7 Celebrities Who Competed on ‘The Amazing Race’

“The Amazing Race” has always attracted a wide audience. For the most part, the appeal is to watch regular people go on an incredible globetrotting journey. However, the show has also featured people who went on to become celebrities.

Looking back on these well-known figures adds another layer to their “Amazing Race” journeys. It also sheds light on the nature of the contestants, as it turns out many of them were always headed toward TV screens even before their star-making roles.

Stassi Schroeder

The “Vanderpump Rules” TV personality appeared on “The Amazing Race” way back in 2005. Stassi Schroeder was just 17 years old when she participated alongside her family. She was on the eighth season of the show, which carried the theme of families of four.

Schroeder accompanied her father, Mark, stepmother, Char, and younger brother, Hunter. The family reached all the way to the final four before they were eliminated. Schroeder starred in the reality show “Queen Bees” shortly after, before her most well-known part in “Vanderpump Rules.”

Mike White

“The White Lotus” creator became a household name with the Emmy Award-winning series. However, he’s been involved in reality competitions quite a bit. Mike White competed in the 14th season of “The Amazing Race” in 2009. The filmmaker and actor appeared alongside his father and finished in sixth place.

White’s “Amazing Race” days continued in 2011, when he and his father once again partook in the show. This version, “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,” saw the duo end up in 10th place.

White would later also be a contestant on “Survivor: David vs. Goliath,” finishing as runner-up.

Tyler Oakley

The YouTube and TV personality first started uploading in 2007. But it wasn’t until 2012 that he truly shot to fame. Oakley’s fame peaked with 8 million subscribers on his channel before taking a step back.

After branching out from his YouTube channel, Oakley was seen in “The Amazing Race” in 2019. Oakley was partnered with his best friend, Korey Kuhl, in the show’s 28th season. The two would reach the final three before they ended in third place. Oakley and Kuhl got another shot in the show’s 31st season.

The pair did one better this time to finish as runners-up.

Bethany Hamilton

This professional surfer became widely known after a shark attack in 2003 claimed her left arm. However, that hardly slowed Bethany Hamilton down. Instead, she continued her career and branched out to other competitions like “The Amazing Race.”

Hamilton was part of “The Amazing Race” in its 25th season. She appeared alongside her husband, Adam Kirk. The pair went on to finish in third place in the competition.

Joey Chestnut

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut made a name for himself back in 2005. Nicknamed “Jaws,” Chestnut has 55 world records to his name. Another accomplishment in his list of credits is as a contestant on “The Amazing Race.”

Chestnut competed on the show alongside fellow competitive eater, Tim Janus. The pair came in at eighth place in a roster of 11 teams during “The Amazing Race”‘s 30th season in 2018.

Jonathan Knight

Unlike other names on this list, this New Kids on the Block band member has been famous since 1984. Despite being just 15 when the group formed, Knight was its oldest member. He took a fourteen-year hiatus from show business from 1994 to 2008.

Knight’s return to the spotlight also saw him appear on “The Amazing Race” in 2015. The singer participated with then-boyfriend, now-husband, Harley Rodriguez, during the show’s 26th season.

The pair finished in ninth place in a field of 11 teams.

Brian Thomas Smith

This journeyman actor has appeared in numerous shows and films over two decades. Best known for his recurring role in “The Big Bang Theory,” Smith also took a detour into reality television. The actor appeared in “The Amazing Race” in 2005.

Smith competed alongside his younger brother, Greg, in the show’s seventh season. The pair finished in sixth place.