Last year was busy for Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan. Not only did he film three back-to-back editions of the reality hit, he also launched his new TV series No Opportunity Wasted and published a book based on the program. "I only had two days off and traveled 465,000 miles," says the exhausted New Zealander. "I really need to take a bit of a break."
Before he can slack off though, he's got to tell TVGuide.com all about the seventh edition of The Amazing Race, which premieres tonight on CBS at 9pm/ET. Keoghan acknowledges it's strange to be gearing up for another season so soon after the previous one wrapped, but he's very high on Amazing Race 7. "My favorite season before this was Season 5," he says. "There was something about that season that captured the magic of what the race is all about. I never thought it would get any better than that, but I have to say that Season 7 is now my favorite. It is, without doubt, the strongest one w
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Dating actors Hayden Kristianson and Aaron Crumbaugh made Amazing Race history on the season finale, when Aaron popped the question right after being Philiminated. It was a great "awww" moment, but considering their often combative relationship on the show, more than a few viewers probably thought "Huh?" Here, the duo set the record straight about their relationship and reveal some behind-the-scenes secrets, including what really happened on the top of Mount Hua.
TV Guide Online: The race had really taken its toll on you by the Xi'an leg. You both looked exhausted.
Aaron Crumbaugh: The thing is, when we got off the train in Xi'an, we were feeling pretty good because we had gotten some sleep during the 17-hour ride. Then we ran to the Drum Tower and it wasn't open yet — story of our lives on this race. And from there, we just had a terrible day. The taxi driver just ki
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As super-fit personal trainers, you'd think Adam Malis and Rebecca Cardon would've been the team to beat on The Amazing Race. But the duo's frequent arguments seemed to hold them back throughout the contest and, despite a last-minute surge, they wound up capturing the bronze. Here, the quirky twosome tells TV Guide Online about their teamwork (or lack thereof) and why they didn't speak to each other for two months after the race. Also, Adam finally reveals what's up with those Hellboy hair horns and his sexually ambiguous appearance.
TV Guide Online: You were stuck in last place for much of the final leg. Did you ever think you'd catch up?
Adam Malis: When we were in Japan, we tried to get on the flight Freddy and Kendra were on. We had tickets for a later flight, but we were trying to switch to the earlier plane. The woman at the counter would not let us on!
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With a whopping 92 percent popularity rating on CBS.com, Jon Buehler and Kris Perkins easily qualify as this season's most beloved Amazing Racers. Honestly, how could you dislike these sweet long-distance daters? In a season filled with screaming matches and shoving incidents, the hot couple charmed viewers with their positive attitudes and genuine affection for each other. Believe it or not, they are just as nice in real life. Here, Jon and Kris discuss their relationship and why they're really OK with finishing second.
TV Guide Online: It's safe to say that, like last time, this race was determined by a single plane ride.
Jon Buehler: Yeah, that was definitely the deciding factor. We did ask the American Airlines guy several times, "Are you sure this is the first plane to land in Chicago?" And he kept saying that he was absolutely positive. So we just took his word for it, got the tickets and ran over to the Internet cafe to find i
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Once again, The Amazing Race all came down to a single plane ride. Although the people's favorite, Jon Buehler and Kris Perkins, were assured that they were on the earliest possible flight to Chicago, dark horses Freddy Holliday and Kendra Bentley found a flight that landed in the Windy City half an hour earlier. While Jon and Kris made up time in the air, Freddy and Kendra were the first team on the ground, leading the pack all the way to the finish line. Here the soon-to-be married models (whose wedding is set for spring) tell TV Guide Online about their surprise victory and their relationship on the show. Also, Kendra faces up to certain charming comments she made while in Africa... you know what we mean.
TV Guide Online: Did you realize you had the race sewn up when you boarded the United flight and didn't see Kris and Jon anywhere?
