Here’s my conversation with Gretchen and Meredith Smith, the couple who came in fourth on “The Amazing Race” this spring.
They told all sorts of behind-the-scenes stories about what it was like working with the TV crews, how they dealt with losing all their money and clothing when they were last to arrive at a pit stop during a non-elimination round, how they felt about Rob and Amber, what really happened when Brian and Greg’s 4×4 overturned in the African desert, why Gretchen was on top of that wooden elephant that Meredith was struggling to push up an Indian street, and much more. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love these first-person stories — Listen to our conversation here.
The 8th season of “The Amazing Race” begins next month on CBS, and it’s a family affair — instead of two people on each team, there will be four, and they’re all family members. Word is that, because kids as young as 8 were involved, the race took place entirely in North America, was much shorter than previous races, and included tasks and routes more appropriate for families. As a longtime fan of the show, I hope this isn’t the season when “The Amazing Race” jumps the shark (or, as the phrase goes now, in honor of Tom Cruise’s escapades on Oprah, “jumps the couch”).