents and their kids, and then we’ve got a couple of different relationships. It makes it more interesting when you’re watching people in their real lives.”
Some really good names on the cast this year. I think the strongest by far.
You tease - how may you know?
