CBS Launches Cast of 21st Season of THE AMAZING RACE Tonight, 9/30

CBS announced the 11 teams that will travel the world on a global adventure for the new season of THE AMAZING RACE, premiering tonight, Sept. 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Emmy Award nominee PHIL KEOGHAN is the host.

THE AMAZING RACE has won the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” eight times in the past nine years.

This season, which marks the 21st race around the world for the series, will introduce a new twist to the game that will raise the stakes for the entire season. If the Team that wins the first leg of the season can outrace the other 10 Teams and win the final leg of the Race, they will double their money and win a $2 million grand prize instead of $1 million.

Teams will travel through three continents, nine countries and cover more than 25,000 miles, where they’ll be faced with a 10-story rappel in Los Angeles, frying an egg on their heads in Indonesia, working as “rat collectors” in Bangladesh and revisiting one of the Race’s most infamous Roadblocks in the Netherlands in this season’s “Switchback.”

This season’s cast includes a pair of Chippendales dancers, married monster truckers, a world champion lumberjack, a double amputee professional snowboarder and Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge (“The Fabulous Beekman Boys”).

Following are the 11 teams, listed in no particular order:

Name: Natalie Anderson

Age: 26

Hometown: Edgewater, N.J.

Current occupation: Physical Therapy Student

Name: Nadiya Anderson

Age: 26

Hometown: Edgewater, N.J.

Current occupation: Project Coordinator at Bridge2Peace

Connection: Twin Sisters

Name: Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Age: 43

Hometown: Sharon Springs, N.Y.

Current occupation: Goat Farmer/Advertising Executive/Author

Name: Brent Ridge

Age: 38

Hometown: Sharon Springs, N.Y.

Current occupation: Chief Executive Officer of Beekman 1802

Connection: Goat Farmers/Life Partners

Name: Rob French

Age: 46

Hometown: Boston, Ga.

Current occupation: Professional Monster Truck Driver

Name: Kelley Carrington-French

Age: 50

Hometown: Boston, Ga.

Current occupation: Professional Monster Truck Driver

Connection: Married Monster Truckers

Name: Trey Wier

Age: 23

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Current occupation: Land Consultant/Former College Athlete

Name: Alexis “Lexi” Beerman

Age: 22

Hometown: Dripping Springs, Texas

Current occupation: Clothing Designer

Connection: Dating

Name: James LoMenzo

Age: 53

Hometown: Burbank, Calif.

Current occupation: Professional Musician/

Former Band Member of White Lion and Megadeth

Name: Mark “Abba” Abbattista

Age: 45

Hometown: Denver, Colo.

Current occupation: Entertainment Lawyer

Connection: Friends

Name: Abbie Ginsberg

Age: 31

Hometown: Encinitas, Calif.

Current occupation: Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Name: Ryan Danz

Age: 35

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Current occupation: Financial Service Company Owner

Connection: Dating Divorcees

Name: Jaymes Vaughan

Age: 30

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.

Current occupation: Chippendales MC

Name: James Davis

Age: 27

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.

Current occupation: Chippendales Dancer

Connection: Chippendales Dancers/Best Friends

Name: Rob Scheer

Age: 52

Hometown: Ketchikan, Alaska

Current occupation: Lumberjack and Entrepreneur

Name: Sheila Castle

Age: 44

Hometown: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Current occupation: Retail Manager

Connection: Engaged

Name: Caitlin King

Age: 24

Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.

Current occupation: Special Ed Teacher

Name: Brittany Fletcher

Age: 25

Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

Current occupation: Medical Device Sales

Connection: Best Friends

Name: Gary Wojnar

Age: 52

Hometown: Livonia, Mich.

Current occupation: Substitute Teacher

Name: Will Chiola

Age: 53

Hometown: Dearborn Heights, Mich.

Current occupation: Substitute Teacher

Connection: Best Friends/Substitute Teachers

Name: Amy Purdy

Age: 32

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.

Current occupation: Motivational Speaker/Snowboarder

(Amy is a double amputee)

Name: Daniel Gale

Age: 36

Hometown: Crested Butte, Colo.

Current occupation: Executive Director

Connection: Dating On and Off

THE AMAZING RACE sends 11 teams on a trek around the world. Each Team is comprised of two people who have a pre-existing relationship with one another. At every destination, each Team competes in a series of challenges — some mental and some physical — and when the tasks have been completed, they learn their next destination. Teams who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning at least $1 million.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman, ELISE DOGANIERI and Mark Vertullo are the executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Earthview Inc. in association with ABC Studios and Amazing Race Productions. THE AMAZING RACE was created by Bertram van Munster and ELISE DOGANIERI.

Website: www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amazingrace

Twitter: www.twitter.com/amazingrace_cbs

CBS Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CBSTweet

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