It’s been pretty crazy the past several months between filming and fulfilling my family duties, but I’ve finally found some time to post up some pictures from The Amazing Race China Rush. The show is doing really well in China, and the teams have already completed five episodes of the race. If you’d like to see some of my favorite shots from this race, then just click on “Gallery” on this web page and then look for the album entitled “The Amazing Race China Rush.” Hopefully, the popularity of the show will continue to grow in China (and overseas) so that we can do it all over again next year too!
And speaking about doing it all over again, the fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia will start soon enough on September 23rd. However, if you can’t wait for the premiere telecast on AXN, then you can be among the very first anywhere to watch it online after midnight tonight at the AXN website:
I wasn’t too sure how the online “sneak preview” viewing of TARA4 would do for AXN, but everyone seems to be happy with the results so that’s a great sign…and we’ll be racing soon enough!
…Or NOT Even in the Press Yet!
I am not sure if I should even be doing this, but I’m gonna “push the envelope” a bit here and share with you the upcoming issue for the Sunday Inquirer Magazine in the Philippines with both Team Philippines…Jess, Lani, and the Richards…
This magazine won’t be out until September 19 so don’t forget to pick one up if you happen to be in the Philippines. You can tell me whether the article is good or not too!
I’ll plan to toss up some more press stuff once I get my paws on them, and get ready for “The Ride of a Lifetime!”
And just like that…the ten new teams for the upcoming fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia were announced last night in a press conference conducted at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. I was on hand to lend a hand in the festivities, and it was fun to see how excited all the teams were, especially now that they could finally “come out” and tell the world that they’ll be racing soon!
For anyone who has tried to apply to be on the race, they already now how difficult it is to be selected. So whether these teams end up winning or losing, they should all congratulate themselves for even being selected thru the grueling TARA admissions process.
Last night’s event was short and sweet, and it was all about announcing these ten teams to press and media from around the region. I had a great time catching up with all of the racers on stage…
Now normally, I’d give you all the fun facts related to these teams. But since AXN will be airing a special episode of Racers Revealed on September 2nd, I figured I’d let them do the honors. Of course, if you can’t wait another week for the show to air on television, then be among the very first anywhere to learn more about the teams and the race starting tomorrow on the AXN website where you can see the entire episode!
Click on here to watch Racers Revealed tomorrow!
Hope you enjoy the show and get ready for “The Ride of a Lifetime!”
I hoped you enjoyed watching the second episode of The Amazing Race China Rush. While this show is now up and “racing,” I’ve been spending a bit more time doing what I can to get the good word out about that other “Amazing Race from Asia.” Along with the photoshoot for New Tide and New Icon last week, I also had a great day with Lennard and his magazine M2. After spending a good part of the day in a studio, it was nice to go outside and pop off an outdoor shoot with a Ducati…
As much as I wanted to take this sweet ride for a spin, it’s probably better that we stayed stationary cuz the streets of Kuala Lumpur were jam packed around 4 PM. And since I couldn’t and wouldn’t be going anywhere on two wheels, we quickly moved inside for some more pics after that shot was done…
…and before I knew it, I was all changed out and sitting down for an interview. Quick and painless…just da way I like it! If all goes well with the shoot (and M2 is happy with the pics), you should be able to locate my mug on their upcoming October issue.
With the media and marketing machines beginning to rev up, it’s time this week to soon reveal the newest batch of contestant in the upcoming fourth season of TARA.
Watch out for more details soon!
Hello again! It’s been a pretty hectic coupla weeks, but it’s good to be back here. Along with spending some productive time in Shanghai to get things rolling for The Amazing Race China Rush, I returned to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a power-packed day of getting covered (or uncovered) for various publications including New Tide, New Icon, Health Today, and M2.
Once all the filming for projects have been completed, it’s now time to do the post production work which includes voice dubbing and also promotions with all sorts of media from magazines to newspapers to online media to radio interviews to television appearances. Although it get a little tiring having to rush around from one place to another to “spread the good word,” it’s always more than worth it to hear people enjoying the shows.
