1) Can you recap what their filmed explanation was please??
2) Aren't celebrities PAID to do the race? Maybe they could only afford her for so many legs.
Let's go on inverse order, cause the 2nd question is actually easier.
2) I believe they are paid, on a per episode basis, like they get paid in Asia for participating or being part of any variety / non-scripted show for a full day of filming, even if it's a short leg. Unless something changes on the way the show is produced, we'll never see a TBC leg, and that's why flying time is also never counted in this version. The following leg starts where it starts. Back on the issue of payment, I believe all participating celebs get a flat rate per leg (but it is very likely a generous flat rate), and mentioning the main sponsor during the race is also part of the contract.
Fan Bin Bin case is also interesting, as she's featured as the headlining racer when the season started to be promoted back in march, with that she also got a bit deal out of this, to become the face of HeiHeiRu products.
I don't think there was producer meddling in this, they were both clearly sad and disappointed when they were eliminated, that's makes even more annoyed by a team that remained just giving up on the race.
1) Was planning to add some caps, but they might actually make the post harder to read. If someone wants them, just let me know, and I can add them into the post.
We should start in the middle.
- After being last on the Face-Off, Jike and Chuaming are the last to arrive and start one of the detour tasks. They decide to go with the wedding invitation task.
- They struggle with the heat, but are able to complete 6 invitations required, and submit them to approval. All 6 are denied.
- Then we get via post-filmed commentary shown as voice-over: "It was a lot of hard work that went unrecognized. But the main thing is, there are certain tasks that are really hard to complete with two people of the same gender".
- After one attempt, they go " I give-up".
Then we get a brief cut, and see them boarding a taxi: "Let's go, Let's Go Home. Let's go back to the Hotel".
Chuaming leaves the taxi and says "Let me find the producer. Let's not leave without notifying anyone".
Then we just get written message on screen that they have given-up completing any other tasks from the leg, afterwards they simply disappear from the leg until final minutes.
Near the end of the episode, we get an update on the placement boards, showing that they have voluntarily withdrawn.
Then we go to final minutes, after the last team racing had checked-in.
Allan explains that Chang Jike and Chang Chuaming have decided for Persional Reasons to leave the race.
And finally we get the post filmed interview:
Jike: " During the Face-Off, as I was standing-up, my dad comes to me, mentioning that his knees are getting more painful, it's was still bearable enough to move, it will slow-us down and it might get worse. As it might get worse, we agreed that we might not be able to completing other tasks" (This is a summary, as I'm too lazy to translate line-by-line)
Chuaming: "This time Dad, really pulled us back, but it wasn't on purpose."
Then they go into how he's an older racer than the other people participating, and how Jike learned a lot from his father, and he is still his biggest supprter. With hindsight, it's fairly positive exit edit.