SPOILERS
The race is on. The Amazing Race – Australia returned to our television screens on Monday night with eleven teams of celebrities beginning the race in around the world from Buenos Aires.
Among the competitors in the celebrity edition are Olympian Ian Thorpe with childhood friend Christian Miranda.
Matildas Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik are also taking part and singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte has teamed up with her sister Melinda Sheldrick.
Also in the cast is Ironman Jett Kenny alongside his partner, content creator Lily Brown. Plus Peter Hellier and his wife Bridget, country singers Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, comedian Luke McGregor and his mother Julie, UFC heavyweight and MMA fighter Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa and his brother Logan, footballer Billy Brownless and his son Oscar, and DJ Havana Brown is taking part too, bringing friend Stephanie Wood along for the adventure.
For the first challenge, teams had to make their way to Gomero de la Recoleta, a tree planted more than 200 years ago, to find a statue of Atlas holding up one of the massive branches where they’d find their next clue.
Next, they had to locate the marked ‘cuatro paseadores de perros’ and count their friends. Thorpie was quick to use his Spanish skills to decipher that teams were looking for four dog walkers, add up the dogs they were walking and give the correct number to a nearby judge.
But it was Nat Bassingthwaighte and sister Mel who smashed the challenge and received their next clue, the first Detour of the season, where teams must choose between two challenges, National Dance or National Sandwich, each with its own pros and cons.
One of the pairs who struggled with the physical demands and the awkward sensuality of the dance was comedian Luke McGregor and his mum Julie. After realising they were the last team left at the theatre, Luke and Julie decided to take a 30-minute time penalty rather than attempting the routine.
On the other route of the detour Ian Thorpe and mate Christian were racing against soccer stars Emily and Chloe to make 24 perfect Argentian sandwiches.
With every team making it to the next challenge, it was anyone’s game – but the Tillies charged on and received the final clue and the location of the very first Pit Stop.
While Luke and Julie were able make up some good time having ditched the dance, they had to serve out their 30-minute time penalty and, with just a few minutes remaining, watched the other teams check-in, making them the first team eliminated from the race.
Luke said, “We were really sad we got knocked out when we did. Even though you’re racing against each other. It’s really fun hanging out, there’s a camaraderie that builds.
“It was disappointing that we got out so quickly, and that Mum’s arch nemesis Ian Thorpe got through because she’s always wanted to beat him. Can’t beat him in the pool but was hoping to beat him in the Amazing Race,” the comedian joked.
“The really hard part is, because you don’t have a phone, if you get lost there’s no one to tell you that you’re going the wrong way… it was more physically taxing than I expected. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done on TV, I think. It reminded me of doing cross country as a kid.”
Luke and Julie were competing in support of Mudgin-Gal, an Aboriginal organisation delivering support, referrals and community-based services to Aboriginal women and families in inner city Sydney.
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition continues Tuesday, 10 September at 7.30pm on 10 And 10 Play.
