‘The Amazing Race’ finale: Who was crowned the winner for season 36?
Ricky Rotandi and Cesar Aldrete were crowed the winners of “The Amazing Race” season 36.
“The Amazing Race” took them out of the “Big Brother” house and across Europe.
After 11 legs, which team will come away as the winner and win the $1 million prize? The season 38 finale of “The Amazing Race,” is tonight.
The season, dubbed the European Adventure, featured 13 teams that each included at least one former “Big Brother” contestant teaming with a loved one. Now, the remaining teams are coming home to race in the finale in New York City.
Teams will make stops at the Empire State Building, Epices Bakery and Sesame Workshop before finishing at Yankee Stadium.
The final four teams are brothers Jag and Jas Bains, dating couple Taylor Hale and Kyland Young, brothers Joseph and Adam Abdin, and engaged couple Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber.
The Journal Sentinel will provide live coverage during the season 38 finale. Follow below:
The final three teams are heading to New York City!
They’re on the same plane so it’s an even playing field when they all arrive. Teams must travel to the Empire State Building for their first challenge.
Teams go up to the 103rd floor and each person must repel down 13 stories to the 90th floor to get their next clue.
That’s quite the exhilerating way to begin the finale.
Jag and Jas have no trouble and maintain their lead. Taylor and Kyland arrive in second and leave in the same place. Joseph and Adam get to the NYC landmark in third. Adam is fearful but he completes the task.
The final three teams running in the final leg of season 38 of “The Amazing Race” are:
- Jag and Jas
- Taylor and Kyland
- Joseph and Adam
The season finale began with the conclusion of leg 11. Jag and Jas and Taylor and Kyland had already checked in at the end of last week’s episode so their place in the final leg was secured.
But viewers were left with a cliffhanger wondering who the third and final team would be. It was between Joseph and Adam Abdin and Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber.
The pit stop was near the Eiffel Tower. The Abdin brothers had a little trouble finding Phil and while the edit made it appear that it could be a foot race, their lead was big enough to advance.
Izzy and Paige were too far behind and eliminated.
The season finale of “The Amazing Race” begins at 8:30 p.m. Central time.
Watch “The Amazing Race” on CBS. Episodes are also streamed on Paramount+.
Stream ‘The Amazing Race’ on Paramount+
It’s the usual Wednesday night lineup on CBS.
First, it’s “Survivor” at 7 p.m. Central time followed by “The Amazing Race” at 8:30 p.m.
Both shows are 90 minutes.
Four teams remain heading into “The Amazing Race” season finale:
- Jag Bains and Jas Bains (brothers); Jag won “Big Brother” season 25 in 2023; Jag and Jas have won six of the 11 legs on “The Amazing Race” and finished first in the penultimate episode.
- Taylor Hale and Kyland Young (dating), both are “Big Brother” alums with Taylor winning season 24 in 2022. Kyland competed on “Big Brother” season 23 in 2021.
- Joseph Abdin and Adam Abdin (brothers), Joseph competed on “Big Brother” season 24
- Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber (engaged); Izzy competed on “Big Brother” season 25
Here were the 13 duos on “The Amazing Race” season 38 and the order of elimination heading into the finale:
- Jag Bains and Jas Bains (brothers)
- Taylor Hale and Kyland Young (dating)
- Joseph Abdin and Adam Abdin (brothers)
- Izzy Gleicher and Paige Seber (engaged)
- Jack Baham and Chelsie Baham (dad-daughter), ninth eliminated
- Tucker Des Lauriers and Eric Des Lauriers (brothers), eighth eliminated
- Natalie Negrotti and Stephanie Negrotti (sisters), seventh eliminated
- Rubina Bernabe and Kristine Bernabe (sisters), sixth eliminated
- Hannah Chaddah and Simone Chaddah (sisters), fifth eliminated
- Kat Dunn and Alex Romo (dating), fourth eliminated
- Matt Turner and Megan Turner (husband-wife), third eliminated
- Angela Murray and Lexi Murray (mother-daughter), second eliminated
- Enzo Palumbo and Jack Palumbo (brothers), first eliminated
“The Amazing Race” has been on the air since 2001 and Wisconsin has been well represented on the hit reality TV competition show.
In fact, there have been two winners with ties to the state. Married couple Rachel and Dave Brown, Jr., dominated season 20 on their way to the win in season 20 that aired in spring 2012.
Then UW-Madison food scientists Amy DeJong and Maya Warren pulled off an improbable comeback story to capture the season 25 victory in fall 2014.
Season 36, which filmed in fall 2022 and aired in spring 2024, featured three teams with connections to Wisconsin.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Rod Gardner and his wife, Leticia, moms and firefighters Bizzy Smith and Sunny Pulver and Milwaukee native Shelisa Williams and her husband, Derek.
The Gardners made it to the finale and finished in third place.
Not only did this season of “The Amazing Race” feature an all-Big Brother cast, but it included three winners from 2022 to 2024: Bains, Hale and Baham.
A few days after the season premiere of “The Amazing Race,” season 27 of “Big Brother” crowned its 2025 winner.
Ashley Hollis, 25, won in a resounding 6-1 vote over Vince Panero.
