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'The Amazing Race's Phil Keoghan on why no team has an edge over the other in Season 31

Host Phil Keoghan said that the unpredictable nature of tasks on the show would prove to the biggest challenge for contestants

'The Amazing Race' is all set to premiere on April 17 on CBS with its 31st globe-trotting expedition. In a first-ever reality TV showdown, this season will see contestants from previous seasons of the Race going against teams from 'Survivor' and 'Big Brother'.

Phil Keoghan, who has been hosting the show since 2001 is excited to embark on his next adventure with The Race, and in an exclusive interview with MEA Worldwide (MEAWW), he said that the idea of reality mashup is something viewers have been throwing around for a long time now. Having traveled to more than 120 countries, Keoghan said that his career is in line with his life which he has spent traveling around the globe.

Fans are rooting for their favorite teams from the three reality shows. There are five teams from TAR, apart from three teams from both 'Survivor' and 'Big Brother'. So, will the Houseguests from 'Big Brother', with their efficiency to handle pressure, outwit the Racers' travel experience? Or will the Castaways from 'Survivor' last till the end with their outdoor sustenance skills? Or will the Racers with their past experience on the show prove to have their ultimate upper hand?

Keoghan opined that contestants from all three shows have an equal chance at winning, owing to TAR's unpredictable nature, with no briefs being given ahead of the various challenges.

"Nothing on the show, even if you have been on TAR before, will prepare you for tearing open an envelope and having to fish like a local fisherman would do, without any explanation — you just have to cope!" he said. About difficulties Houseguests and Castaways might face, he said that more than the challenges themselves, navigating between the tasks would be more of a difficulty, since they are not in a closed, scripted space like other reality shows. "You may get a task like milking a camel, following which you may have to navigate a busy city, you may get lost, the car may break down — this is the greatest hurdle, I think," he added.

Commenting on whether he has any favorites on the new season, Keoghan said that the teams that give the show their everything and are most interesting for viewers are the ones he would root for. "There might be a team that's really nice, but if they may not be interesting. It doesn't matter whether I would enjoy a beer with them or not," he said.  "Fans have been very vocal about who they want to see on the show, and we used these insights to decide whom to bring back to the Race," he said about putting together the reality mash-up with CBS.

Ahead of his 31st expedition with 'The Amazing Race', Keoghan also had a piece of advice for the contestants. He emphasized that Racers should respect the culture and customs of people in countries they're visiting while enjoying the destinations and beauty of cultural differences instead of simply comparing or criticizing them. He said that an important aspect of his job is to motivate people to do things in their own lives and that, is his "favorite part about the Amazing Race." Teasing viewers about the new season, he said it will be "fast, furious and feisty."