After the longest pit stop in "The Amazing Race" history, the show is back.
"The Amazing Race" had finished filming three episodes of a new season when concerns about the coronavirus raged around the world in March 2020.
It took more than a year and a half for the show's producers and network, CBS, to put in place security protocols and arrange to finish what they started in the face of unprecedented circumstances.
But like competitors racing around the world for a chance to win $1 million, the creators of "The Amazing Race" were up to the challenge.
Below, host Phil Keoghan opens up below how he did it and what it means to race around the world after the world-changing event.
This interview has been edited for clarity and condensation.
CNN: After a very long break for both fans and contestants, what a relief it was to have 'The Amazing Race' back?
Phil Keoghan: "It was emotional enough to be back. It was emotionally postponing the race because of the despair I could see in the eyes of the cast, knowing all the sacrifices they made to be there. And so Have to tell them, 'Look, I'm really sorry. We've heard about this virus called covid-19 and because of your safety and because it's our number one priority, we're going to postpone the race .' It was heartbreaking. And then I never predicted how long it would take to start all over again. No one really knew what was going to happen. It's easy to say, in retrospect,' Well, yes, of course, we had to stop the race.' At the time, you could understand that there were some doubts and some of the cast wondered, 'Is this, is it absolutely necessary?' So there were a lot of emotions, and we felt like we were doing the right thing.
So after coming back and seeing everyone's faces again, it seemed as if it was a matter of yesterday, but then it also felt real. I, for one, was also feeling a little anxious because [I wanted to] get through this and get everyone through the race and take everyone home. The thought was definitely on my mind that we would have to postpone the race a second time. I was pretty confident we could do it successfully, but it was definitely on my mind, like, 'Oh my god, please, fix this.' It was also heartwarming to hear everyone's stories – hearing about relatives who had been lost and jobs that had been lost and how their lives had changed. No one's life is the same again. It was mixed feelings, for sure."
Was there ever a point during that extended break that you thought the show wouldn't be able to return in duration?
"No, I never felt like we wouldn't be able to come back. 'Tough as Nails' was produced, six months after the pandemic hit, the first to go back into production after the pandemic shut everything down. One of the shows, we faced all the challenges of getting the production back together and the return to work policy back together. We were able to do it successfully. So I knew we were going to be able to do it with 'Race' But of course, the 'race', not only has the added challenge of doing it in one place, it's the transition from one place to another. That's where the risk factor is.
A lot of fans have said, during that time, 'Well, why didn't you do 'The Amazing Race' in America? Do it without going abroad. But, again, it doesn't matter whether you're traveling 500 miles or 5,000 miles, it's transportation to move from one safe environment to another. And, clearly, the risk in the US and many states was greater than the risk in many countries around the world. In putting together a new course, part of the idea was which countries are at low risk and where can we move people to where there is less risk. Those are all major factors. Standing there I felt very confident that we were able to pull this off."
I'm surprised there are calls to do it only in the US because 'The Amazing Race' is so much about appreciation of other cultures and other places. With this pandemic and the sudden snatching away from the ability to move freely, do you feel more appreciation for the show from the start? How did it feel to be back in that world and knowing, 'We're going to get a chance to show people things again that they haven't seen in two years?'
"Well, I think your question is very understandable because I think we've become more aware of what it means to be global through this pandemic. Because what we feel is this That we are all living on this rock which is floating in space and something like covid can affect all the corners of the earth. And we are all breathing the same air. We are all living in the same environment. Everything we do affects everyone everywhere on the planet. And of course Covid did. So I think in a way, our show is more relevant now in 2021/22, when we The race had started."
I know that one of the changes post covid involves hiring an aircraft for production. But in terms of interacting with the locals, were there protocols that enabled the racers to do so safely or were you not allowed to interact much with the locals?
"Yeah, we were still able to. I guess there's no secret in the way we follow protocol. It's a little bit like the way we interact in the world. Now, you don't necessarily shake hands with a stranger or Hug strangers. I mean, so it's very disturbing to watch the first few episodes, because it's a covid-free world, and then you associate it with this other world. I think people see this Going to see that you can still be in public places and keep a safe distance. But we are still used to - adjustments that we all have to make.
We still gather, but we know that it is safer to gather outside than to gather inside. What you won't see is that you're not going to see a 'wonderful race' - a crowd of thousands in a confined space. We have had the one before where people have been running on the streets of India, and there has been an elephant procession. I remember a special situation on 'Race'. You're not supposed to see it, because again, it's in an uncontrolled environment. But I think for the most part, people will realize that it's the 'race' they love with some adjustments that we're all making."
Well, since you have to live that private jet life with the cast, I'm wondering: Do you think some of the race's loyalists are going to say that it was too easy for these contestants? They didn't have to deal with the stress of plane tickets and taxis and that sort of thing. At the end of it all, are these going to be the legitimate winners or are fans going to stare at them?
"Oh, no, no, that would be valid. But, you also have to realize, um, there are pros and cons to both, right? In a regular race, you have more access to go places and negotiate. It's for people to get more information. But the playing field is even. Stick shift driving, if you don't know how to drive stick shift, it's still challenging for people. We had some public transportation. All we knew was that the drivers were COVID-free. Vehicles still struggle. You can't get rid of the stress of reading a map and learning how to get lost. There's a lot to it. So, no, no asterisks It's race as we know it and we love it. You'll see it's a different world, the world we all know, so it's no surprise. It's just a different world."