If you’re a fan of the bonkers travel reality show The Amazing Race Australia, boy do I have some good news for you.
A celebrity edition of the series is in production by Channel Ten, with all the stars competing to win $100,000 for charities close to their hearts. Usually, these kinds of celeb ventures are comprised of D-list celebs, but this time, we’ve got some Aussie heavy hitters in the mix.
Without further ado, here’s the cast;
Alli & Angie Simpson
Alli Simpson, singer and noted sister of Cody Simpson, is giving the show a crack and bringing her mum, Angie, along for the ride. They’re competing for Dementia Australia, a charity that means a lot to the pair.
“My grandma, my dad’s mum Chrissie, has gone down really fast with dementia in the last few years,” Alli told Channel Ten.
“It’s been really difficult for us to watch. We just want to do as much as we can to prevent other families [from] feeling the pain that we do.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen Alli on our screens. Back in 2021, Aussie viewers fell in love with the star when she was on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
Bec Judd & Kate Twigley
Influencer, model, and television presenter Rebecca Judd has signed up for the show with her sister Kate Twigley.
Bec and Kate are raising money for Impatient Advocacy – A Nicole Cooper Foundation following the passing of their friend Nicole Cooper earlier this year.
They describe themselves as “highly competitive mums” who “have a few lols along the way”.
I’m excited to see how these two go because Bec always looks so polished and immaculate on the ‘gram. I can’t wait to see her running around Egypt trying to put a fish in a bucket, or something.
Ben & Jackie Gillies
I’m excited about these two! Australia’s favourite psychic and Real Housewives Of Melbourne star Jackie Gillies and her former Silverchair drummer husband Ben Gillies are packing their bags to give The Amazing Race a shot.
The husband and wife team are excited to “live in the moment and be present” during the experience.
They’re hoping to bring home the bacon for the Moira Kelly Creating Hope Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing support to children and displaced women who need it most. They work locally and provide support to women overseas.
I wonder if we’ll get to see Jackie’s psychic abilities come into play? Maybe she’ll guess which country they’ll hit up next?
One can only hope.
Dave & Bow Simpson
Aussie comedian Dane Simpson and his dad Bow Simpson are teaming up to take on the world.
Dane first gained notoriety when he was a Deadly Funny finalist in 2015, and since then, the Wagga-based comedian has been making people laugh all over the country. Meanwhile, Bow holds the Wagga record for most finger clicks in a minute. So, he’s equally as notable and Dane is stoked to be able to show Australia how funny his dad is.
“I think he’s one of the silliest, funniest people… I wanted to just show people that he’s real. I think Australia is absolutely going to fall in love with him,” Dane said.
The father-son duo are hoping to take home the $100,000 for the Dharriwaa Elders Group Incorporated. The money could help the country town of Walgett, NSW, have access to fresh drinking water.
Darren McMullen & Tristan Dougan
Actor and television presenter Darren McMullen is teaming up with his nephew Tristan Dougan to give the adventurous series a crack. They’re attempting to win some cashola for Feel The Magic, an organisation that helps children who have lost their parents.
As it turns out, the pair already have a game plan locked in. Well, Darren does.
“I’m going to sit down and eat pasta and drink lots of red wine and tell [Tristan] what to do,” Darren said.
“If there’s any kind of eating weird foods, he’s going to be doing that. If there’s anything that requires a lot of fitness and exertion, he’s going to be doing that. I’ll just be here for the brains.”
Darren has meddled with other reality television shows, including The Masked Singer and The Celebrity Apprentice. He also recently hosted Channel Ten’s flop of a dating show The Real Love Boat.
George & Pamela Mladenov
George Mladenov, who is also known as “King George of Bankstown”, found his following after appearing on Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn and Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains. He quickly became a worldwide fan favourite for his clever, scheming ways and for tattooing an Immunity Idol on his chest and hand.
George is joined by his sister Pamela Mladenov, and if the cunning ways run in the family, the other contestants better watch the fuck out.
The siblings are competing on behalf of Bankstown Women’s Health Centre, which former Bankstown Labor Party MP George describes as “a pillar of the local community.”
“They help vulnerable women in the community with preventative work in domestic violence, they help build capacity in women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and, when times got tough during COVID, it was organisations like this that were the backbone of the community,” he said.
