Luke McGregor and Julie McGregor have been eliminated from The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition. Learn why they retired early.
The latest season of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition got off to a high-octane start in Buenos Aires, with 11 celebrity teams embarking on a whirlwind adventure around the world. Each team will leave the comfort of their home behind for an unpredictable trip abroad and compete for a chance to win $100,000 for their chosen charity.
The first leg of the race took contestants through the busy streets of Argentina’s capital. Their first task was to locate Gomero de la Recoleta, a historic tree that is over 200 years old, and look for the statue of Atlas that supports one of the tree’s massive branches. A hint for the next challenge was hidden here.
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The team then had to track four dog walkers, or “cuatro paceador de perros”, and count the total number of dogs. Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe quickly put his knowledge of Spanish to use and helped the team decipher the clues. However, Natalie Bassingthwaite and her sister Mel were the first to complete the task, taking the first detour of the season.
This detour required teams to choose between two culturally themed tasks: ‘National Dance’ or ‘National Sandwich’. Both had their own challenges, but it was the physical demands and intimate nature of this dance routine that bothered comedian Luke McGregor and his mother Julie. Struggling to master the tango, the pair opted for a 30-minute time penalty and were the last team in the theater.
Other teams quickly fell through the cracks as the competition increased, but the Tillies moved forward to take the coveted first spot at the pit stop. Luke and Julie made up some time after abandoning the dance challenge, but ended up losing the race due to a penalty. They arrived at the pit stop just minutes after the last team checked in, becoming the first team to be eliminated.
Luke McGregor reflected on their experience and expressed his disappointment, but also noted the camaraderie shared between the team.
“I was really sad to get knocked out in the final, even though we’re competing against each other. We really enjoy spending time together and it creates camaraderie,” he said.
He also joked that his mother was having a friendly rivalry with fellow contestant Ian Thorpe.
“It was a shame that we were eliminated so quickly and that my mother’s nemesis, Ian Thorpe, made it through because she had always wanted to beat him. I was hoping to beat him in the race.”
Luke also reflected on the unexpected difficulty of the race, saying it was a physically tiring challenge.
“What was really difficult was that we didn’t have cell phones, so if we got lost, there was no one to tell us we were going the wrong way… It was more physically taxing than I expected. It was.
I think this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done on television. “It reminded me of running cross country when I was a kid,” he said.
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The pair were racing in support of Mazin Gull, an Aboriginal organization that provides services and support to Aboriginal women and their families in Sydney’s inner city.
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition takes place on Tuesday, September 10 from 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.
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