Amazing Race Australia 2021 cast revealed
Meet the 14 teams vying for the series crown and $250,000 prize money on The Amazing Race Australia this year.
Confidential
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Our fair state of NSW will have six chances of victory when the new season of The Amazing Race Australia kicks off on February 1.
Twin models Alex and Jack Newell from Sydney are one team vying for the series crown and $250,000 prize money in what is perhaps one of the most diverse casts we’ve seen for the series.
Also from NSW are country ‘cowboys’ Brendon Crawley and Jackson Dening and Wollongong parents Shane and Deb Wilson.
Also from Sydney are ‘power couple’ Holly Edwards and Dolor Edosonwan, ‘besties’ Sefa Palu and Jessica Matavao and ‘super Sikh’s Jaskirat Dhingra and Anurag Sobti.
“Being a Sikh is core to my identity,” Dhingra said. “Many people will look at my teammate and I as Sikhs who are on The Amazing Race. I see us as Australians on The Amazing Race who happen to be Sikh. Religion for me sets the foundation for my values I live by every day, but it does by no means confine me in a path different to any other Australian.”
Here, Confidential takes a look at the 14 teams competing on The Amazing Race Australia 2021:
The Gold Coast Girls
Ashleigh Lawrence, 32, and Amanda Blanks, 29, Gold Coast
Ashleigh: I suffer from FOMO, so I’m not looking forward to visiting incredible places and being in too much of a rush to enjoy and explore them.
Amanda: If we win I would put some towards my wedding which we had to cancel due to COVID-19. My fiance and I have just bought a block of land, so I would love to put some towards the house build.
The Twin Models
Alex and Jack Newell, both 25, Sydney
Alex: If we win I would give a fair chunk of it to my mum, as she helped raise me and my two other brothers all on her own. I feel I owe her for all the work that she has put into us and I would love to pay her back anyway that I could. For myself, I would love to use it to help me get a place of my own.
Jack: Our biggest advantage is our relationship. We are basically the same human, so communication and knowing what the other person is thinking, is very easy and comes quite naturally. It would also be our egos. We cannot be beaten as it would be the worst thing for us.
The Cowboys
Brendon Crawley, 25, Yass and Jackson Dening, 23, Tamworth
Brendon: Worst travel horror story - Every time I hop in the car with Jackson and he starts singing.
Jackson: I just want to push myself to higher limits and set a high standard for my son.
The Geek and The Princess
Chris Peever, 31, and Aleisha Groth, 30, Brisbane
Chris: I’m really concerned about getting lost. I get lost around my neighbourhood and around shopping centres. I am highly reliant on technology to help.
Aleisha: If we win, I will get a cottage for Chris and I so we can finally have our first baby - we really want to start our family. I also want to start an animal rescue farm and take in unwanted pets and farm animals.
The Parents
Shane, 48, and Deb Wilson, 40, Wollongong
Shane: If we win, I will have a BBQ to thank all the people that helped me while I was unwell (with prostate cancer). I’d also pay off the rest of my medical bills and buy back the family ski boat, which we had to sell to help pay for my operation.
Deb: The biggest challenge in life has been helping to keep Shane positive through his ordeal with prostate cancer and keeping the kids in a positive frame of mind.
The Kimberley Cousins
Dwes Wiggan-Dann, 32, Kununurra and Katherine Dann, 31, Broome
Dwes: The best place in Australia I have visited is Kununurra, for its spiritual and emotional connection to the Ancient Land.
Katherine: My biggest challenge has been being a single mother. Trying to do it all and build a life that’s suitable for your child, challenges me every day.
The Power Couple
Holly Edwards, 25, and Dolor Edosomwan, 26, Sydney
Holly: My proudest achievement is becoming a lawyer. And not only becoming a lawyer, but working for the company and exact role I’ve wanted to do, ever since I was about nine years old. I am the youngest lawyer at my company.
