The Amazing Race International Versions > TAR Asia
TARA Allan Wu (the host)
slayton:
Allan has posted an entry on his website with pictures from the open casting call in Kuching, Malaysia. He was there with three of my favorites: Vanessa Chong, Pamela Chong, and Bernie Chan.
http://www.wulander.com/2010/03/you-dont-have-to-be-famous/
slayton:
--- Quote ---The Amazing Allan
Submitted by dominah on Thursday, March 11th, 2010
TARA Entertainment
After a year-long break, The Amazing Race Asia host Allan Wu returns to helm the fourth season
Shuhaidah Saharani
Thursday, March 11th, 2010 13:01:00
Soon, fans of The Amazing Race Asia will once again be racing home to catch the show. That's right, after a year-long hiatus, TARA, as the show is fondly referred to, is returning for its fourth season!
Everyone, from hardcore fans to prospective contestants, are getting excited. However, nobody is arguably more ecstatic than TARA's host himself, 38-year-old Allan Wu.
After hosting the show for three consecutive seasons, the hunky Allan is itching to get back in the game.
"I'm pumped!" said the model-turned-actor/VJ/host in a phone interview with The Malay Mail recently. "I'm really excited. I've been anticipating it like everyone else, just trying to get all the pieces together. I just want to get ready and race again."
So what can we look forward to in the new race?
"You can look forward to the same host!" joked Wu, obviously not willing to give anything away and risk spoiling the show.
"And you can look forward to an all new line-up of contestants." Again, being master of the obvious.
"Since the show took a year off, I'm hoping a lot more people will sign up for the race. I'm expecting a whole new bunch of contestants with different personalities and from all walks of life, new countries to go to with all-new challenges, surprises, twists, pitfalls - other than pit stops, of course. So, just expect the unexpected."
Cryptic, but it definitely sounds exciting.
But would it be exciting enough to woo Wu into participating, if given the chance?
"I would! If I wasn't the host, and with what I know now, I would definitely sign up for the race."
And who would be his dream race partner?
"In the past, I would've asked my wife. But now, I know there's no way she would sign up with me. We would probably be arguing all the time, fighting and all the stuff - that would probably be good TV but I'm not all that excited about airing my dirty laundry," he admitted, chuckling.
"So I think, a great partner would be Phil Keoghan, the host of the US version of The Amazing Race. Two The Amazing Race hosts racing together? Now that would be great. And we'll be arguing about our past contestants' racing experiences in our own race. That would be funny."
Continuing with the hypothesis, if Wu were to race, he'd have his own strategies to win.
"I think it starts with choosing the right partner. It also helps to decide with my partner what our strategies are early on. I would definitely watch previous seasons of TARA so I'd know what other teams did right or didn't do right."
A RACE AGAINST THE TIME: Wu with some of the contestants from TARA Season 2
He added, "I'll make sure that both my partner and I are in decent shape because we're going to be walking a lot and carrying this big backpack for quite a long period. And lastly, we'd just prepare ourselves to handle a lot of stress and be able to push ourselves to the limit. I have to remind myself to just go for it with an open attitude, stay cool and not get too caught up in the moment and be too upset, emotional or angry because usually that's when teams start to tear apart."
Wise words from the host - so future TARA racer wannabes, do take note.
Three seasons on, with multiple locations visited, tricks and cultures learned and contestants taken care of, surely Wu must have had some unforgettable experiences on TARA.
"I have a lot! Every time I'm at a new country that I've never been before, I'll try to soak it all in. I've been to Budapest, Prague, Cape Town, Auckland, Melbourne, Dubai, Oman... I'm just all over the place and each location is such a visual splendour in itself.
"On top of that, sometimes it's the teams. You see the human element of the show like when racers just feel like giving up, you know, they are tired, sunburned but they still continue the race. And to see that desire, motivation and determination is truly inspiring. There are also times when I was stuck at the pitstop waiting for 15 to 16 hours between the first team and the last team. So, just sitting there until they have all arrived is an unforgettable moment too."
Fans of TARA would probably know which season Wu was talking about. Yes, the third one where, after waiting 15 hours for the last team to arrive at the pitstop, Wu refused to wait anymore and went looking for the missing (not to mention losing) team.
Apparently, they couldn't find the tool to help them out in the race and in their exhaustion, decided to sleep it out in their car! Poor Wu had to go and wake them up.
