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Bonus Episode: Interview with Louie Stravato, The Amazing Race Season 16
56 Plays1 month ago
We got to sit down with Louie Stravato from the iconic Detectives Team, and he was even nicer than we imagined—if that’s possible! Louie shared tons of behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive insights from his season that you won’t hear anywhere else. Join us for a fun, candid, and fascinating chat with one of The Amazing Race’s most memorable racers.
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Facebook Group: The Amazing Rewatch Podcast
Email us: theamazingrewatch@gmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:06
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the amazing rewatch for our listeners. We have a really special guest today. This Louie from season 16. The other half of Louie and Michael, the detectives. We're really excited. we i messaged him on Facebook. He was really excited to chat about his time on the race.
00:00:27
Speaker
And we've had some technical difficulties getting started, but we're ready to go. And he's been really patient with us. So would you like to like do a quick introduction? Tell us who you got on the show and we'll just kind of go from there.
00:00:40
Speaker
All right.
Journey to The Amazing Race
00:00:41
Speaker
yeah um So 15 years ago, but actually about 16 years ago, I originally applied for Survivor. and they loved me and i went through ah few steps and it was it was like exciting because then they chose me like they were having live auditions at a furniture store in attemborough massachusetts which is right over the line from rhode island and when i i my partner who i was working with in narcotics at the time she's like lou you gotta you gotta go try out so i was married at the time and i called my wife up and i'm like
00:01:16
Speaker
I said, I'm going to go try out for you for Survivor. She goes, okay, go. So I i went there after work. and Now, mind you, I was undercover. So I had on camouflage shorts. I had a sleeveless UFC t-shirt on.
00:01:28
Speaker
Had a bandana on my head. And I walked in. And they're like, oh, you dressed for the role. And i go, no, I just got out of work. And they're like, oh what are you doing? And I'm like, yes. And nobody guessed what i that I was an undercover cop. and And so until I lifted my shirt up and did a spun around so you could see my gun, my badge, my you know my handcuffs, everything. So they're like, oh my God, you're a cop? but I'm like, yep, i'm and I'm an undercover cop. And so they loved me. And I went through several steps, but it came to a point where Lynn Spillman, the casting director for Amazing Race Survivor, and I believe Big Brother as well, um she's like, good look well we love you, but
00:02:07
Speaker
you know, we'll keep you in mind.
Casting and Audition Process
00:02:09
Speaker
And I'm like, all right. So a year and a half goes by. And one morning I'm sitting in front of my computer and my kids were in school. My wife was at work and I'm playing around on the computer. And I, my AOL, I'm aging myself now.
00:02:26
Speaker
It said, um you got mail. And um it said, casting for the amazing race in the Reeboks. So I'm like, oh God, all right. So I'm like, I'm like, I think it's spam and I'm going get, you know, a virus or something. And it opened up and it said, Dan Lewis, this is Lynch filming, cast director for Amazing Race Survivor.
00:02:47
Speaker
We've never had two undercover detectives on before. Would you and another undercover detective like to apply for the show? And I'm like, oh my God. I'm like, no, stop freaking out. I called my wife up at the time and I didn't know who to ask. Like my partner,
00:03:04
Speaker
in narcotics in Providence, um he had a hip replacement that year. My partner, in ah ah because I was on the DEA task force, he broke his ankle that year.
00:03:17
Speaker
So I'm like, freak i'm like who am I going to ask? this What about your buddy Mike? He works with you at DEA too. He's a character like you, she said. I'm like, okay. So I called him up and we couldn't make a mistake at that point. We did everything they asked of us and they loved us.
00:03:33
Speaker
and um And it was just before my birthday, right around this time of year, right now because my birthday is November 15, that I get a phone call from a 3100 area code and i'm like Hello. And it was um this woman, Ellen, and she's like, Louie, you and Mike are going to be on the amazing race. Now I'm heading into a pizza place to get pizza.
00:03:57
Speaker
And I'm freaking out now. I'm freaking out. And we walk. i i'm now like she I'm like, I'm freaking out. She's like, all right. She goes, I go, so when we leave and she goes, can't can't tell you that yet. I'm like, oh, all right.
00:04:11
Speaker
So. Now I'm excited. I can't wait to get home to tell my wife and kids and stuff. My parents, God rest their soul, they were alive at the time. you know get it And and Mike and I just could not make a mistake.
Pre-Race Preparations
00:04:25
Speaker
And we they loved us and they flew us out to audition.
00:04:28
Speaker
And it that was just, um so it was about the week of Thanksgiving is when they flew us out to California to do the race.
00:04:42
Speaker
Oh, wow. Yeah. It was so cool. And so then, you know, the race began. So from there. So we started. So you got any questions up to this point? So if they called you a little bit before your birthday, which is November 15th, but flew you out Thanksgiving week, you only had two or three weeks to prepare? and Well, mike Mike and I... um Once they did that, Mike and I immediately went to REI and bought gear, you know um and we bought backpacks and all that stuff immediately. And went out and bought all that stuff.
00:05:21
Speaker
you know And we're like, and we and i'll I'll get into that as far as overpacking, and because that was ridiculous. Yes, I want to hear all those kinds of stories. Oh my god, it's so bad, so bad.
00:05:35
Speaker
um And yeah, it was just the week of Thanksgiving. They flew us out. And they flew us out to California. That's where we started our leg of the race.
00:05:46
Speaker
Wow. That's not much time to prepare. No. No. but But I said to Mike, when we, so let me back this up a little bit. In August um of that year, ah when they flew us out for auditions in California,
Behind-the-Scenes Camaraderie
00:06:05
Speaker
we like Mike and I lasted the whole week there, right? They said to us from day one, they said, if they don't like you, youll they'll send you home. And we literally saw people get sent home the very first day.
00:06:19
Speaker
There was these two women, ah both attractive and race car drivers. And um and they were they were coming up to us at the end of that day. We told not talk to anybody that looks like a team.
00:06:31
Speaker
And they came over to Mike and I, and we were in this lobby area, and they're So did you guys get sent home? we're like, no. And we're not we're like, but we don't want to talk to you. We're like, we don't have to talk to anybody.
00:06:44
Speaker
And we they they're like, we did. We got sent home. And we're like, bye. Nice meeting you. And that was it. you know ah Then we there was this arrogant couple that was going to on us, that was applying for our season that they flew out. They got sent home that day.
00:07:00
Speaker
But day five, so now, going to all types of training the whole week, you know, carrying the camera, carrying the audio equipment.
00:07:10
Speaker
They're just to show what these guys that follow you around are carrying. So be respectful to them, you know? And as we get into the end of the week, they they go, go see the doctor.
00:07:22
Speaker
And so we go see a doctor and um next thing you know, I felt like I was a pin cushion because I got all these, you know, inoculations. I'm like, oh my God. It was like,
00:07:34
Speaker
All right, i yeah yeah have you know, and anything anything you can get diseased overs overseas, that's the shot they gave you. know like mike I'm like, Mike, we're gonna on. but you know One of the assistants is like, nope, that doesn't it mean anything.
00:07:49
Speaker
It doesn't mean anything. that They still got another group people coming in that are trying out for your season. right So I said to Mike, I'm like, excuse me, I tend to swear a little bit. I don't wanna get you in trouble. I said, that's bullshit.
