Exclusive: Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena talk 'The Amazing Race' (Part 1)

Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena were eliminated from The Amazing Race during Sunday night's tenth broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 22nd season.
 
The "Friends and YouTube Hosts" became the sixth team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's ninth Pit Stop at Niddry Street South, a cobblestone alleyway in Edinburgh, Scotland, in last place.


In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Joey and Meghan talked about their The Amazing Race experience. Below is the first half. Check back with Reality TV World on Tuesday for the concluding portion.

Reality TV World: How far behind Mona Egender and Beth Bandimere do you think you finally arrived at the Pit Stop?

Meghan Camarena: We have no idea.

Joey Graceffa: Yeah, there's no way to really even tell out there. But if I had to guess, I would say probably like 30-40 minutes.


Meghan Camarena: You think so?

Joey Graceffa: I don't know.

Meghan Camarena: I really don't know. I wish we could ask [The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan] and he'd be like, "Oh yeah, you just missed them!" (Laughs)

Reality TV World: What happened with the flight into Edinburgh? Do you have any idea how you might've missed the fact there was an earlier flight that arrived at 10:40AM? Do you think it was a lack of research on your end or what happened there?

Joey Graceffa: Yeah, it was definitely a combination of a lack of research. We got real excited. We just went straight to the airport and everything was closed, so we didn't have an option to like sit on the computer. But we were asking people to use their cell phones because we had met a contact in New Zealand that was a travel agency.


But since it was out of country, the international plans on people's phones would like die out right as we were about to find out information. So we had to wait until like, I think, 5AM to book our tickets. So we just booked the earliest opening airline.

Meghan Camarena: We definitely let our guard down in terms of doing our research. But the "Roller Derby Moms" had checked online for flights and they had told us that this is the only available flight. So we figured our alliance came in handy here because they had done some research on their end.

We had asked a bunch of different airlines and we thought we were pretty safe in securing the flight that we did. And also, mind you, I don't even know how many days we were into the Race, so our senses weren't as sharp as maybe they were on Day 1, and it was like five o'clock in the morning. So we were really excited.

Reality TV World: Would you say that flight time was ultimately the downfall in your Race that led to your elimination or would you blame it on the U-Turn or a combination of things?

Joey Graceffa: No, it was definitely the flight. At that point, we were a few hours behind the other teams, so the U-Turn really didn't make a difference. It just set us up to be against Mona and Beth.


Reality TV World: Meghan, how long did it take you to complete the bagpipes Roadblock task?

Meghan Camarena: I think it took me about 30 minutes. It was unfortunate because I wasn't allowed to leave the room until I was able to hold the note for like 30 seconds, and I was trying so hard, man.

Those bagpipes were definitely a challenge in itself. And I finally got to the point where I was just like, "Well just let me go out there and try, because it doesn't hurt for me to try and maybe I'll get it right." And I ended up getting it, so I wish I maybe would've tried sooner.

Reality TV World: How did you guys decide who would do which Roadblock? Did you just alternate or did you try to determine who would have certain strengths going into a particular task?

Joey Graceffa: Well if it was something physical, I would take it. And if it was something like more easier, then Meghan would take it. But at this point, I had already completed my six Roadblocks, so Meghan had to do this one.


Meghan Camarena: Mhmm.

Reality TV World: Looking back on the two Detour tasks you had to complete, which one do you think was more difficult?

Meghan Camarena: The "Whiskey" one was definitely more challenging. The haggis was, it was a little time consuming, but it definitely wasn't difficult like the whiskey barrels. Those things were heavy!

Reality TV World: Do you have an estimation on how long each of those tasks took you?

Joey Graceffa: I don't know.


Meghan Camarena: No idea.

Joey Graceffa: I lost track of time. 

Reality TV World: Were you surprised about being U-Turned or not at all, like how did you envision that playing out?

Joey Graceffa: Well all the teams hated us the entire Race. So we expected to get U-Turned.

Meghan Camarena: I mean, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe [Max Bichler] and [Katie Bichler] or the blondes [Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle] got to the U-Turn board and had like a sense of like, "Hey, maybe we should U-Turn the hockey players [Bates Battaglia and Anthony Battaglia]." But we knew going up to that board that we were going to be U-Turned.

Reality TV World: There obviously was that big alliance against you two and Mona and Beth. They always targeted you guys for the U-Turns and such. So it kind of sounds like you think they had a personal issue with you rather than just a strategic play on their part. Is that accurate to say?


Meghan Camarena: Yeah! That's what it felt like. Because in past episodes or seasons of the Race, people who get U-Turned are the strongest teams. And not to put us down or anything -- we were definitely a strong team and a competitor -- but I mean, out of all of us, like the hockey players are definitely the biggest threat because they're professional athletes.

So it was kind of confusing and really weird to see us keep getting U-Turned. That was our second U-Turn, so it just didn't make sense in our head.

Joey Graceffa: But we had never done anything to the teams, like we were always super nice to everyone. We just wanted to be everyone's friend and...

Meghan Camarena: (Laughs) We can't help it! We knew it was a game and a competition, but it's in our nature to be nice and friendly to people.

Reality TV World: So when you were nice and friendly to the other teams, did it feel awkward in exchange? Did they treat you as if they had a problem with you?

Joey Graceffa: No, they were just like really quiet.


Meghan Camarena: Standoffish. We definitely had to work for it a little.

Joey Graceffa: Yeah.

Reality TV World: You just mentioned how you two probably would've wanted to U-Turn Bates and Anthony if you had the opportunity. Did you ever talk with Mona and Beth, especially during the time when you thought you were in the lead, about whom would be the other team you'd want to U-Turn?

Joey Graceffa: Max and Katie and the hockey players were the strongest teams. I mean, we also like really liked the blondes. They were really nice, but we didn't see them as much of a threat as the other two.

Meghan Camarena: Yeah.

Reality TV World: Max and Katie had mentioned they wanted you guys out of the Race before Mona and Beth although they were going to U-Turn the "Roller Derby Moms" since Bates and Anthony had already opted to U-Turn the both of you. What was your reaction to that comment?


Meghan Camarena: Well we were strong competitors. When we got to Detours and Roadblocks, I'm not kidding you, we tore those things up like it was nobody's business. It was just a matter of us getting to those Roadblocks and getting the right directions. But it was a compliment.

Above is the first half of Joey and Meghan's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. Check back with us on Tuesday for the concluding portion.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski