Romber is back!
Finally spilling the beans on one of reality television’s worst-kept secrets, CBS announced on Wednesday (Feb. 9) that “Survivor: All-Stars” winner Amber Brkich and her vanquished “Survivor” co-star and fiance Rob Mariano will lead the cast of the seventh installment of “The Amazing Race.”
In addition to unveiling the new “Race” cast, CBS announced that the network has ordered an eighth and ninth installment of the Emmy-winning reality drama to air during the 2005/2006 season. Messing with the show’s familiar formula, the eighth season will be a family addition in which each of the 11 teams has been expanded to four players, all family members. The ninth season will return to the familiar format.
“The Amazing Race” finished its sixth season on Tuesday night, as engaged models Kendra Bentley and Freddy Holliday won the million dollar first prize. The season averaged 11.33 million viewers in the weeks leading up to the finale.
The 11-team “Amazing Race 7” cast doesn’t contain a single person described as a “model” (though one is a former Miss South Carolina) and there’s only one self-described “actor,” which should calm some fans who felt that many recent contestants were doing the show to advance Hollywood careers. Instead, the cast features a diverse assortment of professionals including a stock broker, fashion designer, contractor, energy broker and one motivational speaker (former Iraq War POW Ron Young).
The teams of connected players will begin their race around the world in a two-hour premiere on Tuesday, March 1. Phil Keoghan returns as host of the show.
Here’s a rundown:
Names: Ray Housteau and Deana Shane
Ages: 44, 27
Occupations: Stockbroker, marketing & promotions
Hometowns: Canfield and Youngstown, Ohio
Relationship: Dating on and off
Names: Debbie Cloyed and Bianca Smith
Ages: 25, 26
Occupations: Photographer, high school teacher
Hometowns: Woodbridge, Va.
Relationship: Lifelong friends
Names: Lynn Warren and Alex Ali
Ages: 30, 22
Occupations: Executive assistants
Hometowns: West Hollywood
Relationship: Boyfriends
Names: Uchenna Agu and Joyce Agu
Ages: 40, 44
Occupations: Energy Broker, sales manager
Hometowns: Houston
Relationship: Married
Names: Ron Young and Kelly McCorkle
Ages: 28, 26
Occupations: Motivational speaker, Legislative Correspondent
Hometowns: Villa Rica, Ga. and Greenville, S.C.
Relationship: Dating
Names: Ryan Phillips and Chuck Horton
Ages: 31, 32
Occupations: General Contractor, sales
Hometowns: Landrum and Inman, S.C.
Relationship: Best friends
Names: Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich
Ages: 29, 26
Occupations: Runner-up and winner, “Survivor: All-Stars”
Relationship: Engaged
Names: Meredith Smith and Gretch Smith
Ages: 69, 66
Occupations: Retired executive, retired flight attendant and registered nurse
Hometowns: Easton, Md.
Relationship: Grandparents
Names: Megan Baker and Heidi Heidel
Ages: 26, 31
Occupations: Fashion designer, stay-at-home mom
Hometowns: Oak Park, Calif.
Relationship: Roommates
Names: Susan Vaughn and Patrick Vaughn
Ages: 54, 26
Occupations: Director for Judicial Affairs (Miami University), writer
Hometowns: Hamilton, Ohio and Hollywood, Calif.
Relationship: Mother/son
Names: Brian Smith and Greg Smith
Ages: 27, 24
Occupations: Bartender/actor, Bouncer
Hometowns: Santa Monica, Calif.
Relationship: Brothers
Credit: Zap2It