00:08:03
Speaker
ah oh but i said that's bullsh a And sure enough, it was bullshit. you know Because I said, do you know how expensive this is? All these shots. you know So they loved us. Interesting.
Challenges and Strategy
00:08:17
Speaker
One of the times you um when we were auditioning, Bertram Van Munster, the director of the show, he was awesome. He loved Mike and I because he originally started out um with the show Cops back in the day.
00:08:30
Speaker
no Oh. Yes. And um he filmed in Providence, Rhode Island. And he loved, he loves cops. He loves police officers. And when we were getting interviewed at one point, there was one of the ladies on the panel asking questions. She goes you guys don't really act that way. Right? We're like, what do you mean? What are you doing? And all of a sudden, Bertram just started and goes, quiet. Mind your business. peter This is how cops act.
00:08:57
Speaker
You know, I'm like, okay. We're like, oh my God. right. But it, Again, we couldn't make a mistake. They loved us. And obviously we got on. Yeah.
00:09:09
Speaker
Yeah. I think they probably, you know, you when you when you have the secret sauce and they just yeah instantly like you and, you know, i it's so interesting, though, the to hear kind of the audition process and narrowing it down and Yeah, we've interviewed other people other racers, but we haven't heard that part of um them having to try the microphone i mean the camera thing, yeah all that stuff. That's really interesting. So they were like just showing you guys how the camera crew does it. just so Yeah, they're literally good.
00:09:43
Speaker
I like carried the camera, I carried the the audio stuff, and and had us like running around and to show how you know that it wasn't light equipment. you know Yeah. but wasn't super heavy, but still they had to run with this equipment, follow us.
00:09:57
Speaker
Those guys are in really good shape. Some of them were extremely good shape, like amazing. Yeah. So. Have to be for sure. yes Yeah. yeah And you just like you don't see those people when you're watching the show.
00:10:09
Speaker
it is a like a whole production that like behind the scenes that you're like, wow. Yeah. There's a lot more to it. Several of them you make friends for life. You really do. I mean, yeah. then thes just like i remember um I'm popping ahead in the show, but it was we were in Argentina at one time in this area and ah along um the Andy Mountains and and myself and the Cowboys went on this nature hike.
00:10:33
Speaker
Mike didn't go. Several people didn't go, but we're like, when you ever coming back yet? Right. And um ah myself and the the Cowboys were posing, making a belief we're taking pictures of each other. Hey, pose, you know, like right? And we're we're flexing and stuff, right?
00:10:50
Speaker
and And we call that as clear as any picture you ever have in your you know your portfolio, your life. You never forget that in your head, ever. You know, um and it was just just a moment in life that, you know, you never forget.
00:11:06
Speaker
and it's just like the things we did was incredible. Yeah. So were you able to interact with other teams in between pit stops? So in between, so I don't know what other people have told you about it when you're in between pit stops, you're not supposed to interact with other teams. Yeah. Cause they want to keep everything fresh for the cameras. But Mike and I were like,
Team Dynamics and Rivalries
00:11:28
Speaker
they were like, you guys are like school kids. I gotta keep telling you to shut up. At one point, um, we saved, um, Jeff and Jordan from getting eliminated.
00:11:43
Speaker
Big brother, Jeff and Jordan. Yeah. And Mike and I saved him when we did the... Oh, the U-turn? The U-turn. Yeah, on Joe and... Heidi. Heidi. Heidi, thank you, thank you. but she's She's a sweetheart. He was arrogant.
00:12:00
Speaker
but don But he's really... He really started off as a really nice guy. I don't know. I like it shouldn't be mean like that, because I'm not i'm not a mean person. But... but um But he was arrogant.
00:12:11
Speaker
He was. It was who he was, you know, and he was cocky. was like, nobody's going to beat me, blah, blah, blah, you know. So, but when we saved Jeff and Jordan at one point and me and myself and Jeff happened to be in the bathroom and i go, Mike and I saved your ass. And he goes, thank you so much. they Yeah. But but you really They really did not want you talking between legs of the race because, again, they want to save everything for the camera.
00:12:42
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, we've heard that from other teams. And that wasn't the case in earlier seasons because there's more there's earlier seasons where it's more like reality TV and they'll record like romances happening behind the scenes and between pit stops and stuff like that so we're just not sure exactly season they moved from that to the other we're just like curious i mean i'm sure somebody has the answer the answer but just when it moved from no interaction to interacting to no interaction but they probably realized at some point where wait a minute we're missing out on some good stuff yeah so keep everybody keep their mouth shut
00:13:21
Speaker
Yeah, and I think they kind of just changed the tone of the show a little bit as well. Like it wasn't, it's not supposed to be like a drama reality TV. It's like about the race. It's like competition. so Right. but i I said one point to one of the camera guys who said, if you wanted to make us look like assholes, you can't.
00:13:41
Speaker
He's like, nope. He goes, if you're an asshole, you're an asshole. We talk about that actually a lot. Like, yeah you know, sometimes people get the villain edit or whatever. Like you're giving them the content and they can edit it, but you know, they can't put words in your mouth.
00:13:57
Speaker
Look, if you're going be an asshole to your wife or your girlfriend or your lover or whoever you're with, that's you. That's not you. Yeah. go And why wouldn't they show that? Because people like that shit. did they They like that drama. They like, oh, my God, how's he going to treat her next week? got big spard times I've sat there and watched it. I'm like, what an asshole he is. like Yeah. but Oh, my God. I'm like, you wonder if they're still married, you know, and stuff like that.
00:14:25
Speaker
yeah Yeah, we do that. We... ah like part of our episode at the end is like the eliminated team. We go through and like, see what they are up to after the race. And it is very interesting to see like how many people break up. Yeah.
Memorable Race Moments
00:14:39
Speaker
yeah Pretty predictable sometimes. Yeah, for sure. Every once in a while we're like, we're surprised. They're like, Oh, they are still together, but yeah. Brent, Brent and Katie from, from my season.
00:14:53
Speaker
um They were madly love with each other at the time And, And neither one are together anymore. Yeah. Both separate lives. Both have children, you know, marry, you know, and they're doing well, you know, but they, they actually thought of Mike and I as, um you know, dads when we were there, you know, literally we had to tell him calm down a couple of times, you know, like calm down, yeah you know, he called, he, what did he call it? called her the C word one time. And I'm like, Oh, Brent called Kate.
00:15:22
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm like, Oh, Brent, Brent, Brent. Don't do that again, bro. Don't do that again. Easily. But he was very opposed to him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm like, it's not cool, man. It's not cool. You know? We're good.
00:15:36
Speaker
But in reality, he's sweetheart. She's a sweetheart. love those two. I love them. they they are i'm friends with them to this day. you know Yeah, but it's, I mean, one of the good things about the show or the entertaining things about the show is like some people in that pressure, it brings out the worst in them.
00:15:55
Speaker
People brings out the best. Some people brings out the worst. Brent maybe just couldn't really. don't think we were. I don't believe we were on camera at that point. for some reason we were able to talk or whatever, or we overheard them.
00:16:08
Speaker
And, you know, so we went on, I think it was in South America. mean, I think it was just before they ended up ah getting dehydrated, end up in the emergency room. Oh yeah. well But, um, but they I love those two. They, that I love them to this day. I love them. Um, Jet and Kord. They're my boys. I love them.