Although the featured shoot for New Tide and New Icon won’t be coming out until the end of the year, I got my always helpful publicist to take some behind-the-scene shots of the fashion spread…
…you should get the idea by now so it’s time for me to sign up and take these kids out to lunch.
And if you happen to be in Shanghai, don’t forget to watch the second episode of The Amazing Race China Rush at 8 PM tonight on Channel ICS. Otherwise, I’ll let you know where you can watch it online once I find out the website!
Here’s a recent article from China that officially announces the start of The Amazing Race: China Rush.
English.Eastday.com
2010-04-27 17:30
A 12-episode series reality show, held its grand press conference and lensing ceremony in the Hilton Shanghai Hotel. The attendees included Ms. Wang Jianjun, Deputy Director of Information Office of Shanghai Municipality; Mr. Xu Hao, Assistant President of SMG; and representatives from the show’s co-producers, CCTV News, the Walt Disney Company Greater China, and International Channel Shanghai (ICS).
In 2009, the 12-episode’Shanghai Rush’, produced by the ICS team of SMG, was a great success. This Expo year, ICS will broaden its scope to produce’China Rush’, aiming to explore and promote Chinese culture through exciting and thrilling outdoor competitions around the nation’s great cities, perfectly complementing the 2010 Expo philosophy of’Better City, Better Life’.
Disney ABC International Television (DAIT)’s reality show’The Amazing Race’has won world fame and earned all seven of its “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” Emmy Awards. Now, the Chinese TV network ICS has acquired the rights to produce a version. As a part of the agreement, DAIT will be in charge of extending a global reach and providing formatting and consultation, working with SMG’s expertise and capabilities to ensure that the show captures the excitement of the original’The Amazing Race’series while tapping into China’s unique flavor.
Since Hamilton’The Amazing Race: China Rush’began recruiting, thousands of people from over 40 countries and districts applied through the official website and by e-mail. Now 20 contestants have passed the tough audition, and they come from Australia, Kenya, India, Mexico, Latvia, United States, and Canada. Beginning April 28, the 10 teams of two will start their magical mystery journey around China, with the Shanghai Expo Park as their first stop.
After one month filming across China, the finale will also be shot in the Shanghai Expo Park. The competition will adopt the last-one-out system. In the end, only one team will survive and take home the grand prize-a world tour provided by Travelzen.com. The host will be Chinese-American Allan Wu, who has hosted all three seasons of’The Amazing Race Asia’.
Title sponsored by world-class Hamilton Watch, the The Amazing Race: China Rush will premiere in primetime on August 8th, 2010 on ICS and air weekly to audiences in China. Global audiences will be able to watch through CCTV International (CCTV-9) one week after the ICS premiere.For detailed information, please visit http://www.chinarush.tv.
http://english.eastday.com/e/100427/u1a5173699.html
I’ll plan to post up more pics of the race once I get a “pit stop!” 
This week has truly been an amazing week for me…literally. First, I kicked off the week with my special cameo on The Amazing Race, and it was great to hear from many long-lost friends back in the States. I figure if I can’t make it back to the U.S. to meet them in person, the next best thing is to make a quick appearance on a TWELVE time Emmy Award winning television program, right?
Soon after the Singapore episode of TAR aired worldwide, a local newspaper in Singapore called The New Paper decided to publish my mug along with actress Christy Yow in our birthday suits for our upcoming movie, “Ge Ai.”
Little did I know that this publication decided to print some things that I did not say at all. In fact, I only found out today after one of my producers for The Amazing Race Asia asked me why I was quoted saying that the recent episode of TAR could’ve been better? Of course, the first thing I’m thinking is, “How could it be any better? Heck, I’m already beside myself to even see myself in the program.” But then again, the picture became more clear to me after I mulled over the situation some more. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of doing interviews. I know it comes with the job, and I always endeavor to conduct myself with the utmost truth, honesty, and integrity. Now, I don’t like to consider myself as someone who was “born yesterday,” but I always make the extra effort to always give every journalist a chance. However, this “blasphemous burn” is gonna take a while to heal so don’t expect me to accept any more interviews from The New Paper…EVER.
