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In early 2020, TV productions began to shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many shows could resume filming by the end of 2020, but it was a little bit more complicated for CBS‘s reality competition series, The Amazing Race. Thankfully, the show was eventually able to pick up where it left off. However, thanks to spoilers, we know that some teams could not make it back to The Amazing Race Season 33.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Amazing Race Season 33.]

'The Amazing Race' Season 33 contestants Moe Badger and Michael Norwood compete in a leg. They both wear light blue hoodies and black pants as they read a clue.
Moe Badger and Michael Norwood | Photo: Helmut Wechter/CBS

COVID-19 forced the CBS reality competition series to pause production

The contestants of The Amazing Race Season 33 ran three legs before producers sent them home in Feb. 2020 because of the pandemic. At the end of episode 3, host Phil Keoghan told the remaining racers, “From day one, our number-one priority has been to make sure that all of you are safe. Right now, the world is dealing with the coronavirus. And in order to keep you safe, we believe the best choice for all of us is to suspend the race.”

“In an ideal world, the planets will align, and we will pick this race back up again and hopefully have all of you starting the race again,” he continued. “We understand the sacrifices that all of you have made; I know to have you all come back and start back on this race again would be challenging.”

Unfortunately, the show would not resume filming until 19 months later, making it the longest pit stop in The Amazing Race history. And spoilers indicate that not everyone could continue racing in The Amazing Race Season 33.

Episode 4 sneak peeks show spoilers regarding which teams return to ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 33

Before The Amazing Race Season 33 premiered, Variety published spoilers that indicated only two teams were unable to return to the race following the production shutdown, which is why seven pairs are remaining. However, we now know that it was actually four teams who couldn’t continue competing.

The Amazing Race‘s YouTube channel posted a first look at episode 4, which definitively shows which seven teams are left in the competition. Of the nine pairs who made it through the first three legs, only five returned. These contestants include Raquel and Cayla, Ryan and Dusty, Kim and Penn, Lala and Lulu, and Akbar and Sheri.

So, that means that Anthony and Spencer, Taylor and Isaiah, Connie and Sam, and Ray and Caro are no longer in the competition. It’s unclear why some of these pairs couldn’t return, but we do know that Ray and Caro broke up in the summer of 2020.

But, to make things interesting, the producers brought back the first two eliminated teams: Michael and Moe and Arun and Natalia. So, that’s why the spoilers suggested seven teams would return to The Amazing Race Season 33 in the fourth leg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx3-hghpM68
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Spoiler alert: What happened to ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 33 contestants during the shutdown?

Per E! News, some of the remaining The Amazing Race contestants revealed what they have been up to during the 19-month pit stop.

Raquel and Cayla, the flight attendants, shared that they had been furloughed during the pandemic. Cayla said, “We’ve just been through a lot in the year. Like, to lose our job, we both had to move back home.”

As for Ryan and Dusty, Dusty revealed, “In February of [2021], I had my beautiful son, Miles. And he has literally changed my life.”

The Amazing Race Season 33 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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