00:16:28
Speaker
They're my brothers from another mother. And they, they love, I love them so much. Um, Smitty and Allie. ah Well, I love, I'm like, I literally, I'm the ambassador of my season.
00:16:42
Speaker
Yeah. Because people call me up, hey, Louie, get this out. You got to talk about, you know, you know somebody had Hodgkin's lymphoma. I think it was Allie. She had, you know, and her dad, Smitty, he's like, Louie, you know, reach out to people, you know, give me some love. And I said, I will, of course, you know, the sisters um from Maryland.
00:17:01
Speaker
um know Why am I forgetting their names right now? The two black women. um Oh, my God. Oh, i Sean. Sean? yeah short shaa and um The first ones eliminated. They were like the lawyers, right? the Yeah. yeah that you They weren't the first ones eliminated.
00:17:20
Speaker
They were like third. No, I mean, they were the fourth. If we were, wrong when we were in South America,
00:17:31
Speaker
um if the grandmother didn't get um kicked in the head by a the cow, there's a good chance Mike and I would have never made it to where we made it.
00:17:43
Speaker
You guys had some close calls. What they didn't show but they didn't show on that episode was that Mike and I, were when the the the two sisters, from um the the best friends from Washington, um when they were having problems with the horse,
00:18:04
Speaker
the you know the moving the whole the polo game yeah yeah yeah um like and i took it we um ended up asking a taxi cab driver for information we weren't supposed to and we got penalized at the end of that leg of the race but they never showed it because i don't know why but didn't really matter it didn't end up meaning the outcome yeah yeah that one of the biggest one of the big questions with people is like you you know, they can fix it. They can make things look good, blah, blah, blah. They can make, you know, they can change things up. I go, no, the Amazing Race is not Survivor. It's not Big Brother.
00:18:39
Speaker
You know, we we are different.
Race Challenges and Cultural Experiences
00:18:41
Speaker
We're different. Like, there was this time where Mike and i um it was a non-elimination in China and we're coming around and we came in a back way on them, right?
00:18:54
Speaker
We see Phil and stuff and the cameras. We come running up. And so Phil does his whole thing. Sad news, guys. You know, you're the last team to arrive.
00:19:06
Speaker
But the good news is, you know, that you know this is a non-elimination round. like Mike and I were freaking out. So then he goes in a whole nother breath, he goes, can we have that same energy, but can you run in from that direction so the cameras can get you running in?
00:19:21
Speaker
So we meet we made it work. But that's not changing an outcome. It was just changing. yeah Just getting better footage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just make it look better for TV. Yeah.
00:19:32
Speaker
That's interesting. but um So what was the information from the taxi cab that you weren't supposed to get? Oh, um and good directions.
00:19:43
Speaker
We weren't supposed to get it either from a map of people. We weren't supposed to ask anybody of and like a tax cap to get that. Like the clue. 30 minutes felt like eternity as far as a penalty.
00:19:56
Speaker
Yeah. It was awful. It was awful. So the clue that you rip open, it specifies that. Oh, yes. Yes. Because there's some of those little details that we don't get as viewers. Right.
00:20:07
Speaker
And so, like, yeah, we're always so curious, like, how much more detailed the clues are. and Right. You know, everything that from from money to but what the clues read.
00:20:19
Speaker
I mean, most of the time, I feel like they read most of the clues now on TV, you know, to to a point, you know. Yeah. It's fun. I mean, so i we started out in um l LAX.
00:20:33
Speaker
And from there, we flew va of we flew to ah Miami International Airport. When we got into Miami at International Airport, our backpacks were so big, we had ah we had we couldn't put them we couldn't bring them on. We had to.
00:20:47
Speaker
well So I'm like, Moe, we got to do something. Everybody else is bringing their backpacks on. We can't do this. We can't check them. So at Miami International Airport, we're sitting there going through our bags.
00:21:00
Speaker
I left a pile of clothes. I think I even left a pair of shoes in the airport. but but Somebody got free clothes, stuff like brand new stuff, you know? you know And Mike left a bunch of stuff. and So my my bag was 50 pounds. I think his was around 50 pounds.
00:21:18
Speaker
Oh, wow. i I used to power lift. I mean, I still work out, but I used to power lift and it's like thinking that 50 pounds, 50 pounds running is a lot. Trust me. It's a lot of weight on your back.
00:21:30
Speaker
And so we get from Miami International Airport. We fly into Santiago, Chile. That's our first leg of the race. um From there, we went to Valparicio, Chile.
00:21:42
Speaker
From Valparicio, Chile, we went to Argentina. And um so I really felt bad for the first couple that got knocked off. I'm friends with them to this day too.
00:21:54
Speaker
um They're sweethearts as well. um But it's the game, you know, and it is what it is. You're playing for a million dollars. And so from, a like I said, in Argentina was our longest layover.
00:22:10
Speaker
We literally, we slept on in tents on a lamb farm, L-A-M-B, lamb. and of fun oh And um so on the lamb farm, there was a guy with an automatic rifle sitting there you know watching us overnight. um yeah But the food was amazing. The food was crazy good.
00:22:40
Speaker
And the next morning we get up and they took us on a tour of the lamb farm, right? And they us how the land world goes from here to Italy. And I'm like, oh, wow, this is cool. You know, being Italian, you know, it was kind of cool. you know So then they asked us again, they like I said earlier, they asked us to go who wanted to go on to um a nature hike. So I went on the nature hike.
00:23:04
Speaker
we just had so much fun. Like that night we slept in the tent. Teams one through four got their own tents. Four through eight all had to sleep in one tent.
00:23:17
Speaker
right we had everybody ah the the other teams must have been jealous that came in one for four because we laughed all night long like you know you know it's just my um brent and i literally slept at the head of the tent so i said yep so if something comes in here and eats us we're dead first all right you know but um you know they're all silly things i mean you're all grown-ups we're like all right nobody fought please Right.
00:23:49
Speaker
yeah so um So, like I said, that next morning we get up and we did all those fun things. But um leaving there in the bus, all of a sudden the bus stops on the hill, heading up the mountains, right?
00:24:05
Speaker
And we're like, what's it stopping for? all of a sudden the camera guy's got the cameras out. look It was literally an army of tarantulas crossing the road. it was like a black line it was so cool um y'all freak it out y'all love it it was like a black line crossing the road and um they couldn't they had certain times of the year where they're protected so they couldn't run their they had to wait for it to go before we could leave oh my god yeah can just so so from argentina via buenos aires that's where mike and i were like
00:24:44
Speaker
All right, we're on another plane. We're going to be by ourselves. All right, whatever. Maybe their plane, will happen with their plane. you know you know in And this is very true with Amazing Race, as you guys know. And sure enough, that's when we saw Jack Cord.
00:24:59
Speaker
And for whatever reason, they decided to take this plane instead of the the plane that was supposed to lead be leaving earlier. And sure enough, we got it on the right plane because when we got into Germany, Hamburg, Germany,
00:25:12
Speaker
we were the first ones there with Jet and Court.
Navigating Cultural Differences
00:25:17
Speaker
And Mike and I just started crushing it at that point. Like that point of the the game, we woke up, started started listening to other people that just do our own thing and play the game.
00:25:29
Speaker
And we were racing along. um That's when um Mike got the bungee jump with Jet. I was so mad because I wanted to do that. But Mike and I kept switching off on the roadblocks.
