‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34: 1 Team Made the Cast Only 2 Hours Before Filming Started
The Amazing Race kicks off a new season on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and as it gets closer, we start learning more about the racers. One of the new teams is Aubrey Ares and David Hernandez. And thankfully for them, they live in Los Angeles, where the cast of The Amazing Race Season 34 departed to begin their journey.
Meet the 24 racers in ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34 cast
The Amazing Race Season 34 cast includes 12 teams competing for the $1 million grand prize. And a few teams might feature some recognizable faces.
The new duos are:
- Aastha Lal (33) and Nina Duong (34), an engaged couple from Marina Del Ray, CA
- Abby Garrett (24) and Will Freeman (25), childhood sweethearts from Birmingham, AL
- Aubrey Ares (29) and David Hernandez (29), ballroom dancers from Los Angeles, CA
- Derek Xiao (24) and Claire Rehfuss (25), a reality romance from Los Angeles, CA
- Emily Bushnell (36) and Molly Sinert (36), long-lost twins from Ardmore, PA, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL, respectively
- Glenda (41) and Lumumba Roberts (41), newlyweds from Norcross, GA
- Luis Colon (34) and Michelle Burgos (34), a married couple from Miami, FL
- Linton (50) and Sharik Atkinson (23), father and daughter from Brooklyn, NY
- Marcus (38) and Michael Craig (30), military brothers from Richmond Hill, GA, and Alamogordo, NM, respectively
- Quinton Peron (29) and Mattie Lynch (27), former Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders from Pasadena, CA, and Vista, CA, respectively
- Tim Mann (40) and Rex Ryan (59), golf buddies from Brentwood, TN
- Rich Kuo (32) and Dom Jones (35), motivational speakers from Huntington Beach, CA
Aubrey and David were originally alternates
During an interview with Us Weekly, Aubrey and David revealed they didn’t make the final cut in the casting process for The Amazing Race Season 34.
“We went through so much work,” David explained. “We went through so many auditions. It was very intense.”
Aubrey added, “And nerve-wracking because you’re literally sitting in front of all these CBS producers … but come to find out, we actually didn’t make the final cast. But they asked us if we would like to be alternates.”
They got the call that they made the cast “in the middle of LA traffic,” Aubrey shared. “And I was like, ‘David, turn around, turn around!'”
Assumingly, one team dropped out of the race, which meant that Aubrey and David were in. However, they only had a couple of hours before they had to be on the plane from LA to Munich, Germany, where the race would begin.
David said, “[When they landed in Munich], we actually had like a moment to process everything that was going on because we were in the car, she was on phone call after phone call after phone call. We just throw everything in our bags, we get in the car, we get to the hotel. We still have to get checked by security. And then once all of that was finally done, we were like, ‘What just happened?'”
“We sat on the bed,” Aubrey continued. “We were like, ‘Holy crap. We’re on The Amazing Race.'”
The duo reflected on their ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34 journey
Of course, we don’t know how well Aubrey and David did compared to the rest of the cast of The Amazing Race Season 34. But they have a positive outlook on their experience.
“We were tested to points that we had never been tested before,” Aubrey revealed. “We were under stress together. I have stress at my job. He has stress at his job, but we’ve never had to work through stressful times together.”
She continued, “And us being three years into our relationship, we’re in that point in our relationship where it’s like, ‘OK, are we ready for the next step? Are we ready to get married and start a family together?’ … I think the race definitely grew us stronger. We came back understanding each other better. And I think more in love.”
The Amazing Race Season 34 premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
