‘The Amazing Race’s Phil Keoghan Breaks Down His Meta ‘Hacks’ Appearance

Hacks went big for its final season as the HBO Max comedy crossed over with CBS fan-favorite The Amazing Race, as Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her daughter DJ (Kaitlin Olson) competed in a celebrity version of the competition series in the episode, “D’Amazing Race.”

Facing off against teams that included Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, as well as Trisha Paytas and I Love LA‘s Jordan Firstman, Deborah and DJ weren’t the sharpest competitors, and their time was ultimately cut short after they were unable to complete a detour, which saw them dress and dance as clowns. The episode served as a major breakthrough moment for Deborah and DJ, but one of the most surreal aspects was seeing host Phil Keoghan interact with these guest stars as if they were true competitors on the show he’s helped helm for nearly three decades.

Below, Keoghan opens up about his meta cameo, crossing over with HBO Max’s award-winning comedy, thoughts on potential celebrity editions of the race, pitches he’s gotten from famous fans, and much more in this full Q&A.

How did the Hacks & Amazing Race collaboration come about?

Phil Keoghan: The producers of Hacks were talking about the idea of a collaboration for some time. I believe that at one point, they considered doing an entire season of Hacks around Jean and Kaitlin’s characters competing on Amazing Race. The connection for a collaboration was made at an industry dinner. The idea of two blue-chip brands joining forces to create unique content made for something very special, and the subsequent response has been awesome — clearly, there are a lot of fans who watch both shows. It’s always a good feeling when you try a new concept, and you get the best possible results.

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Were you a fan of the show before being asked to participate?

Before the opportunity came about, I had recently become a fan after my daughter talked about the show. I love comedy movies, but am not usually a fan of situational comedy series. But the production value of Hacks, and the talented cast drew me in — Jean Smart could make me laugh doing anything, even reading the newspaper.

How was it overseeing this celebrity version of the game?

It was a bit surreal doing the introduction in the LA Colosseum — I stood exactly where I was for the start of Season 13 of The Amazing Race almost 20 years ago. It’s a privilege to do anything in that historic LA landmark. The idea that one day I would be at the center of introducing a world race from the home of two, soon to be three Olympic Games, where Carl Lewis got four gold medals in 1984, is something I will always treasure.

Would you ever be interested in hosting a celebrity edition of the show?

I would say, why not? I can’t tell you exactly how many celebrities have floated the idea of competing on Amazing Race with me; at the Emmys, on the street, messaging me on Instagram — Reese Witherspoon and Drew Barrymore even pitched an idea for a romantic theme race to me once in a New York restaurant. Last year, Will Forte mentioned that the late Val Kilmer wanted to compete with him on The Amazing Race — I wish we could have fulfilled his wish, I’m a big fan of his work.

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So yes, lots of interest, but the realities of trying to coordinate celebrities’ schedules and the amount of time they would be able to be away would be extremely challenging. The other major considerations would be how many of them would put up with sleep deprivation, the demanding schedule, and — let’s just say — not so luxurious travel and accommodation. I could see it, but I think we would have to shorten the time away and the number of episodes. Filming 12 shows in roughly 21 days while traveling around the world is no joke.

There’s no doubt that fans would love watching celebrities compete, but at the end of the day, our research shows that captivating, so-called ordinary people are most relatable to our audience, who can see themselves in the diverse cast of teams from all over the country. People who may have never owned a passport, been on a plane, or perhaps even left their state — less coastal bubble, and more heartland America.

Which team do you think ended up winning after Deborah and DJ’s elimination?

You got me there. One of the things about Amazing Race is that it’s so unpredictable. At the start, I might have said Jean and Kaitlin’s characters, but unlike a 100-meter final at the Olympics, where you can pretty much guarantee who will be on the podium, our race is never a sure bet. That’s part of the beauty of the format. Singing shows, dancing shows, cooking shows all require contestants to be the best of the best at a given skill — on Race, teams never know what we are going to have them do, and we never know how good they will be at doing them — and to me, that’s part of what has made the show so appealing for so many years.

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How did you react upon seeing Jean Smart and Kaitlin Olson in their clown costumes?

Compliments to all departments on Hacks for their painstaking efforts to ensure that our collaboration was as authentic as possible — from the EPs, director Paul W. Downs, and the wardrobe department. I’m scared of clowns, and seeing the transformation of Jean and Kaitlin was a bit off-putting — in an entertaining way [Laughs].

How did it feel to play a role in this important mother-daughter breakthrough for Deborah and DJ?

Loved that. I see our show as a way to empower people, challenging them to face their fears, push beyond their limits, and walk away stronger, wiser, and better than when they began.

What was your favorite part of this guest appearance experience?

I am thankful to the Hacks team for letting me align my dialogue to match what I write for my scripts on Amazing Race — that made being able to perform with Jean and Kaitlin even more enjoyable. I loved that once the director covered the scripted content, we were able to ad-lib the scene. I grew up doing improv-theater, so being able to riff back and forth with two pros like Jean and Kaitlin was a real honor.

Hacks, Season 5, Thursdays, 9/8c, HBO Max