00:25:41
Speaker
Mm-hmm. I did a roadblock. I did it first because I'm the one who got us on the show. Then he did it. that and We went back and forth. Yeah. Yeah. So Mike um like did that. But that's when we came in first for the first time in Germany.
00:25:56
Speaker
And um Germany was a blast and we caught the best. She was the best taxi cab driver ever, right? She was absolutely awesome. She took, she, she, we like, all right, can you wait here? She goes, okay. And she waited and we told her where we'd go next. She knew exactly where we were going.
00:26:12
Speaker
Then we had to go like eat. um if We either go kick soccer balls or go eat a bowl of sauerkraut. Literally a pound of sauerkraut. And I ate sauerkraut.
00:26:24
Speaker
yeah My mentality was, I'm just going to eat and swallow it because it's slimy. We just shove it down. Mike pretty much did the same. We killed the plate. yeah and um the you know the you know The other things we did in in um Germany, were just we just crushed. We just crushed it all the way.
00:26:42
Speaker
and they When we got to drink that boot of beer, Mike said to me, I don't really like beer. and I go, what kind of cop are you? At that point in my life,
00:26:53
Speaker
so and at that point in my life my My ex-wife now, but my wife then was a recovering alcoholic and I didn't touch any liquor for three years out of respect for her.
00:27:10
Speaker
you know so but now I'm on the amazing race and I got to put beer in front of me. um I'm playing for a million dollars. yeah so um i said it was I said it was non-alcoholic yeah oh beer.
00:27:25
Speaker
So from Germany, we flew into France. And France was just, after like you know, i we all tend to stereotype people because of what we hear, whether it be through social media or news whatever.
00:27:39
Speaker
But the people of France that we met were absolutely so nice, super cool, nice people. They were so respectful to us. And we literally did that um reenactment of a World War I scene, which was insane. Yeah. Literally.
00:27:55
Speaker
it was in the trouble leg. Those were um authentic red barons that flew over our heads. Oh, wow. at one point, I couldn't breathe, and I stood up. And all of a sudden, I hear Bertrand, Louis, get down. You're going to get me headed. I'm like, OK, get down, get down.
00:28:13
Speaker
So we, you know, from there, we did another leg and um came in first again. Did another leg in France, came in first again. via...
00:28:24
Speaker
then via from Dubai, we flew to the Seychelles Islands. Now, and just out of curiosity, do you did you know what the Seychelles Islands were before you even saw the show? I did not.
00:28:38
Speaker
I mean, some people, most people don't. Yeah. I mean, we're just familiar with it just because we're like geography. Yeah, we're currently in geography.
00:28:49
Speaker
But you look on satellite, you can't see until you really, really focus in. Yeah. You can't see the damn things. Yeah. No? So, What a beautiful island. What a beautiful island. I swam in the Indian Ocean because we had to. you um When um that leg of the race, Mike and i slept in bungalow in a bungalow.
00:29:13
Speaker
like It was one full-size bed. We were trying to get another room. They didn't have one. It was like, Mike and I, neither one of us are homophobic whatsoever. We don't care. My brother's gay. he got a, you don't care to shit either.
00:29:29
Speaker
But it was like there was a laser beam down the middle of the bed. mind I was around 220. heatide He, wide, he's 6'5". Yeah.
00:29:41
Speaker
So it was, um it was, it was just funny because we, so at the end of that leg of the race, I talked about that and yeah they do the extras and that they put on YouTube and stuff like that.
00:29:55
Speaker
And I talked about that scene that being in the ah bungalow. And he goes, they're going to hear that. No, no, no, no, no.
00:30:06
Speaker
They did.
00:30:09
Speaker
But yeah from the Seychelles, we went to Malaysia. Malaysia was gorgeous, beautiful. um But it was so hot there. yeah I thought,
00:30:22
Speaker
I'm going to carry the two biggest incense up those 140 steps in a hundred degree heat. What a mistake that was. Not that I couldn't do it, but when I got to the top, I was so out of breath.
00:30:37
Speaker
So out of breath. And I'm coming back down and we're coming back up with more incense. And and Evan lightstein like e Weinstein, Evan Weinstein, another director.
00:30:48
Speaker
He's like, Louis goes, ah come here, come off camera, come off camera. goes um Drink some water, drink some water. He goes, you okay? the I said, I said, going to have to pick me up off the steps because I'm not a quitter. you I said, I'll pass out before before I quit. he own or and um And if it wasn't for Mike, Mike was absolutely the most amazing partner I could have ever picked in my life because He motivated me at times because my cardio sucked.
00:31:16
Speaker
i I admit it. My cardio didn't get good until after doing the Amazing Grades. But my cardio was awful. And he just kept motivating me and pushing me because he knew I had that mentality.
00:31:28
Speaker
You know, so. And, um, and then he was back up from it. Every step money took, I had to take two. He's six, five. I'm five, 10. You know, yeah the difference, know.
00:31:40
Speaker
So that was the difficult part of that. But, um, then Malaysia, we, um, we went to Singapore, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. And then from Singapore, we went to Shanghai, um, China.
00:31:55
Speaker
That's where the first round was the non-elimination. We got saved. We did the second round. And if it wasn't for that bad taxi ride, we would have, they, Bob Pa was the head of our security.
00:32:08
Speaker
Okay. He, um, He was a British um and officer. He was like top-notch guy. e um he yeah He actually protected the the Queen at one time. That's how big he was with things, right?
00:32:25
Speaker
So he loved Mike and I, loved. And when we got eliminated, so um he he had tears in his eyes. And I was like, wow, this big tough guy had tears in his eyes. you don We did too because we didn't want to go, but I mean. yeah They literally said that they wanted um Mike and i with um Brett and Katie and the Cowboys to be the last three.
00:32:51
Speaker
But it is
Life After The Amazing Race
00:32:53
Speaker
what it is. Yeah. yeah right You did a good job remembering all of, I have all typed out the countries. ah ye Well, now mind you though, I've been telling this story for 15 True.
00:33:08
Speaker
true my wife now she goes i could tell you a story over and over again you know because whenever i go whenever i bump into people that you know they say oh you want to meet your age and they people want to know and it's cool like i love that oh i would never stop talking about it if we were on the show that why aren't you on the show we've applied we're waiting for the call one time that's good you know what people come up to you all day and I want to be on the amazing race. I go, all right, did you apply? No. I go, but then you're not going to on.
00:33:39
Speaker
Goodbye. So, um, Derek, Lovasa, um, who won big brother, yeah he is a, um, he was a central falls, Rhode Island police officer.
00:33:55
Speaker
I had just finished doing the amazing race and stuff. And, you know, like, so, um, so it was a few years past and he came up to, he goes, Hey Lou, I applied for Big Brother and he goes, I got to make my video. What should I do?
00:34:10
Speaker
I said, be yourself because they see through the bullshit. So when you're making any advice, I can give your listeners as well. And you guys, when you're making your video, be real.
00:34:21
Speaker
Don't be fake, you know, because they see right through the bullshit. They really do. They really do. Oh yeah. Little doggy over there. Yeah. in Our little podcast. He's got being a pest today. So, Oh, so.
00:34:36
Speaker
Yeah. So we've only applied one time. We're going to keep applying. We, that's our like life goal is to be yeah on the show. But in the meantime, we love doing this side of it. This has been so much fun and we've met so many different racers and they all have, they all say the exact same thing.
