‘The Amazing Race 34’: Would Derek and Claire Have Won on a ‘Normal’ Season?
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic greatly affected The Amazing Race. The CBS reality competition series is centered around travel and experiencing new cultures. But sadly, getting on an airplane and flying overseas is more dangerous than ever these days. Producers had to alter the show’s rules to ensure the safety of their cast and crew, and there’s no doubt that the changes affected the outcome of The Amazing Race Season 34.
Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss were the winners of ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34
Starting in The Amazing Race Season 33 and continuing in season 34, the teams had to travel via a charter plane between legs. So, gone were the days of running through airports and delayed flights. The contestants also had to wear masks, get regularly tested for COVID-19, and limit their interactions with locals. That meant there was a lot of self-driving in the show’s past two seasons.
Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, who previously met while competing on Big Brother 23, were among the 12 teams racing around the world in season 34. They started dating following their Big Brother evictions, and they wanted to continue their reality show romance.
Derek and Claire got off to a great start during the premiere when they finished in first place. Afterward, they struggled with a few challenges (two words — Claire and yodeling). But the couple was quick to recover and learn from their mistakes. Derek and Claire went on to win three legs and secured a spot in the finale.
Derek and Claire continued to thrive during the final leg of The Amazing Race Season 34. The last challenge was basically designed for them, so Derek and Claire easily crossed the finish line first, and host Phil Keoghan declared them the winners.
The couple questions their win
Derek and Claire celebrated the end of 2022 with a Q&A video posted on their YouTube channel. And one of their followers asked the couple, “How do you think you would have done on a [The Amazing Race] season pre-COVID? With the taxis, with airplanes, with major fatigue.”
Derek answered, “I don’t think we would have done as well. I think the reason me and Claire were able to do so well, even though we were a new relationship, is because we had time in between each leg of the race to go back to our hotel room and talk about how things had gone and what we need to work on, both strategically for the race and also as our relationship.”
“So those moments were really important for us to grow in our relationship and as an Amazing Race team,” he continued. “In a normal season, you’re just going 24/7. So if we didn’t have those moments to step back from the game and talk about it, I think we could have imploded.”
Claire added, “I agree. I think that’s very interesting. I honestly haven’t thought about that. But I think it’s like after you work out. It’s important to give your muscles time to rest so they can grow back stronger.”
So, Derek and Claire might not have won The Amazing Race Season 34 if it had happened before COVID. However, since COVID was very much a factor in the race, they can call themselves champions.
When does ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 35 premiere?
The Amazing Race Season 34 ended on Dec. 7, 2022, and CBS has yet to reveal any news about the next installment. However, we know that it will only be a matter of time before The Amazing Race Season 35 premieres.
The cast and crew have already filmed the upcoming season, which ended on Nov. 17, 2022. So it’s unclear why we don’t have a release date for season 35. But fans shouldn’t worry — it will be here soon enough.
The Amazing Race Season 34 is available to stream on Paramount+.
