'The Amazing Race' host Phil Keoghan wants to team up with 'Survivor's Jeff Probst for reality TV host showdown
'The Amazing Race' season 31 flagged off on April 17 from the golden sands of Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles, California. In the first ever reality showdown taking off on the show, contestants from previous seasons of TAR, 'Survivor' and 'Big Brother' raced all the way to Mount Fiji to enter the next leg of the race. As TAR host Phil Keoghan told MEA World Wide (MEAWW) in an exclusive interview, the reality mashup is "fast, furious, and feisty" and something that fans have been demanding for a long time now.
Keoghan, who is excited about the reality showdown, spoke about his amazing journey as part of the Race: from his roots in New Zealand to the start of his career in TV at the young age of 18 as one of the first-ever non-Americans to host an American TV show and traveling to more than 120 countries.
While his journey has been remarkable, Keoghan is one of the most beloved TV hosts of all time and has been hosting TAR since its very first season in 2001. "People's attitude about things change. Someone from New Zealand hosting an American TV show was a new and different idea, 26 years ago, when I came to America. People didn't know how to comprehend the change," said Keoghan.
Keoghan, who had initially auditioned for reality show 'Survivor' on CBS was assigned 'The Amazing Race'. Speaking about whether he would have had it any other way, he said: "I can't imagine 'Survivor' without Jeff Probst. We've known each other for 25 years — a quarter of a century," he said. Probst has been hosting CBS-produced reality series 'Survivor' since it first aired in 2000.
"25 years ago, we worked together for FX Network when it first started. I have a lot of respect for him and I believe it's mutual respect. I think everything worked out for the best, we both ended up on the right shows," said Keoghan, reminiscing his early days on television with Probst.
Without forgetting to mention his Kiwi roots, he added: "I come from New Zealand and have been traveling since I was three. I've traveled all my life and I feel TAR is best suited to my background and my skills and conversely, I think Jeff's style and personality are best suited for 'Survivor'."
Talking about the possibility of a reality TV host showdown between him and Probst, Keoghan said he would like to team up with Probst, rather than go against him. "I think what would be fun — since we're with the same network — is if maybe we could team up and go against the hosts of NBC or ABC," he laughed as he suggested a reality host-off against Chris Harrison, the host of 'The Bachelor', or Matt Iseman from 'American Ninja Warrior'.
The second episode of 'The Amazing Race 31' will air on April 25 on CBS.