00:34:51
Speaker
haven't applied. You have to just be yourself. just Yeah. Yeah. Just be yourself. Yeah. You know? I don't know if any advice I can give you, but i mean other other than that, but, you know, Mike and I had fun with our video, in our first video we did, you know?
00:35:09
Speaker
Then the second, then they they sent us a message. to Can you do a video where you two bantering between each other? Oh, yeah. yeah You got it. We're cops. Of course we can, you know?
00:35:20
Speaker
So. Huh. Fun. Yeah. We, uh, We'll keep doing it. we'll We'll be there one day. You'll see us there one day. Yeah. So it's podcast girls.
00:35:32
Speaker
i mean, I would go on that angle. I would try that angle of it being, you know, um podcast racer girls and, you know, a you huge fans, you know, super fans. I would call yourself super fans.
00:35:44
Speaker
Oh, yeah. yeah Sure. Well, we say that. We think we're super fans. But when we get on, like, Reddit and other things and, like, do research for different episodes, there's a whole other level level of super fans. Oh, yeah. No, there are people that are ridiculous. Absolutely.
00:35:57
Speaker
I'm friends with some of those people. They, you know, they they obviously, they want to be friends with you on social media and stuff. And they ask you questions. And they, you know. Yeah. So, which I, like, like you guys, like you ladies, i love, you know, talking about it. So. Yeah.
00:36:13
Speaker
Yeah, the people who have it worked out, like they figured out like this is the first all female team to be eliminated third in the country of the originate, like just all. Oh my God, yeah, but that's insane. That's insane.
00:36:28
Speaker
yeah Those people need to be at Jeopardy or something. Yeah. Amazing Race Jeopardy. That'd be so cool. Right? That would be cool. That's serious. Serious.
00:36:39
Speaker
Yeah. That'd be really fun. So of all those places that you went on your race, have you been back to visit any of them? No. I wish I had, but I haven't. Which would you go? Where would you pick first? I think um Germany and um Singapore.
00:36:57
Speaker
Hmm. Yep. ah Singapore, absolutely. germany ah Germany, the people were so nice. And we were there just before Christmas. Oh, yeah. So what you don't see, everything was decorated and stuff. yeah All Christmas stuff.
00:37:12
Speaker
And there was thousands of people outside in the dead of winter. Like, it was cold. And people are, like, walking around like it's, know, no big deal. It was just so beautiful. you know And the people were super nice, too.
00:37:26
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. So we were so curious about a specific detour. You were talking about it, the incense versus the flags on the forehead.
00:37:37
Speaker
Yeah. Like, we're so curious, like, what the clue said to make you guys decide which one to do Because us as viewers, it was like, why would you not just go try the flag one? And if you can't do it one or two times, go to the other one. Because that one seemed so hard.
00:37:54
Speaker
And it's like... Did you know they were going to be so huge? or did i did not know they were going to be that big. But i my mentality, my meathead mentality at the time was, um I'm strong.
00:38:07
Speaker
Let's go. can take two of them up where, like, Brett and Katie, they were only dragging one up at the time. you know like So I'm thinking, we can bang this out. yeah That was my mentality.
00:38:20
Speaker
So that like that's why we didn't even try to flag one. We didn't even think about it.
Podcasting and Fan Engagement
00:38:24
Speaker
but as you watch, I watch every season like you guys and I watch every season and you're like, why didn't they choose that one? You know?
00:38:33
Speaker
So, but yeah, that's what we say. Like each episode, we kind of say like, if we were there, this is the one we would choose. And we try and make the decision before we see it actually play out.
00:38:44
Speaker
And so, but obviously we say, you know, we always say, But we're not there. we were you know yeah We're sitting here on our couch talking about it. We're not in the thick decision quickly. Exactly. people Listen, the people sit from their couch and talk shit all the time. yeah but Stop. Go play the game. You'll see.
00:39:05
Speaker
yeah And it's true. Once you get out there, you it's a whole different world. It's a whole, you know, people can talk all the the crap they want. And you when you're out there running around crazy, like, and yeah your mind is just going like,
00:39:18
Speaker
Mike and I literally, when we were in, um it was Argentina, we went two miles out of the way. we're like, oh. You know, it's a long distance.
00:39:29
Speaker
you know You know? Actually, in the car, we went 20 miles out of the and had to turn around. Because they literally show us, if you remember, they show us going by the barn you had to get the milk, the eggs, from the cow for the po and stuff.
00:39:43
Speaker
We literally drove by that the the first time. I was like, you want to buy it, please? I don't know if you noticed, Mike drove the cars all the time because he wanted to. Mike, you know, we're both um type A's, right? but Mike's so mics are different. the Mike's like, really what they have loves being control. I said, Mike, he goes, going to do the driving. I go, knock yourself out. Knock yourself out.
00:40:06
Speaker
But then when we got to Seychelles, right, and we had to ride the oxen in in the coconuts. Yeah. Yep.
00:40:17
Speaker
He goes, yeah, you ride this. I'm like, oh,
00:40:22
Speaker
But it's funny. my i Mike and I got along really well. People really thought him and I were going to fight like on each other. you know Like the two alpha males trying to butt heads. Yeah. No, that's what we liked watching about you guys.
00:40:37
Speaker
What's that? i That's what we liked watching about you guys. is You were just like fun and like got along so well. for You know, pretty much the whole time. I don't remember anything that was like, oh man, they're fighting.
00:40:50
Speaker
There is something, but it do they didn't hear it. And I thank God they didn't hear it. um It was in Singapore and we ran two miles out of the way and we came back and I, cause I said, we got to go here. and he goes, no, no, no, we got to go this way. And so we went that way.
00:41:06
Speaker
around two miles out of the way, and then came back to the spot where I said, we got to And I just was like, I said something to the effect of, um you know, next time, i mean I said, you talk to your wife that way. Don't you ever talk to me like that again, right?
00:41:22
Speaker
I'm so glad it didn't air because his wife would have kicked my ass. I i love this i love Mike's wife. Christine, she's awesome. Was that when you guys were trying to find like the fashion challenge?
00:41:34
Speaker
No, um this was in Singapore. so Oh yeah, that was in China. Yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah but um it was We had such a blast. though and i I remember the very last day um um finally got the call.
00:41:49
Speaker
you You call your loved ones and stuff. and We finally got our phones back and we're talking to them. and I'm like ah talking in mid-talk with my wife at the time. I go, Mike, we never really fought.
00:42:01
Speaker
We never really had an argument. He goes, you know what? We did it. are We really did it. you know it really shocked a lot of people. Yeah. well Yeah, if we like that. we're i mean, there's some people like the show for different reasons, but we like the teams that like get along when they're there for the race. And yeah, so we just really liked your guys' dynamic.
00:42:23
Speaker
Thank you so much. Mike and by um special mike said the best. Mike had a lot of great one-liners. oh But he said it the best when um he said, but like, when we're in countries, we literally had to tell, like, Jordan and Dan one time to calm down, you know.
00:42:42
Speaker
and We're on TV, you know, and we're in other we're in another country. We're in another country. Pretend it's a neighbor and they don't know you or something, you know.
00:42:54
Speaker
And you go you give respect. You respect them like you don't know them and you just want to give you know get respect. you don't They don't know you. You don't know them. You just calm down and relax. and might and that's mike And Mike said his kid his children were younger than my children at the time.
