The Real Reason Emma, King George And Harry Are On ‘The Amazing Race’
The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition is just about to hit Aussie screens and I’m not lying when I say I’ve been dying to watch the show. It’s one of my fave reality TV formats along with Survivor, and I’ve actually worked as a crew member on both the US version and the Australian version in the past.
Meaning I know first-hand that the drama isn’t manufactured and yet there’s so, so much of it. I’ve had producers describe to me that the cameramen on the show are different beasts – for example, having to vomit out the window while filming, because you literally cannot stop while the race is on.
This year, there’s a twist: instead of fighting for $100,000 for themselves, each celebrity has carefully picked a charity to benefit. It makes it much harder to choose who I want to win, because I low-key want every charity to grab the much-needed donation.
I chatted to a few of the contestants about why they signed up to compete in the race this year and was genuinely surprised by some of the thoughtful answers I was given.
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The emotional reason Harry Jowsey signed up for The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition.
Too Hot To Handle’s Harry Jowsey’s (yep, the guy who has famously slept with over 200 women) reason for racing with his mate Teddy Briggs was extremely personal, as he’s chosen mental health charity Beyond Blue.
“I’m representing my best friend’s family the Rutherfords. So we lost Meredith to suicide, and that was the charity that the family picked,” he told me. “I was also racing on behalf of one of my best friends from Heartbreak Island, Tavita, who we lost and Hamish who I lost when I was at university.”
Though we usually see Harry as an upbeat guy with plenty of banter, he admitted that there were times when The Amazing Race became so intense, that he thought about quitting the show altogether.
There’s some very famous faces amongst the cast. Image credit: Channel 10, The Amazing Race
“There [were] a lot of days where we were both just absolutely beat and just saying, ‘Dude, I just want to go home’… then one of the producers would be like, ‘Yeah, but would your friends be proud of you?’. ‘[I’d then think], fuck, I’ve gotta keep going’,” he recalled.
He wants people to tune in not only for the reality TV gold (he’s teased drama, tears and catfights), but to see why each celeb is putting everything on the line. “Every celeb that’s on [the] show, they have such an incredible reason for why they’re doing it and for their charity,” he explained. “I really encourage people to watch the show and reach out to their friends… I think it will spark a lot of productive conversations.”
Why George Mladenov wants to win The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition.
King George is eyeing up his first-ever reality TV win, having been denied the title of Sole Survivor twice on Australian Survivor. It’s his second-favourite reality show and he even had an Amazing Race-themed birthday when he turned 16. I myself had a Fear Factor-themed party when I turned 15, so I get the appeal.
He’s racing with his younger sister Pam and trust me when I say there’ll be plenty of drama between the two throughout the show. He’s been called “calculating” and “sassy” by other The Amazing Race contestants, but there’s actually a soft side to George that he doesn’t show often.
King George is back on our screens with his sister Pam. Image credit: Channel 10, The Amazing Race
“The big motivator for me is to get $100,000 for the Bankstown Women’s Health Centre,” he said in our interview. “I’m playing The Amazing Race to have the opportunity of a lifetime as a 20-year fan of the show… but most importantly, I can get more than 25% of the annual funding [the charity] gets each and every year.”
George acknowledged the work his charity does in his community in Bankstown, saying that their work is “important”, and hopes they can continue doing well into the future.
But does this mean he’s going to play nice? Absolutely not. According to King George, he’s going to use “every single tool” he has to get ahead and win with Pam.
@itspunkee Screaming bc King George from @survivor_aus is on @The Amazing Race Australia ? #theamazingrace #kinggeorge #survivor #australiansurvivor #biancadelrio ♬ Mastermind – Taylor Swift
Emma Watkins reveals “the best part” of The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition.
Former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins is racing with her sister Hayley for the Leonie Jackson Memorial Fund. It aims to support and access info for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, which is something that Emma has been passionate about for many years.
“I think that’s probably one of the best parts of the programme and the series in itself because it meant that we were all there on the show actually fighting for something that was bigger than just ourselves,” Emma told me. “I almost feel like that should be the premise for every series.”
“We just know that Australia has so much more to keep her legacy going and obviously recognise that our deaf education is not up to par, and hence why we chose this charity.”
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Emma and Hayley seem like actual angels and though they agreed that some of the challenges The Amazing Race threw at them were “difficult”, they navigated the race with kindness and fun. After I found out that Emma’s celebrity crush was Bluey, this is absolutely the wholesome energy I expected from the pair.
“When you’re there with a group of people… you feel like you’re doing the race together. You form friendships and bonds,” she explained. The pair were intimidated by the other contestants, but connected with Peter and Frankie from the very beginning.
I can’t wait to see the alliances, betrayals and absolute disasters take place on The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition. At this stage, I’ve got no idea who’s going to take home the crown – each celeb is fighting for their lives to win big for charity. Let the game begin!
You can catch Episode 1 of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition on Wednesday, October 4 at 7.30pm on Channel 10.
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Image credits: Channel 10, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Instagram/@harryjowsey