In the end, Jenny Wu and Jelani Roy did just as well as a team could do on The Amazing Race, without actually winning. The lawyers (who only met when they were paired as a team as part of the ‘Blind Date’ twist on the show’s 26th season), finished only a few minutes behind Laura Pierson and Tyler Adams and, as a result, finished just short of claiming the $1 million prize.
I recently caught up with the pair to discuss their experience.
Murtz Jaffer: Jenny, how long after Laura and Tyler did you and Jelani arrive at the finish line?
Jenny Wu: About 10-15 minutes.
MJ: Jelani, it’s clear that the blind date couples dominated this season. Why do you think you guys did so well and was there any kind of alliance between you guys, Tyler/Laura and Hayley/Blair?
Jelani Roy: I think the blind date couples had really strong individuals on each team who happened to be paired together, so they were doubly equipped. We grew really close with Laura and Tyler during the race, and talked about working towards being in finals together, as well as most of the other blind date teams. There was no outright alliance between the blind date teams per se, but we def worked together when we could; evident by Laura and Jenny working to find the final challenge location.
MJ: Do you feel like the success of the blind date teams will impact how the Amazing Race is produced? This has always been a show about the interpersonal dynamics between each team, but this year, all the teams that did well were ones that didn’t know each other before the show.
JW: Absolutely! I think it was really interesting to see how the relationships of the blind dates evolved as we furthered along. There’s definitely an element of surprise because what may look like a good match on paper may not translate well in person. Jelani and I got off to a great start, experienced some friction in leg four, worked it out and built a really strong bond that carried us to the end of the race. It’s sort of a natural relationship progression compacted into a one month period! And at the end of the day, I think all the blind date teams were stronger individuals which made for strong teams.
MJ: Jelani, why do you think you and Jenny were paired as a potential match?
JR: I think Jenny and I were paired together in part for our obvious shared legal background. Also, we are both very analytical and that came through during the race. Plus I asked for a hot partner ;)
MJ: How difficult was the final task and had you been keeping an eye on every task, roadblock, and detour knowing that trivia about the legs is usually what is involved in the final leg?
JW: The final task was a bit difficult for us as we didn’t take as many selfies as Tyler, the King of Selfies. When we were racing, we were very much focused on completing the tasks at hand so most of our selfies were taken at airports and back of cabs which made it quite difficult to pinpoint chronologically. I had been journaling everything we did and both Jelani and I memorized the information which is why we were able to open the lock very quickly.
MJ: Jelani, at times, it seemed like the other teams clashed with Jenny but were okay with you. Was this the case and what do you attribute this to?
JR: Mostly we got along well with the other teams. Jenny and I are both very competitive and sometimes I think her competitive streak shines through more visibly, whereas I have a more laissez faire approach in general.
MJ: Jenny, was it just your competitive nature that might have intimidated some of the other teams?
JW: It’s so funny because I honestly did not even know I had a competitive streak until the race started! It just sort of came out! I didn’t want to come across as intimidating but I was 100% focused on the race and on not letting Jelani down so perhaps that intensity can be intimidating especially when the others didn’t know me very well. But once we got to know the other racers better, there was no clash. We were all friends when we weren’t racing but they all knew that once the race started again, Jenny was all business.
MJ: When you get so close to winning but ultimately finish in second, what is that like? Are you ultimately happy about everything you experienced, or is it a bittersweet feeling knowing that the money was almost yours?
JR: It’s like kissing your sister. I kid, I don’t have a sister. Seriously, it was such a tremendous experience how can you complain. I got to travel the globe and do activities and have adventures that are once in a lifetime with awesome people. Ultimately we were happy for Laura and Tyler, but yes dammit we of course were a little disappointed, we wanted to win.
MJ: Jenny, when did you realize that romance probably wasn’t in the cards for you and Jelani?
JW: From pretty early on. Jelani is an amazing person, a great friend, and a catch in every sense of the word. But romance was the last thing on my mind when racing around the world! I felt like if there was something there, we’d explore it after the race ends.
MJ: Ultimately, do you feel like the casting producers did a good job? Even though you and Jenny didn’t know each other, you still ended up finishing in second place?
JR: Yeah casting totally did a great job. There are tens of thousands of people who try out for the show and even more who would probably love to be on it. They paired up 2 strangers and they came in second. Not only that but they paired up 6 strangers who came in 1,2, and 3 overall. That’s tough to do in itself, but on top of that they paired up random people who wound up becoming really good friends.
MJ: Jenny, if you had a chance to run the final leg again, is there anything you would have done differently?
JW: I think we both did the best we could and we ran the leg well and as a team. I wouldn’t change a thing!
MJ: Jelani, what’s next for you?
JR: Next up for me is continuing to have fun and enjoy life while also focusing on my business endeavors including athlete representation.
MJ: Jenny, what’s next for you?
JW: I’ve had a beauty and fashion blog called Good, Bad, and Fab (goodbadandfab.com) for a while and hope to expand it into a lifestyle site that captures my adventures. The Amazing Race has heightened my wanderlust and I plan on traveling as much as possible and sharing those experiences on my blog. I’ve also been doing a bit of acting and have filmed a web series and a short film since returning from the race. Life has been so much fun and I feel blessed to be an ordinary girl living extraordinary moments!
MJ: Thanks guys!