00:43:09
Speaker
And he said, I don't want my children see me on TV acting like an asshole to some you know somebody. yeah we that's our mentality That was our mentality the whole time. so Yeah. yeah we We talk about that a lot too.
00:43:21
Speaker
like It makes us so...
Uniqueness of The Amazing Race
00:43:23
Speaker
frustrated and upset when people are so rude to they go to somebody else's country and because they can't understand English are frustrated immediately and like talk me to usually taxi drivers because they're trying to get somewhere and they just yell at them and I'm like you're in their country you're the one that's not communicating with them you know it's yeah so and yeah So when they're so stressed and a million dollars is on the line, I know like you're everything is heightened, but at the same time, it's like, that's a human being.
00:43:54
Speaker
Yeah. and yeah that yeah Well, um Dan and Jordan are Jewish. And I think it was in Malaysia, if I remember correctly, um not here or anything, but on one of the taxis, was a swastika.
00:44:10
Speaker
And they're like, we're not getting any, we're not getting any. I'm like, bro, relax. We're here for a million dollars. They don't know who you are. They don't know don't care who you are. They just want your money.
00:44:21
Speaker
Relax. That's disrespect. I get that. I do understand that. It's disrespectful. I do. I get it. you know but We know literally had to talk them off ledges at times, too. but i And I love them, too. They're good kids.
00:44:33
Speaker
The crazy thing is, they were from Rhode Island as well. I know. I thought that was crazy. was nuts. was nuts. we were We were talking to one team when we originally got into South America. were like, we finally were able to talk while we were waiting for something.
00:44:49
Speaker
And we were like, there's another team from Rhode Island here. I'm like, what? It just happened to be them. It was crazy. was That was just odd. but ah millions Thousands of people signed up for the show. Yeah, and the two from New York, Chinese state.
00:45:04
Speaker
But he did an article in the newspaper why Rhode Islanders are so, like, um on social media and why I mean it won i mean I'm not sorry not on social media i mean on um reality shows why are there so many Rhode Islanders on reality shows and because I guess they explained it to the point where we are a melting pot between New Jersey New York Connecticut well we don't really come Connecticut pen it um yeah
00:45:35
Speaker
ah ah Massachusetts you know Boston that area so I guess, you know, I'm assuming that you guys hear some kind of accent I may or may not have. I don't know what you're talking about. But anyway. What you're talking about?
00:45:54
Speaker
Literally, one of the cameras guys said to me, and I think I told one of them in a text. He said to me um that we're probably going to have to subtitle some of the things you said.
00:46:06
Speaker
i like, what? Are you serious? He goes, yeah, I'm serious. I mean, stop it. Knock it off, right? And sure enough, I watch the damn show and I'm subtitled. All right. my gosh, that's so funny.
00:46:22
Speaker
But it is what it is. So that that's like we are literally Rhode Island's a melting pot of all those areas. So we get you're a mix of every we're a mix of everybody, I'm assuming. So that's why they love us.
00:46:33
Speaker
Yeah. oh That's really interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we watch what the subtitles like the whole thing with the subtitles. So would be like, you know, we're typing. the yeah That sun is coming like right in my face. with We're typing the clues and we're, you know, so, and sometimes i just don't understand. So we started watching with subtitles and it was a game changer. yeah Okay. yeah It can change things. Sure.
00:46:56
Speaker
So Dan and Jordan, we enjoyed them throughout the season. yeah Like our favorite team, but we liked them. But then there was that incident on the final leg with the backpack in line at the airport. Yeah. You guys had already been eliminated by that point, but. Right.
00:47:14
Speaker
That's the last leg of the race. Yeah. At that point, then I was like, I mean, it didn't affect the outcome of the race because with the flight and all that kind of stuff. So it didn't affect the outcome anyways.
00:47:26
Speaker
But still, it was like shady. And I'm like, oh, I could have. Well, they asked you know what they asked? They asked the the students. They said, there's some spots open in first class. Can um can we move up to them?
00:47:38
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think that was fine. It's just like when he put his backpack in front of the Cowboys that were waiting in line for like hours at the airport. Yeah.
Audience Connection and Team Reception
00:47:44
Speaker
And that didn't change the outcome. That was really smart of them to ask to go into first class. Yeah, not the outcome that did change the outcome of the race.
00:47:52
Speaker
But yeah, I just, we just, I didn't like that last final thing at the very end. And i'm like, ugh. Yeah. But I'm still happy that they won. They're good guys, it seems like. No, I do i love them. Jordan's freaking hilarious. He's just a funny, funny guy. so when whenever we go to charity events...
00:48:12
Speaker
You know people from different reality shows all show up and like there's usually like a clique of us that hang out. You know, we we have our own clique of got people. But Dan's one of them. And he's just a funny, funny guy. He's a great person. Great person.
00:48:25
Speaker
Yeah. um I mean, I'm sorry. yeah Jordan is. Dan doesn't. I never really seen him like Mike, my partner. they don't really come out to charity events and stuff, but that's, ah it's not everybody's thing, but I love doing it. Well, it seemed like they were the ones who were brought on the show.
00:48:41
Speaker
Cause like you're the one that applied and Jordan is like the super fan. Right. It doesn't make sense, but yeah. Yeah. so the So before you guys got on the show together,
00:48:56
Speaker
you weren't as close friends as like they made it seem? like yeah. No, yo yeah, we worked together um at the um for the Drug Enforcement Industry, DEA.
00:49:08
Speaker
We were a task force agents, so we're liaisons for our cities. So I was a liaison for for Providence. he was a liaison for Newport, Rhode Island. And um so we all worked together on different cases.
00:49:20
Speaker
And we got really close. Oh, okay. yeah Mike's awesome. He's such a sweetheart. He's a good guy. yeah It's funny. I'm like, I'm going to get subtitled, and he sounds like Kermit the Frog, and I'm going get subtitled. okay
00:49:36
Speaker
Yeah, one of the things that we also liked about you guys, it was the... the Shanghai episode with the puzzles. Yeah. And this is one example. And there was a couple others where it was like, your other teammate was obviously working really hard and trying their best, but you know, yeah. last And it was as the other teammate just kind of watching it, you're probably so like frustrated, but like you were still so supportive and such, such a good friend Thank you. There's other examples where the other teammate is like making it so much harder for that person. Of course, it's the best.
00:50:13
Speaker
And you don't need to talk to them like that. But you and Mike both did that. Like you guys were so supportive of each other, even in those really hard times. Well, know, being a police officer, and it's not it's not true for all police officers, like the game show people, like I always...
00:50:28
Speaker
You know, you gotta speak to somebody when you speak to somebody like, you know, you you can't come off like fire all the time. You can't come off like, ah, you know, you gotta talk in a soft voice.
00:50:40
Speaker
Like one guy come crazy at me one time when ah I'm on the job and he's like, and I'm like, bro, can we start this conversation over again? Do you hear me yelling? And he's like, no. And we started over again and it went from a hundred to zero like that.
00:50:55
Speaker
You know, it was like, and that's how Mike and I worked. Yeah, what what good is it, me yelling at him? I felt bad for him because that's when I found out he was colorblind. I didn't know, you know. Oh, no.
00:51:07
Speaker
oh yeah. I don't know if you overheard him say that, but him putting that puzzle together killed him. He had just look at, he had to look at the design of it. um He wasn't seeing the colors.
