The season finale of The Amazing Race Australia is finally here, with three teams set to face off in an epic showdown on Tuesday night.
What better way to celebrate the end of this incredible season, than to catch up with the show’s host Beau Ryan?
We spoke with Beau, 34, about why filming was brutal, his pick to win and his plans for the Christmas break.
TV WEEK: We’re coming to the end of The Amazing Race! Have you had a lot of fans reaching out to you about your gig as the new host?
Beau: To be honest, yeah I have! I’ve been lucky, I’ve been around for a little bit and worked on TV for a bit and, you know, been doing probably similar jobs for the last 10 years or so. But to branch out and do this new one, I was sort of a bit nervous at first, but – I don’t know if people are just being nice to me or if it’s people I just work with – but everyone has been coming up and saying that they enjoy the show.
The good thing about The Amazing Race is it’s a family show. I mean, you can watch with your wife, or your mum, or your dad, but you can also sit down and watch it with your kids, which I’ve been doing, which means a lot to me. Reality TV as you know is sort of taking over – well it’s already taken over Australian television – so we’ve got that reality component, but it’s also a good family show.
Beau has been watching the show with his daughter Remi.
And are your kids enjoying watching the show with you?
Yeah, well because I’ve been on TV since my daughter [Remi] has been alive she’s always seen me on different shows, but this show… I mean she’s telling everyone that I’m the guy that was on The Masked Singer’s ads, because The Amazing Race was advertising during The Masked Singer. So she was really pumped to tell her friends about that and, I mean, she’s into it now and she’s got her own favourite side, her favourite team and she has been watching patiently with me most nights.
I’m watching a lot of the show for the first time as well. I mean, I did my own filming, but I didn’t see what happened with the teams so, to see it with the rest of Australia every Monday and Tuesday night, it’s been good for us, we sit down and we watch it as a family.
You obviously had a huge filming schedule. Did you get the chance to do any sightseeing while you were travelling?
Not really, to be honest. We travelled a lot, I was in transit a lot and because I was doing most of the challenges, and had to explain all the detours and road blocks, I sort of didn’t really get to go anywhere or to relax. If it was a pit stop you’d wait for up to 8 or 10 hours, but other than that I was just filming content and some of the challenges we didn’t put to air. I’d be out filming and I went through all the different detours and roadblocks, so by the time I get to the pit stop – I’m usually an hour in front of the teams – so I’m as tired as the teams are by the time I get there.
In all the chaos did you make a mental note to go back to any of the destinations?
Yeah, Africa! I’ve said this before, but I never really would’ve thought to go to Africa. When I go on holidays I want to go and chill, I like to go to places where I can relax and just sort of sleep around, lay around, and be in the sun and be on the coast. But I just think Africa would be important for my kids to see. The animals are one thing, but just the people and the way they live and the culture, man I really want to take my kids there.
You’ve only had a small amount of time with the teams on the show – but did you have your eye on one team in particular throughout the race?
Well the footy boys, Tom and Tyler, physically look the fittest but I always had a feeling Jasmine and Jerome, our Indigenous couple from the Northern Territory, could win. They just had something in their eyes and I could just see that. Jasmine is a tough woman, and she is the rock of the relationship, and he’s a fighter, so I just saw that those two had that ‘whatever it takes’ look in their eyes.
Beau’s favourite Amazing Race destination was Africa.
Fans have been loving this reboot! Are you in talks for a second season? Would you return?
Yeah, 100%. I’m keen to do it, I’m ready. I’ve crossed off the same time out of my calendar for next year and, you know, I’ve left a window to go and do it. I’m confident we are going again. We’re just trying to work out where we’re going to go, I’m trying to say go to Europe and maybe finish in Vegas? Yeah start in Sydney obviously, maybe Cronulla [where I live], and then just finish in Vegas.
Yep, sounds perfect. Now that the show is done are you wrapping up work for the year?
I finish up obviously after the last episode, and then I’m on standby with Kyle and Jackie O for radio this Summer, and a few more comittments with Stan. But my family and I are going to go away, we are going to go overseas for two weeks, we still haven’t worked out where yet, but we are going to go away and spend some time together.
I mean, it’s been a big year. I’ve worked my ass off this year and I’ve been away a lot – and I’m lucky my daughter gets a lot of time off at the start of the year for school holidays – so I just really want to spend some time with my family.
And are the kids excited for Christmas? Any fun holiday traditions in the Ryan household that you’re looking forward to?
Yeah the elf on the shelf man, the elf on the shelf changed our life. It’s funny, the elf lost her hat and I don’t know where she lost her hat, but when she came back out this year she didn’t have a hat and she’s got like a little bit of a bald patch. So my daughter’s a bit scared of her right now. I’m actually currently on the hunt for an elf on the shelf hat now, I don’t want to buy the whole thing I obviously just want to buy the hat but they’re pretty hard to get, hey?
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Beau and Kara celebrate Christmas with the kids in 2018.
Looking back on such a big year, is there one highlight in particular that stands out for you?
Yeah I’ve been lucky man. I work really hard on the show, but every show I’ve worked on this year we’ve had a little family down time after it. We had a good family trip in the middle of the year, we went to Indonesia, and that sort of refreshed me so that when I came back for the second half of the year I’ve been really fresh. I needed that before filming the race, so to be honest the last three months have been really enjoyable.
When I got back from the race and got to spend time with my family, and I really enjoy how hard I’ve worked on television. To watch it all come to fruition now on TV, it’s really sweet.
The Amazing Race Australia finale airs Tuesday, 7.30pm, on 10.
