‘The Amazing Race 24’ premiere: Phil Keoghan teases ‘devastating’ twist

Usually when a cast of “The Amazing Race” leaks before CBS announces it, there are typically not any differences between one list and the other. However, there was something that happened this season that very much changed things up in between the time the cast was preparing to hit the road on the race, and the time that they actually took off from the start point: One team was forced to disband.

For the first time, we are starting to get some sort of explanation as to what really happened here, and get a special peek behind the curtain. Speaking to TV Guide, host Phil Keoghan explained that the team that was forced to stay behind was forced to do some thanks to a surprise medical problem that had not been discovered previously:

“After a thorough examination, our doctor determined that one team is not capable of going because of a medical concern that we had about one team member … The emotion at the start of this Race is unlike any that we’ve ever had before. I have to break the news to everyone else. It’s obviously devastating and affects not only that team and the other teams, who realize that suddenly there’s this major change. This is absolutely the most dramatic thing that’s ever happened. It’s gut-wrenching. It broadsided us.”

Phil obviously speaks about it like it impacted a very beloved team, but he does mention that there are still 11 teams that end up running the race this season. The only difference is what happens to that team left behind. We’re not going to give anything away, but let’s just say that there is only other one time in the history of “The Amazing Race” that we have seen anything similar to this.

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Photo: CBS