00:51:19
Speaker
That makes sense then, because he did talk about being stuck on a certain star. And we're like, that's really interesting. so But that makes so much more sense. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. no Yeah, it was funny.
00:51:31
Speaker
yeah And you're like, oh, great. This is the time that we found this out. It was cold, too. It was ah yeah it was cold. It was winter here, it's winter there, too. So, but it what it is.
00:51:44
Speaker
yeah You know, i there's a lot of would've, could've, should've, like, well, you know, literally we we were that close. We're on the cover of the CD, which nobody has CDs anymore, but we're on the cover.
00:51:56
Speaker
And, um, you know, we traveled all around the world. we traveled over 40,000 miles, you know, in 33 days, you know? And so at the very last leg of race back in San Francisco, they said to us, we're go there's a lot of people that are spoilers.
00:52:14
Speaker
We want you out there carrying a carrying your bags, running around, making it look like you're still in the race. Yeah. boom but I was like, that's fun.
00:52:27
Speaker
Yeah. Racing for no money, but okay. yeah That does make sense though. It does. we i mean, we, what you call it? I mean, we won three times.
00:52:40
Speaker
I'm sorry. yeah I'm so sorry. um we We came in first three times. We got three big prizes. you know, we you know came in fourth. It was fun. Yeah. Pretty successful overall if you look at it. So, yeah.
00:52:53
Speaker
yeah I'm just surprised we've never been asked to come back because, We um ended up getting a huge popularity, you know, with audiences and stuff. and but And I thought we would because Bertrand loves police officers. I'm like, oh, we're going to get back on it. But never happened.
00:53:11
Speaker
So, yeah. You would probably say yes if they asked me. Oh, my God. If they asked me, absolutely. Would Michael say yes? I think so.
00:53:22
Speaker
I think he would. i think you I think they might ask me to do the Fu Manchu again, and I'll do it. Yeah, for sure. It'll be a great Fu Manchu, but I'll do it.
00:53:34
Speaker
Yeah, I think you guys would be great, All-Stars, to come back. um we're so They haven't done an All-Stars for a while. so They haven't. They say there's a reason behind They've tried them. They're saying it's not as popular as a Big Brother or a Survivor um doing it.
00:53:51
Speaker
And, like, I asked, I said, why can't I, why can't you put me on Survivor? You know, as a, so you know, somebody from the major race, they said, no, because people don't, won't recognize you without your partner. I'm like, that's bullshit.
00:54:07
Speaker
I said, because no matter where I go, people recognize me. um but We're not him by my side. yeah and was, we were in um ah Fenway Park.
00:54:19
Speaker
We went to go see the Cleveland Indians play um Red Sox. And Smitty was the third base coach.
00:54:30
Speaker
And he got us player your seats and stuff. and And it was shortly after the Amazing Race. you know And his daughter, Allie, was there and stuff. And so we had a blast. were hanging out. We were there with me, Mike, Dan,
00:54:43
Speaker
um ah Jordan, um and Brent flew in. from South Carolina. And um we had such a great time.
00:54:54
Speaker
But I'm walking, and all of a sudden you see people looking at you, and it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're Louis. And didn't then they saw everybody else behind me, and it was like, yeah it was so cool. It was it was just a cool experience.
00:55:10
Speaker
And it's still, it's funny, though I do not look anything like I did on the show. Not Totally. But um people still recognize me. It's kind of crazy. It's kind of weird. 15 years later.
00:55:23
Speaker
You need to be on Traitors. Oh, I love that. i like I'm going to Do have apply? No, going to. I have not. like With your detective background? Yes. That would be really good. I love that show.
00:55:35
Speaker
I love that show. want to do Deal on No Deal, too. Oh, yeah. Yeah. i and to oh yeah Have you seen that one? rob Are you friends with Rob through like Amazing Race? i know i I've met Rob a couple of times. Not, you know, not super close. I know him. We follow each other on social media, but that's about it.
00:55:54
Speaker
No. yeah but Yeah. I know Rob, but it's about it. For some reason, like when anybody is on other shows, like they'll say survivor or like big brother. And they like, don't talk about amazing race, like Rob and Rachel being on traders. And they like, don't talk about him ons race. And it's like the race has so many fans, like do more race stuff, but like they've won the amazing races. Won so many more awards than most most of the other reality shows. Yeah. yeah
00:56:25
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. don Okay. well we'll look out for that. we Yeah. Yeah. Please. That'd be so fun. I was going to, um,
00:56:36
Speaker
I was going to apply, don't know if it was Traders, I think might've been Traders, but it's filming in late May, June of 26. Okay.
00:56:49
Speaker
okay So when I saw that, I'm like, i my head dropped. I'm like, damn, I'm but i'm not applying for that because I was asked to be, I've been a powerlifting coach for the Special Olympics team in Providence for 10 years now.
00:57:04
Speaker
I was asked to be the powerlifting coach for the state of Rhode Island in the United States Games in June of 2026. So I was like, that's so cool. And it's in them in Minneapolis.
00:57:15
Speaker
So okay yeah. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. It's very cool. Very cool. What else have you been up to after the race?
00:57:25
Speaker
So much. It's been a long time. again so Yeah, I know. I've been doing like i been doing um Special Olympics, like I said. And um ah take that takes up a lot of my time.
00:57:38
Speaker
i amm a private investigator now. and I've been retired from the police department for 13 years. I'm a private investigator, co-owner security company. private investigator. I even I'm a part time investigator with Adoption Rhode Island, where I help children of who are in foster care, on find family members and stuff that day. Yeah.
00:57:58
Speaker
ah So I'm busy. I'm busy life. Busy life. you know can I just got remarried. I was going to say, I saw you have to stalk people on social media to see what that. And now I saw that you got remarried. so I got remarried um to the most amazing woman in the world. She's a sweetheart to me. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.
00:58:20
Speaker
But all I do do a lot of charity events and do end up you know hanging out with a lot of people from different reality shows, you know so which is fun. yeah I see a lot of fans. The fans are cool.
00:58:34
Speaker
I've been voted um most um friendly. like Most what's approachable. you know That's a good title to have. It's a very good title to have, number one. cause you know um I see a lot of these young kids that run around the MTV show. um One of those race shows they have on that.
00:58:59
Speaker
But anyways, Oh, like the challenge? is The challenge. There you go. Some of the people, some of those young kids are just so cocky. Even some kids, um even some of the kids from Big Brother, too. They're just so cocky. They're so like, oh, I'm famous. No, you're not. No, you're not. no You got lucky. You got lucky. you I mean, you you obviously said the right words and they picked you.
00:59:20
Speaker
But you should be grateful and blessed that, you know, you were picked. You know, to be on this show. and That's the way Mike and I look at it. like We're just blessed. We're lucky. and I asked Mike, and that's how Mike got on.
00:59:34
Speaker
but you know It's how it works. mean Just be grateful. know but They're not. Some of them aren't. I don't care who comes up to me. I don't care. you know If somebody comes up to me and they want to talk to me about it at these events, I do.
