Phil Keoghan on Differences Between Hosting ‘Tough as Nails’ and ‘The Amazing Race’ (Exclusive)

When Phil Keoghan isn’t traveling the world on The Amazing Race, he’s hosting one of the most intense reality competitions ever on fellow CBS series Tough as Nails. Considering that the two shows are pretty different in terms of content, you might expect that Keoghan’s approach to hosting the two could be a bit different. While chatting with PopCulture, Keoghan spoke about the differences and the similarities between hosting Tough as Nails and The Amazing Race. 

Keoghan started out by sharing the similarities with hosting the two shows. According to the host, he loves his role because he’s a people person. He explained, “I have a love of people and I love people’s stories and I love telling people’s stories. So, my enthusiasm for the contestants on either Tough as Nails or the Amazing Races are the same. I just want them to look good. I want to help them look good.” The two shows are both competitive in nature but are pretty different at their cores. Naturally, this means that they are “very different hosting gigs,” as Keoghan mentioned. 

“On Race, you’re dealing with a lot more sleep deprivation. You’re having to fight harder to get shots because of the distances involved and the logistics involved,” he continued. “On Tough as Nails, I’m in the competition with them communicating what’s going on to the audience. So, I have to be completely engrossed in the moment on Tough as Nails to try to communicate that to an audience.” Fans will be able to watch Keoghan in action on Tough as Nails incredibly soon, as Season 3 premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 6 on CBS. As for what viewers can expect from the new season, Keoghan said that they’re in for a show that’s “better than ever.”

“The great thing about the show continuing on is that more and more people are hearing about it,” he shared. “The quality or the number, the sheer numbers of people applying for the show has increased exponentially. And so, we just have more people to choose from different walks of life, different backgrounds, different jobs … expect to see some pretty dynamic characters.” Keoghan added, “We are just trying to get better in making the show. The goal is that when fans watch the show, they feel that we’re getting better.” Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.