When “The Amazing Race” returns for Season 37 on Wednesday night, fans can expect some updates to the formula since it last aired a year ago on CBS. But thankfully, host Phil Keoghan told TheWrap he’s confident fans will enjoy getting to see the show’s largest cast ever tackle the new twists and turns in supersized, 90-minute episodes.
“Let’s just say there’s some good, tactical, strategic drama that I think fans will respond to,” he teased ahead of the premiere. “Just a fun way of changing things up, in a good way.”
In addition to the returns of the Fast Forward and the U-Turn, the new season will also introduce the Fork in the Road — a task that forces pairs to choose between two routes, creating two parallel races… and a double elimination.
“It’s actually been something that’s been discussed for quite a while and just seemed like a good opportunity to try this season. Having the 90-minute episodes has allowed us to try a few new things like, for instance, the 14 teams, because we’ve got a little bit extra time,” Keoghan explained. “And there will be a few other things throughout the season, some things that are returning that fans have seen before and then some other new elements that are there to add to the surprises. The show is a surprise show. I mean, literally, every time they rip open an envelope, it’s a surprise.”
“We have one new element that I really like that we’ve never done before, which gives a team quite a bit of — let’s say influence — on the other teams. I really like that element, and it happens sort of towards the middle of the season. I’m really interested to see how the audience reacts to it. It definitely stirs things up,” he continued. “And then there’s also quite a dramatic moment where I bring all the teams together and that ends up becoming more than we thought it was going to become.”
Those teams in question are indeed made up of 14 brand-new pairs of loved ones — including brothers Nick and Mike Fiorito, who’ve auditioned for the past seven years — marking the show’s largest cast ever since it first debuted in September 2001.
“You are going to love this cast. They’re a special cast. I always feel like we offer up a cast that our very diverse audience can identify with, which I love,” Keoghan gushed. “If you look at consistent diversity — not just skin color, but diversity of lifestyle: people that vote for different parties; people that are young; people that are old; people that are poor, rich; people with different backgrounds — I really do feel like we have consistently put up the most diverse cast of the reality shows over the two decades that we’ve been on.”
And speaking of casting, the “Hollywood Squares” star also revealed he still keeps in touch with contestants from all throughout the show’s history.
“I’ve got friendships with teams going all the way back to Season 1 and still keep in contact with people. I try to keep that door open so anybody from any season can always contact me,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll get a random note from somebody I love or they hear I’m coming to town and they’ll be like, ‘Hey, if you’re around.’ So, I love that. I mean, it’s a big family now. I love seeing teams from different seasons getting together to watch premieres. It’s always exciting to know that they’re not just part of their own season, but they see themselves as part of a bigger family.”
“The Amazing Race” Season 37 premieres Wednesday, March 5, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.