Grant & Chezzi Denyer
Aussie television’s energiser bunny Grant Denyer is being joined by his TV producer wife Chezzi to traipse around the world. But while it’s a hectic challenge for most people, according to them, The Amazing Race will be a walk in the park compared to their daily lives.
“We won’t have the kids vomiting or pooing on us,” Grant quipped.
“Anything is a holiday… even if you are in the hottest of hot or coldest of cold locations around the world being chased by a bear. When you are parents of three young children it sounds like a dream come true.”
The married couple also have a podcast together called It’s All True where they shoot the shit about all sorts of topics from rich celebs to UFOs. So basically, these two can bloody chat and I reckon they’ll be entertaining on The Amazing Race.
The beloved couple will be raising money for Lifeline Central West, a charity that supports communities in rural areas.
Harry Jowsey & Teddy Briggs
Reality shows are Harry Jowsey‘s bread and butter!
His first reality television appearance was on the Aussie show Heartbreak Island, but what really catapulted him into the limelight was winning Season Two of Netflix’s dating show Too Hot To Handle. Harry managed to rake in 4.2 million Instagram followers from his appearance. These days, Harry makes his living as an influencer and OnlyFans star.
He’s bringing his fellow reality star mate Teddy Briggs along for the ride. You might recognise Teddy and his pearly white teeth from Season One of Love Island Australia.
While the pair aren’t feeling super confident about their performance abilities on the show, they’re passionate about their chosen charity Beyond Blue.
“Mental health is like physical health,” Teddy explained.
“Sometimes you have to work at it and sometimes you need a personal trainer to get into good physical health. I think it’s the same with mental health, people need charities like Beyond Blue now more than ever.”
Peter & Frankie Rowsthorn
When I saw Peter Rowsthorn was on the list of celeb contestants, I screamed. My editor had to sit on the floor. We’re very excited, to say the least.
Peter is a comedy legend but you might recognise him from a little show called Kath & Kim. He played the iconic character of Brett Craig and absolutely slayed the house down in a performance that I will never, ever forget.
As far as reality television goes, Peter has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Her in 2018.
Peter is joined by his daughter Epponnee-Rae Frankie and the pair are competing on behalf of All Stars for Autism.
“It’s a beautiful organisation. It gives people with autism the space to be themselves and feel supported,” Frankie said.
I just love these parent-kid duos. I would be such a brat if I went on this show with one of my parents.
Emma & Hayley Watkins
In a huge win for children and anyone with children, Emma Watkins has been locked in to appear in the celebrity edition of The Amazing Race Australia. Emma is best known for being Emma Wiggle – or the yellow wiggle – from 2010 to 2021. She also appeared as a contestant on The Masked Singer in 2022.
These days, she’s the star and producer of a television series for pre-schoolers called Emma Memma: Sign. Dance Sign. The series helps kids learn how to sign Auslan. We love to see it!
Emma is bringing her sister Hayley Watkins along on the show and the pair are aiming to win the $100,000 to support the Leonie Jackson Memorial Fund, a charity which helps to support deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
While I can’t imagine Emma saying a bad word to anyone, there’s nothing like watching sisters interact. They go from being best buds to saying the most savage things to each other in five seconds flat. As someone who grew up with older brothers, I didn’t develop the resilience that my friends who had sisters did.
Jana Pittman & Cornelis Rawlinson
If I had to put my money on anyone, it would be Jana Pittman. The woman is unstoppable. She’s a former Olympian, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a mother of six, and an ~actual~ doctor.
She’s also an absolute tank who appeared on the brutal reality show SAS Australia just six months after she gave birth. Jana is joined by her eldest son Cornelis Rawlinson, who is most excited about all the food he’ll be able to try from around the world.
The pair are competing on behalf of the Royal Hospital for Women, where Jana currently works.
“It’s the only women’s hospital in NSW that dedicates medical treatment to women and newborn babies. Even though it’s one of the most prestigious hospitals, it’s greatly underfunded, and we really rely heavily on donations to upgrade and to ensure we’re at the frontline of medical services,” she explained.
So, there you have it.
Channel Ten hasn’t announced when The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition will be hitting our screens but after checking out this line-up, I hope it’s soon.
(Image Source: Channel Ten)