Alright, enough of those negative vibes…let’s get back to being “Amazing!”
Things are moving along well for TARA4, and I got good vibes that this has all the bits and pieces to be the best season yet! Thanks again to all the applicants who applied to have the experience of a lifetime, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing some of you in “Start City” in the near future!
Alright, I had a great time on TAR. Check. I’m now revving up the engines for TARA4. Check.
So…it’s time to reveal an entirely new sort of “Amazing” with the first ever…
Yes! The Amazing Race: China Rush! In case you’re wondering, this is the real deal. China will be producing its own official version of The Amazing Race franchise and Guess WU’s gonna be hosting this one too! 
It’s Totally On like Donkey Kong!@$%#
By Josh Lasser | April 12, 2010 12:24 AM ET
I have always been a fan of the U-Turn on “The Amazing Race.” Be it blind or otherwise, I think it adds an interesting little dimension to the game.
Prior to this latest episode we had already seen it doom one team this season, and this week it appeared again. Would it have the same effect?
The teams were headed to Singapore tonight so that they could meet Allan Wu, host of “The Amazing Race Asia.” While that was pretty cool, I have to say that I was disappointed that this was another non-flight leg. Save for the family edition, I can’t remember a season of this show that has had this few airplane trips, and the last two flights were show mandated – there was no jockeying for tickets. Tonight, there was only one train as well, so there was no fighting for tickets there either.
Jet & Cord were magically transported from first to last as they were unable to get a cab after the train ride, but it made little difference as all the teams except the Cowboys and Dan & Jordan headed inside the Victorian Concert Hall Wu was at rather than searching for him on the outside. Dan & Jordan got to Wu first and he not only had a clue, he had a Fast Forward which they opted to do. For that, the brothers had to traverse the top of the Singapore Flyer, a massive ferris wheel, going from one cab to another. Everyone else was stuck with doing the Detour which had teams choose between learning a drum routine or selling ice cream.
Last week apparently taught all the teams that the skill task might be faster than the labor one (they would have had to carry the ice cream setup as well as sell), and everyone opted to learn the drum routine. Maybe this week we’ll have taught them that sometimes the non-skill task is a better choice because the drums weren’t easy.
Insanely, Michael & Louie, after trying the drum task decided to do the Fast Forward. If you’re going to do the Fast Forward, that has to be an instant decision. They saw all the other teams save Jordan & Dan were at the drums, and figured that the Brothers were doing the ice cream task? It was not a bright move to head to the Flyer. They got there, realized they were going to have to wait, and then opted to move to the ice cream. At least that was a good decision – Jordan & Dan completed the Fast Forward and came in first for the leg.
The Cowboys tried the drum routine on stage first, but failed, leaving the way open for Brent & Caite to pass them – which they did. That meant that Brent & Caite could U-Turn Brandy & Carol, which they did and proudly.
Michael & Louie seemed to have a pretty easy time with the ice cream, but that was mostly because their cabbie bought 10 of the 25 they had to sell. Even so, they arrived at the Road Block third because, despite Brandy & Carol finishing their drums before the Detectives sold their ice cream, the women had to turn around and do the other Detour.
The Road Block this week required teams to count all the links in a massive chain. You weren’t surprised that Caite begged off and had Brent do it, were you? You couldn’t have been. I loved that during the task, as he was complaining about all the noise, Caite was shouting words of encouragement. Brent got it on the first try though; I was impressed.
The Detectives apparently brought a pitch counter on the Race, which Michael used on the Road Block. Genius! In fact, no one had any issue with the Road Block at all.
