Beauty queens, athletic married couple represent PH in ‘The Amazing Race Asia’ By Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon.com
July 30, 2016 · 1:37 pm
The two Philippine teams in this year's edition of 'The Amazing Race Asia': Beauty queens Parul Shah and Maggie Wilson and married couple Eric Tai and Rona Samson
Two teams composed of four very competitive individuals will represent the Philippines in the much-awaited return of AXN’s “The Amazing Race Asia.”
Beauty queen besties Maggie Wilson and Parul Shah and athletic married couple Eric Tai and Rona Samson will battle it out with nine fearless teams from six other Asian countries in Season 5 of the Asian franchise of the 10-time Emmy award-winning show for Outstanding Reality Competition program.
Having participated in local and international pageants, both Maggie and Parul are no stranger to competitions. A former actress, model and MTV VJ, Maggie was the country’s representative in the Miss World beauty pageant in 2007 while Parul competed twice in Binibining Pilipinas before she earned the right to represent the Philippines in Miss Grand International 2015 where she went on to win second runner-up and Best in National Costume.
Also known by his moniker, Eruption, Eric first became known as a member of the Philippine Volcanoes rugby team but later gained more prominence as one of the hosts of ABS-CBN’s noontime show, “It’s Showtime” until his departure from the cast this year.
His wife, Rona, whom he married for the second time this year, describes herself as a “positive body image warrior and a plus size model” in her Instagram page. As both she and Eric work out regularly, they are seen as among the more athletic among the 11 competing teams.
Slated to premiere in October, the fifth instalment of the popular reality adventure series will be hosted by Asian-American actor Allan Wu, who was the “face of the race” for AXN’s first four seasons, and most recently the host of “The Amazing Race China: Celebrity Edition.”
“This season is going to be a huge adrenaline rush and a race like no other. The racers and AXN viewers can expect more thrills, more drama and more twists than ever before,” said Allan. “The teams will be transformed during the race, for better or worse – but one thing is for sure, it will be the ultimate adventure of a lifetime!”
Sharing the pit-stops and co-hosting with Allan during selected legs of the race will be the stunning Indonesian movie star Tara Basro, who in 2015 won a Citra Award at the Indonesian Film Festival for Best Leading Actress for her role in A Copy of My Mind. Tara’s appearance in The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 marks the first time a co-host has been cast in the series.
Sony Pictures Television Networks Senior Vice President and General Manager Ang Hui Keng says the 22 individuals comprising the 11 teams “represent a true cast of characters with diverse personalities, backgrounds, talents and relationships.”
The other teams are composed of travel hosts Rach and Ricky and childhood friends Louisa and Treasuri from Indonesa; beauty queens Yvonne and Chloe, brothers Alex and Will and old school mates Brandon and Alphaeus from Malaysia; radio DJs JK and Mike and siblings Rei and Kenji from Singapore; dating couple Tom and Anita from Thailand and life partners Lisa and Nicole from Vietnam.
“This season’s audition videos were creative, witty, clever and very surprising, so it was a tough selection process. We’re thrilled with the 11 teams – they embody AXN’s brand personality, which is passionate, determined, unexpected and high-octane. This is not just a show – it’s an adrenaline-fueled adventure for everyone involved, including our viewers.”
Production of The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 kicks off next week. Award-winning international production company, Profiles Television, founded by globally renowned producers Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri, is producing the series.
http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/beauty-queens-athletic-married-couple-represent-ph-in-the-amazing-race-asia/