Amazing Race season 38 cast: Big Brother takes the world by storm

The Amazing Race has always had a strong casting partnership with its fellow CBS reality television shows. Stars from Big Brother and Survivor have frequently found themselves earning a spot on upcoming Amazing Race seasons, especially showmances that last after the show. Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich were the first, but couples like Rachel Reilly and Brendon Villegas, Jeff Schroeder and Jordan Lloyd, Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf, and Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss are among the many reality star appearances.

There was even a season focused solely on all former reality players, with pairs formed from Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race. As it turns out, this is not the only time that Amazing Race has decided to recycle casting from their family of shows. Once again, reality television will be taking over the race, this time focusing exclusively on the summer smash hit, Big Brother. While each team has a former Big Brother player, their partners (mostly) are friends, family, and loved ones from home.

So, what do we know about the season, and who is about to find their way back onto our television screens once again?

THE AMAZING RACE - Season 38 Gallery — The entire cast (13 teams) from the CBS Original Series THE AMAZING RACE, Season 38, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. | Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CBS' 'surprise' is official, and everyone can pretend to be shocked now

Sure, we have all known for a while what the theme of Amazing Race 38 is, especially since fans literally saw them racing during filming. That said, it is still exciting to get the official details about the upcoming season. Phil Keoghan, one of the best hosts in reality television, returns to bring more amazing cultural lessons about each spot the race visits. The show is premiering on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 9 PM EST, but will typically slot in on Wednesdays following Survivor 49.

As reported by CBS, racers will “face classic game pieces and unexpected twists right off the bat. For the first time in The Amazing Race's history, teams face their first challenge before even lining up on the starting line. The first team to complete the task receives an express pass, and the last team to complete the task faces the consequences of a Hazard. Along the route, teams will reach new heights in Prague, bathe like a king in Budapest, and skydive nearly 13,000 feet over Romania.” The race begins in Amsterdam.

So, who can we expect to see on the season? There are a total of 13 teams, with plenty of highlights to look forward to. Multiple former winners, including Chelsie Baham, Jag Bains, and Taylor Hale, return to an entirely new challenge (and Taylor is paired in the only all-reality duo with The Cookouts' Kyland Young). Fan favorite players Joseph Abdin, Tucker Des Lauriers, Hannah Chaddha, and Rubina Bernabe also make a return, and of course, the queen of chaos herself, Angela Murray, is once again a massive wild card.

Full Amazing Race season 38 cast list

Check out the entire cast list below (and yes, it is very modern Big Brother-dominated), and make sure to tune in on September 25 to watch which team has what it takes to win a race around the world. Will we see a Big Brother winner become a champion again, or will a new player take the crown?