There was a quick zip line ride after the Road Block and then a little trip over to the Pit Stop. As no one made any serious mistakes throughout the leg (the Detectives lost one spot as Michael didn’t have a clipboard to write his answer down on for the Road Block), Carol & Brandy never had a chance to catch up and were sent home this week. There was a momentary bit of drama where the Detectives lost their cabbie, but it didn’t actually make any difference.
Honestly, up until this week I only found Carol & Brandy slightly annoying, but they proved to be ridiculously obnoxious this week. Apparently they’re really, really poor losers. It turns out I won’t miss them, they were incredibly poor sports tonight. The U-Turn is part of the game, Brent & Caite can’t be chastised for using it (and you know that if they could I would be the first to do it).
Bits and pieces:
Jordan & Dan were dead on, Brent & Caite just didn’t like Brandy & Carol. I’m okay with that, but they should at least have been honest throughout and not made up some story about the women being a strong team.
Carol & Brandy were definitely right to switch to the drummer who was counting the beat.
I so want to try ice cream wrapped in bread.
“The closest thing we play to a musical instrument is the radio.” I love those guys.
Why didn’t the Cowboys wear their hats on the zip line?
Wu muscles in on Amazing Race
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Tue, Mar 23, 2010
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| BY VICTORIA BARKER
ALLAN Wu may be every bit the doting husband, but if the host of The Amazing Race Asia had to pick a partner for the reality competition, it would definitely not be his other half, Singapore actress Wong Li Lin.
When he spoke to my paper recently, Wu, 37, was candid. “There was a time when I would have loved to race with her but, now, I don’t think she’d want to race with me,” he said.
“I bet I’d be a real jerk and we’d be fighting all the time (thanks to my competitive nature),” he added with a laugh.
The two married in 2003 and have two children – daughter Sage, six; and son Jonas, four.
The guy’s ideal partner, instead, would be Phil Keoghan, who hosts the original American version of the programme.
“It would be cool to see how we would do together, and it sounds like a great draw,” he explained.
The show’s format sees 10 pairs racing across the world and undertaking various physical and mental challenges in a test of endurance to win the grand prize of US$100,000 (S$140,000).
It is recruiting teams for its fourth season, which is slated to begin filming in a few months.
The entire season takes about a month to film, said Wu, who is Chinese American.
And would-be racers will be glad to know that Wu – who has also acted in shows such as Chinese drama Bukit Ho Swee (2002) and the Jack Neo movie I Do, I Do (2005) ” promises that this season will be one hell of a ride.
He enthused: “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing you will treasure and cherish for the rest of your life, whether you win or not.
“I remember visiting Prague in a previous season and then the next day I was somewhere else… it’s really intense but amazing.”
Viewers need not worry about being left out, either. With the Emmy-winning American version now in its 16th season, the affable Wu thinks that the tried-and-tested formula cannot go wrong here.
“(In each season) you have a whole new bag of contestants with their own idiosyncrasies and personalities…that’s what makes it enthralling and enticing for the audience,” he said.
Wu should know – this is the dude who came in second on American competition series Fear Factor in 2004.
People think I’m a huge risk-taker, but I think it’s just my competitive nature,” he explained.
He then added thoughtfully: “I need to work on enjoying life a little bit more and appreciating what life has to offer…I’m in that process now.”
vbarker@sph.com.sg
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I still don’t think my kids have any idea what they want to be when they grow up although Sage has been mentioning being a magician would be “pretty cool.” And for Jonas? We got him some little Calvin Klein underwear so he can feel like the “big boys” on the billboards! ;-P
Yesterday, we wrapped up our third and final open casting call in Malaysia at the Queensbay Mall in Penang.
Here’s a shot from high above as people were just started to stroll in to apply for their chance to compete in TARA4…
Again, I’d like to thank all of our fans and supporters who turned up for the events. And after meeting many of the potential racers, all I can say is, “Malaysia will be Ready to Rock and Roll in the race!”
And for all of you procrastinators out there, you’ve still got some time so hurry up and send in your application NOW!
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