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Reality check for relaxed Chris & Anastasia

If you enter a Reality TV show you have to be prepared to be seen as Hero or Villain. But Amazing Race's Chris & Anastasia say it doesn't matter what others think.

Any good Reality show needs its heroes and villains, somebody for the audience to cheer and hiss. In The Amazing Race it’s an essential ingredient for the audience.

In The Amazing Race Australia, Perth’s “Big W” ladies Anne-Marie and Tracy are emerging as early heroes, and if some press is to be believed, Sydney couple Chris and Anastasia are early villains.

Under the pressure of the race Chris dropped a remark in Monday night’s episode that “they don’t make women like they used to.”

The power of editing in such storytelling is enormous, but the US version of the show has been on air for years. It’s reasonable to assume you know what you’re in for when you apply for the show.

As the couple explain to TV Tonight, they aren’t overly familiar with the original series, but nor are they too fussed by what people think.

“I haven’t really watched too many episodes of the US,” says Anastasia, 22. “I only watched one before the audition for the Australian one.

“We saw the ad on TV and thought it would be a great adventure. We love adrenalin, so we just thought it would be a lot of fun to do.”

24 year old Chris concurs: “I saw the series back when I was about 14, but not since then.

“We’re not the kind of people to say ‘No,’ so as soon as something comes up she’ll ask and I’ll agree.”

On the show with Farmers, Surfers, Models, Workmates and Married Entrepreneurs they are branded as a “Dating” couple -but it could have been more extreme.

“A lot of the couples are very diverse. We didn’t go into it pretending to be something we weren’t but at the same time, knowing our background we thought we would be portrayed as the ‘sports couple’ or token ‘Greek couple,'” says Anastacia.

“One team called us ‘Muscles and Bambi’ and then there was ‘Fabio and the GF (GirlFriend)’ and the ‘Loved Up’ couple.

Chris is aware his temper may result in him being depicted as one of the show’s more fiery contestants. He is already generating passionate feedback in online forums.

“It’s got to make good TV one way or another. At the end of the day whatever was said was said,” he says.

“But we’re still here, still together, still strong. All is forgiven and it all remains on the Race.

“My temper always gets the better of me. It’s who I am. But it makes me say some things sometimes I don’t mean. But Anastasia knowns me a lot better than that.

“The bottom line is it doesn’t really matter what other people think.”

Neither had seen an episode prior to it airing last week, but Anastasia says while production techniques may be selective, they won’t be able to manufacture anything fake. 

“They’re not going to add anything we haven’t said. So whatever you’ve actually said will be on there,” she says.

“The editing process may dramatise things, but at the end of the day it’s TV, it’s entertaining.”

“Putting people out of their norm will make good TV,” says Chris, “so people will have opinions of me and others on the show. But if you’re true to yourself and you know who you are then it doesn’t really matter if it’s one little moment or mistake you might have made.

Adds Anastasia, “We didn’t really go on the race to do anything other than have an exciting journey.”

The Amazing Race Australia airs 8:30pm Mondays on Seven.

27 Responses

  1. Chris & Anastasia Rock!! I’m pretty sure Chris doesn’t get away with the way he speaks to Anastasia when the two are behind closed doors! He’s got a hot temper..she knows how not to react! I rkn these guys have brains behind the pretty faces!!

    As for Joey & Dick…honestly ‘focus’ on the fact that they are knobs, ‘believe’ that they are knobs, and know that they have ‘achieved’ Knob status all over Australia. Knobs!

  2. I don’t think you can ever judge a relationship by little snippets from a scenario so out of the ordinary as the amazing race. Chris and Anastasia are obviously very comfortable with each other as they have been dating for a while and when under pressure sometimes people release not very nice emotions on their partner.
    Having known them both personally Ana is not a doormat, and their relationship really works, yes they can both be temperamental but this is young love with 2 people with such polarized personalities.

    Meanwhile No matter how stressing a situation is you Can judge people on how they act towards Total stranger and Joey is A B**tch

    I cant get over how rude and condescending and patronizing she is to all the locals, I agree, that accent she puts on makes me want to punch her. She never says thank you, at least Ana thanks everyone who helps her and chris along the way!.
    Focus Believe Achieve my ass
    I want them Out!!!

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