Dolor: My biggest challenge was moving to Australia from Nigeria in 1999 at the age of five. I had to adjust to a new culture, learn a relatively new language and integrate into a new community.
The Super Sikhs
Jaskirat Dhingra and Anurag Sobti, both 29, Sydney
Jaskirat: Being a Sikh is core to my identity. Many people will look at my teammate and I as Sikhs who are on The Amazing Race. I see us as Australians on The Amazing Race who happen to be Sikh. Religion for me sets the foundation for my values I live by every day, but it does by no means confine me in a path different to any other Australian.
Anurag: Jas and I have been in challenging situations while travelling around the world, and we both know how to get the best out of each other in any situation. We just don’t give up!
The Daughter and Dad
Jobelle Collier, 29, and Rani Alegre, 52, Shepparton
Jobelle: I was a kid in the Philippines when I started watching The Amazing Race. I clearly remember saying these words: “when I grow up, I am going on that show with my dad. When they announced that The Amazing Race was coming back to Australia, I looked down at a giant belly baking a baby and I couldn’t even see my toes. So, I thought I would wait. When the opportunity to apply for season two came up, we went for it and I am so thrilled to be here. I still can’t believe this is real.
Rani: I used to work on a cruise liner. There was a fuel spill in the engine room, so we tried to contain it and not create panic in the ship. It was like in the movies — the guests were partying the night away and down a few levels below, in the engine room we were trying to save all their lives and not let the ship sink.
The Dancing Exes
Jordan Saisi, 23, and Violeta Brau Mugica, 22, Melbourne
Jordan: We’ve spent, and continue to spend, all the money we earn on dancing, with no opportunity to make money and save. With the prize, we can really help get our lives into a positive place financially.
Violeta: The worst part about travelling with Jordan is that he can get very flustered and won’t listen to anybody. The best part however, is that he is extremely conscientious, so he is great with planning, money, directions and orientation.
The Mums
Jude Richards, 49, Brisbane, and Shannon Nay, 45, Gold Coast
Jude: The best part of the Amazing Race is that there are zero boundaries between us so we are 100 per cent ourselves. We call it as we see it and are constantly laughing (note to self … we need to practice our pelvic floor exercises). Worst is waking up early, because Shannon rises with the sun.
Shannon: If we win, we would combine our families and go for a fabulous night out. Some to the kids to help with uni debt and the boring mortgage.
The Childhood Friends
Malaan Ajang, 27, and Tina Kuek, 26, Melbourne
Malaan: The experience, adventure, and seeing Australia through a lens but being in the picture. I have always said I would like to travel around Australia, and this is best way to experience it.
Tina: When I was nine years old, my family moved to Australia for a better life. It was my father, my three siblings and I. My mother and my youngest sister did not travel with the rest of the family, so I didn’t see them for three years. There was no Skype or WhatsApp during this time, we only spoke occasionally.
The Besties
Sefa Palu, 29, and Jessica Matavao, 32, Sydney
Sefa: It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and it’s something you just don’t say ‘no’ to. I hope to see where my limit is, and what a better way to test that out.
Jessica: The worst part about travelling with my teammate is needing to share space, and having no personal space. Best part of travelling with my teammate is that we are down to make the most of the experience or trip.
The Siblings
Skye-Blue, 27, and Jake Henderson, 29, Long Forrest Victoria
Skye-Blue: The biggest challenge in life I guess is being told ‘no’ and that I ‘can’t’ more times in my life than not, because of my arm (she was born without a left hand). People take one look and make their mind up on the spot. I have heard the word ‘no’ more times than I have ‘yes’ and that’s okay. Keep bringing on the ‘no’s’ because to me that just means ‘not yet’. Knock me down; I’ll keep getting up. Put a speed bump in my way and I’ll just find a way to get over or around it. I am a very stubborn, determined, and driven individual and I owe that to the way I was bought up and the outlook I have on life.
Jake: Being 6’5” will definitely help more than it will hinder. Additionally, my adventure-seeking attitude and willingness to give everything a go.
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