Freddy Holliday: It was not sewn up, becau
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Sometimes the bigger you are, the harder you fall. Pro wrestlers Lori and Bolo experienced that maxim firsthand on Tuesday's episode of The Amazing Race. Although they had a substantial lead going into the final challenge — a race to the top of Sri Lanka's Lion's Rock — Bolo overlooked a crucial piece of info, forcing a very grumpy Lori to run back down the thousand-step staircase. By the time she finally reached the top, the other racers had come and gone. The duo finished the task, but weren't able to avoid Philimination. Here, Lori and Bolo rehash their error and discuss their, er... unique relationship.
TV Guide Online: Bolo, what went through your mind when you realized that Lori didn't have her ticket?
Bolo: Actually, Lori went through my mind, because I knew the minute she came back down that she was going to be all up [in my face] — which she was. At that point, I knew it was over because the other racers ha
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With a 15 percent popularity rating at CBS.com, it's safe to say that Jonathan and Victoria are the least-liked duo to ever run The Amazing Race (Tuesdays, 9 pm/ET). As a result, few fans shed tears when the married entrepreneurs from California were Philiminated on this week's episode. Here, these two try to explain their combative behavior on the race, and insist there's more to their relationship than meets the eye.
TV Guide Online: Jonathan, you've said that you planned to be this season's villain. Think you accomplished that a bit too effectively?
Jonathan: Absolutely. I didn't know what it was going to look like, and I didn't know how much work it was going to be. I have to say that I apologize if I ever offended anybody, because it wasn't what I intended to do. CBS turned the story line toward Victoria and I when, in actuality, I went in there to terrorize everybody else. I didn't know what it was going to look like when I dec
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When you have as distinctive a screen presence as Samuel L. Jackson, it's difficult not to get typecast in certain kinds of roles. But the 56-year-old actor has managed to circumvent lazy casting agents.
"They tried to [typecast me]," he says matter-of-factly. "It doesn't work. I work very hard to find different kinds of jobs with different kinds of characters. My agents and managers know that, so they send me scripts that are different. I think one of the most interesting things about me for people who go to my films is trying to figure out what I'm going to look like this time. Unfortunately, I had to look like myself in this movie, so I have to make sure that in the next one, I don't look anything like myself."
"This movie" refers to the new sports drama Coach Carter, which hits theaters on Friday. Based on a true story, it follows a no-nonsense high school basketball coach named Ken Carter (Jackson), who locks his undefeated team out of the gym
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For her feature-film debut in Coach Carter (opening Friday), R&B idol Ashanti got to work with both Samuel L. Jackson and Finding Forrester star Rob Brown. But her preferred leading man is the one she shares the screen with in her next movie, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. "I'd have to say that Pepe the Shrimp is my favorite costar," the 24-year-old fledgling actress laughs. "He had a wonderful personality."
In case you're confused, no, Pepe is definitely not playing Ashanti's love interest in the made-for-TV movie, which is set to air in May on ABC. Instead, the hyperactive shellfish plays Toto to his leading lady's Dorothy. Naturally, he's not the only familiar Muppet face who turns up in Oz. Gonzo appears as the Tin Man (or the Tin Thing, as he's called in the film), Fozzie is the Cowardly Lion and everyone's favorite green thespian, Kermit, takes on the role of the Scarecrow.
As for Miss Piggy, she steals th
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Going into the latest leg of The Amazing Race, father-daughter team Gus and Hera were comfortably at the head of the pack. But then, an unfortunate encounter with an errant gate knocked Hera for a loop and left the duo stuck in last place. Although the team continued to run a solid race, Gus and Hera weren't able to avoid Philimination. Here, they reveal their take on the Gate Incident and what exactly Gus did for the CIA.
TV Guide Online: Hera, what do you think happened at the gate? Did somebody pull on it like Freddy claimed or was it just an accident?
Hera: I'm not sure if Freddy was correct. I think it was more a matter of carelessness. It also ended up being carelessness that knocked over the clue box. Everyone was being very careless and we ended up at the raw end of the deal.
Gus: I personally think that someone lifted it up to go through it faster, and then they dropped it. And when they let it go, Hera just happened to b
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