"It's got a special quality to it" — The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan opens up on the show’s enduring relevance
The Amazing Race premiered its season 37 on March 5 on CBS. The reality competition show returned with a new batch of teams to compete in a race around the world in the hopes of winning the grand prize of $1,000,000.
Longtime host Phil Keoghan returned to lead the adventure and recently reflected on the show's continued relevance. In a March 13 interview with Collider, Keoghan described the series as "unique," emphasizing that it occupies a lane of its own in the reality TV landscape.
The Amazing Race host noted that the competition show had a special quality to it and continues to reflect and resonate with the interests, values, and trends of today's modern society, even years after its premiere.
"It's unique. It really is unique.... 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," he said.
The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan comments on the cultural importance of the show
It's been over 24 years since the premiere of The Amazing Race, and the reality competition show is still relevant and enjoyed by viewers all over the world.
In his interview with Collider, host Phil Keoghan highlighted the uniqueness of The Amazing Race and emphasized its relevance in today's world. He believes that the world has gotten a lot smaller since the premiere of the show, as people are more connected right now.
Now that the world is more connected and closer, Phil shared that people are seeing more of the world in content and in their travels. He noted that more people are traveling than ever before, so to him, The Amazing Race has become even more relevant now than it was when it started.
Later in the interview, the host highlighted how the show celebrates cultural diversity around the world and asked Phil why showcasing it has been such an important aspect of the series.
In response, the CBS show host noted that, considering the current state of the world, he believes people need shows like The Amazing Race that show more of what connects people and showcase their similarities and differences.
"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," Phil said.
The Amazing Race host continued:
"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."
Phil further emphasized that when the contestants line up for a challenge, it doesn't matter who they worship, love, or vote for; the environment is more focused on what they all share in common, which he believes is the "human spirit."
When asked about his dream destination, Phil revealed that visiting Antarctica has been on his bucket list for almost 40 years. He shared that throughout his career, he’s had three opportunities to travel there for work, but each trip was unfortunately canceled. Recently, he signed on to a new project and expressed hope that his dream might finally come true.
The Amazing Race season 37 episodes premiere every Wednesday on CBS.