In their defence, though, a race such as TARA can be quite tiring and a good sleep is quite a reward in itself. Not just for the contestants, but the host missed sleeping too, among other things.
"I definitely missed my family. I miss them, I miss sleeping and my workout regime. I use exercising to maintain my balance. It's hard, but I stay in shape during the race by using this exercising band called Loopz, which my wife introduced me to, and I take that with me everywhere. But with family, I'll make some time to be with them (before and after the race). Usually the kids, my daughter Sage who is five years old now and my son Jonas, he just turned four are always excited to see me after I've been gone for a long time. It's nice to know that you're missed."
So, would his kids be his proudest, biggest fans?
"Yes, I think so. It's funny because in the beginning, they're just puzzled watching the show and seeing their daddy on TV. Now, as they are older, they really understand what I'm actually doing. They get really excited to see their daddy going on to different countries and kicking out contestants along the way."
Going back to TARA and its history, which had a Malaysian team winning the first race, then down to the fifth place on the last race, what does Wu think of the chances for the Malaysian team or teams this year?
"Malaysian teams have always done so well in the race - it's like it's in the blood," he said. "I do expect Malaysia to do well this year too. Teams from Malaysia and the Philippines always do well. There's a huge market for TARA in these two countries and a lot of fans of the show are from those countries.
"Basically, I think because when you're a fan, and you've watched the show every season, you talk about the show and you discuss the show with friends about what to do what not to do that when you participate, you have a good foundation already. So, one, you have the enthusiasm and two, you have the knowledge too. So I really think Malaysia will do well, definitely."
Let's hope he's right. So, besides TARA, what other projects is Wu working on?
"Right now, Singapore is playing host for the very first youth-Olympic games later this year, so I'm doing this new reality game show called Game On for Star Hub cable TV in Singapore where we get kids aged 14 to 17-years-old to compete in various sports to raise the awareness of health and fitness, sports and competition. So I'll be doing that in a couple of weeks.
"Then I have some projects that are not yet confirmed, and after TARA, I might have a role in a movie. I think there are some Malaysian artistes as well, but this is also not confirmed yet. On top of that, I'm also helping my wife to promote the exercise tool called the Loopz which you can find out more at www.wureka.com and speaking of websites, I have my own where fans can go and visit too. Check out www.wulander.com to get to know me!"
--- End quote ---
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/29925-amazing-allan
slayton:
--- Quote ---Last call for amazing racers
by May Seah
05:55 AM Mar 12, 2010
THE call-to-entry for the fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia is ending on March 22, so if you're still dragging your feet about it, don't. You don't want to miss what Allan Wu calls "the experience of a lifetime".
Having been the host for all three seasons of The Amazing Race Asia, Allan knows what he's talking about. "I have friends who'll come up to me all the time and go, 'You are team No 1!', 'This is a non-elimination round!', 'A detour is … ' I'm like, 'Okay, great'," said the 38-year-old, laughing.
And what makes The Amazing Race amazing? "Having the opportunity to go to different parts of the world that you probably wouldn't on a normal basis," said Allan, who named Prague as his favourite destination so far.
"As a contestant, I think, more importantly, it's testing your relationship with your partner, too. Under duress, under stress, lack of sleep, performing various tasks in exotic countries ... It's not like you're just singing on a dance stage, or you're stuck on an island trying to backstab people."
Ooh, a little competitive, are we?
The new season promises to up the intellect and sophistication ante. "There'll definitely be some twists and turns, and new challenges.
"Our show prides itself on trying not to replicate what we've done in the past, and give the audience something new."
That's why the show is looking for a wide range of contestants - "the more different, the better", Allan said.
If that's you, and you think you can handle a race around the world, and you have your trusty inflatable neck pillow at the ready, take Allan's advice for a winning strategy. "It's important to pick the right partner," he said. "And also it helps to get in shape, too."
For information on how to apply, visit www.axn-asia.com/tara. The deadline for submissions of applications is March 22.
--- End quote ---
http://www.todayonline.com/Plus/Television/EDC100312-0000084/Last-call-for-amazing-racers
Thanks to Allan for this article and the last article.
Jobby:
I'm glad Allan Wu has such a great career right now.
He used to be sort of like a joke in the entertainment industry in Singapore.. what a waste of talent it was for him then..
Glad that it all worked out!!
slayton:
Thanks to Allan for this article.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/247877/amazing-allan
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