00:59:51
Speaker
I'm not going to be rude. Yeah, I know every season they to cast for the race, they're trying to get entertaining people and stuff like that. But I think the Amazing Race is very unique compared to Big Brother and the challenge and all that stuff. Like I think they really do pick genuine people and yeah people on the race really do appreciate their relationships yeah yeah they appreciate the experience they are there to like explore the world and like the fans of the amazing race are different like it is such a unique show and i just yeah we it is it is pretty cool it is pretty cool but i'm free i am so blessed have been picked and chosen to be on it you know um i don't know what else to say about that it's just like it just um
01:00:37
Speaker
It was so random how it all happened. Yeah. But it did. you know And I've gotten asked to be on a ah couple of ah ah awesome
01:00:49
Speaker
um music shows that are on TV. Zazam was one of them. And um another one was miss the Missing Lyrics one. And I applied because they they reached out to me.
01:01:04
Speaker
and they reached out to me hey you know blah blah blah and so look i tell people all the time you can't hit the ball if you don't swing the bat you got to swing the bat you don't get big you don't get big but they're remember you that's for sure and that's how it all happened with me they remembered me from my videos when i tried out for survivor because i literally went in and did a no rehearsal no nothing video where i went out i'm like oh my name's louis stavato I'm from Providence, Rhode Island, and I worked, you i i mean, I'm from Rhode Island, i worked the mean streets of Providence, you know, so if I could survive there, I could survive anywhere in this world, you know, and so that's how I kind of went off, like, what my angle was when I did that free fall, you know, video, and um they remembered me, so.
01:01:50
Speaker
Yeah, nice. Yeah, just be me me memorable, be real. Yeah. Yeah, so. We write all these things down. Every time somebody says some little tip about the audition videos, we remember it. and so all you got i mean you got You got my number now. You got any questions? Call me. i don't like it.
01:02:07
Speaker
Thank you. We appreciate that. You're very welcome. We also were like, oh, we got to write that down in our tips like while we're on the race. Make sure you do this, this, and this, or don't do this. make sure we don't know read Read the damn clue.
01:02:19
Speaker
Read the clue. How many times have you watched it? and people like And you're like, oh my God, that's not what the clue said. What are you doing? no you didn't didn't read it You know, it happens.
01:02:29
Speaker
yeah They're the best of you. It happens. When we were in Shanghai at the very last race, when we officially got eliminated, um we were in the taxi and There was a plexiglass and on the corner of the plexiglass was a sign that Mike and I were totally oblivious to, right? Until we like, we're looking at it and it's all different languages, including English.
01:02:57
Speaker
And at the bottom of it, it says, if you can't, if you're having problems communicating with your taxicab driver, call this number. Now we don't have phones, right?
01:03:08
Speaker
So now we're, now we're to the taxicab driver. Boys, boys. me your phone, your phone. Like me, I'm thinking this is phone in any language, right? And finally he figured out the phone, your phone. And he, let me use it. He gave it to us.
01:03:26
Speaker
We might call the number and said, can you please tell him to go to this location? and that's, but but at that point when we got to that location, it was, you know, it was dumb. Yeah, you guys were looking for that one.
01:03:37
Speaker
thing for a while it seemed like yeah yeah yeah but that was so smart that was definitely using your surroundings yeah yeah yeah yes yep be aware your surroundings absolutely no thing um insider thing like what i noticed at times was you knew you were close to um certain clues when you saw oh other people other than your camera guy yeah other people that you remember after a while you start recognizing um And you see, you're like, oh, there's so-and-so. It's something around here. Something's around here.
01:04:12
Speaker
So it's just being a ah being aware of your surroundings is perfectly set. Nice. Yeah. Interesting. So and what i before we finish this up, why did you guys choose me?
01:04:24
Speaker
How did you find me? Other than watching the show, said you said, oh, he's a good-looking Italian guy. Let me ask him. Exactly.
01:04:34
Speaker
Yeah, well, when you guys were eliminated and we do like the background of like, where are they now? You seemed so like active still and so interested in the race still. And we reach out to like a lot of people that don't really respond, but we're like, oh, he'll probably be one that does respond. And you did. So so yeah, yeah, no, just one of the nights sometimes people are just weird. And I'm like, I'm looking at it and I'm like, this sounds legit. Let me try it.
01:05:01
Speaker
Yeah. No, I'm so happy you did. um so happy you did. Yeah. And we did like you guys as a team. Like you were one of our favorites of the season. Thank you. Thank you. We get that a lot. That's awesome. That's just respect.
01:05:12
Speaker
Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate that. How long have you guys been doing this podcast? um What? three Three and a half years. It'll be four almost in fifth. All right.
01:05:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And we do six seasons a year. We do every other month. We just like record and like release them in a batch so that people can binge watch it and then listen. Okay.
01:05:37
Speaker
and And give us time to record. And we're also moms and have jobs. yeah Yeah, I get it. I get it. Yeah, we've been doing it for a little bit, but right we're getting it down now.
01:05:50
Speaker
It may not seem that way trying to get your recording done earlier today. Don't worry. When I um first... when i After my season, i i was asked. Before podcasts was a thing, there was other things. And I i was on it with the Ron... Radron was his name. He passed away. And it was him and i would talk about The Amazing Race.
01:06:16
Speaker
He'd have me on his show. And then this woman... um i don't know if you're familiar with it. um They call it Cherry Garcia. um She... um she continued the show with me and I did it for a while then it fell off you know but it's just like but I really didn't know what the hell I was doing I'd watch you know i'd watch every episode write notes down like you guys do and then you know and then go for it and just do it and I had fun you know we had some you know we had people that called in and i mean not call in would connect with us at some points and stuff and like we'd get them on it was fun yeah yeah
01:06:55
Speaker
It's been really fun. Like we've, we've talked to a handful of people and it like, we're, so we're starstruck still every time we're like, Oh my gosh, they're, they're going to talk. Yeah.
01:07:06
Speaker
And like getting to spend more time together, me and hers and um like something that we love and right we've met Joe and Bill in person. They came to you ok um visit. So if you ever come to Utah for a vacation or anything, we'd love to take you around or,
01:07:22
Speaker
take out to dinner or something? I will reach out to you guys. Absolutely. Absolutely. got to get up that way. to Rhode Island too. Yeah. I've never been there. We both need to go to Rhode Island. Oh my God. So Rhode Island has, which though we are the smallest state, we have some of the best restaurants.
01:07:40
Speaker
yeah Everybody that comes here, you you will not leave here with an empty stomach and you'll be leaving here with like, oh my God, the food is amazing. I swear to God. I'm not kidding you. It's not. I would love that if you guys ever come out this way.
01:07:52
Speaker
But I got to get out that way. I got a good friend who lives Colorado and stuff. And he keeps begging me to come out that way. So yeah. I got to check it out.
01:08:03
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Yeah. That'd be great. Well, we really, really appreciate your time. And this has been so fun and so informative. And this has been so great. Thank you so much.
01:08:14
Speaker
So yeah, just hit me up. Let me know when this is going to air and stuff. And I'll help promote it for you too. yeah we would love that we really right it was so nice meeting you ladies yeah you too you too thank you we'll keep in touch i'll yeah i'll message you please well and we're friends on facebook now so all right cool cool it's always fun when i like people's uh facebook and i'm like a mutual friend i have a mutual friend like all the race people now so
01:08:41
Speaker
it's all good it's all good you know I love it. Get your name out there. You guys did a great job. I love it. yeah Thank you. Thank you so much. You're very welcome. It was so nice meeting you guys.
01:08:52
Speaker
You too. Have a good evening. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. Bye.