Exclusive: 'The Amazing Race' model Brittany Oldehoff talks (Part 1)

The Amazing Race eliminated "Best Friends" Jessica Versteeg and Brittany Oldehoff during Friday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 28th season.


The two models became the third team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's fourth Pit Stop at the center of town in Chamonix, France, in last place.

Brittany and Jessica struggled with the Detour task and then started the Roadblock task in last place, when everyone refused to help Jessica figure things out.

In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Brittany talked to Reality TV World about her The Amazing Race experience. (Jessica was out of the country and could not participate in the call). Below is the first half. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion.

Reality TV World: How long after Scott Fowler and Blair Fowler do you think you finally at the Pit Stop? Any idea how far your team was behind them?


Brittany Oldehoff: Yes, we were exactly one hour behind them by train.

Reality TV World: Were you absolutely certain you were in last place heading to the Pit Stop? Did you have any hope something could happen to another team?

Brittany Oldehoff: We actually knew that the teams were on the train and we couldn't get on the train. They didn't show it, but we didn't have tickets, so we weren't making the train no matter what. So we actually knew we were done. Prior to even the train connection, we knew.

Reality TV World: Yeah, I wanted to ask you more about the train connections. Because what we saw was you and Jessica walking up to the train you were about to miss and you weren't really hustling. All the teams were sitting on the train wondering if you were going to make it, and it seemed like you only missed it by a matter of seconds.

Brittany Oldehoff: Yeah, we talked to locals on the train and we thought about -- because we didn't have tickets. You have to get tickets at the connecting train. There was no way to buy tickets all the way through, or at least we thought.


As it turns out, you were able to, but some gentleman helped us in Geneva. He helped get our tickets, and so I guess that was a mistake right there. But at that point, we were so stressed out. However, what they showed was us walking to -- well, they didn't show it -- but they showed us walking to the stand to buy tickets. We weren't making that train! We knew it.

Reality TV World: Obviously Jessica isn't on the call, but I'm sure you girls talked about everything after the show, so I'll just get your opinion on a couple things. When Jessica was doing the Roadblock, she took it pretty hard that none of the other girls wanted to help her. Did she think that was a personal attack, like they just didn't like Jessica?

Brittany Oldehoff: I can actually explain that. I'm very good friends with all of those girls now, so I have no hard feelings against them. However, prior to that -- that was Leg 4 -- in the first three legs, we had single-handedly helped all three of those teams. And Jessica actually went back twice to help two of those girls after she was done.

So, I think Jessica was upset that everyone -- I mean, they were ignoring her. I was sitting there watching. They were blatantly ignoring her, and she was probably upset because we went out of our way to help them, and when it came down to it, they couldn't even help her and give her the basis of what she had to do.

Reality TV World: So it sounds like she took it personally? Or looking back, did Jessica understand the girls just basically wanted to ensure at least one team was behind them?


Brittany Oldehoff: Looking back, we both understand. I can speak for Jessica. It is a race, and at the end of the day, we get it. We were in last place. But at the time, she was definitely hurt. I mean, there's behind-the-scenes footage of us talking, and she was so upset that everybody ignored her.

And actually, one of the girls gave her the wrong flag, so it kept us there even longer. We were there for 30 minutes vs 10 minutes. But she was definitely frustrated.

Reality TV World: So the Roadblock took 30 minutes total for Jessica to complete?

Brittany Oldehoff: She did the Roadblock in 10 minutes, but because she trusted one of the girls on one of the flags she was given, it took her 30 minutes. (Laughs) She kept handing in the wrong [set of flags].

Reality TV World: What was going through your mind as you were sitting back and watching everything unfold? It must've been tough for you to watch Jessica get so upset. How were you feeling about all of it in that moment?


Brittany Oldehoff: I was actually really sick that day. And when I say, "really sick," I mean really sick. I was trying to pull through. It was actually supposed to be my Roadblock. I was supposed to do it; We were taking turns doing every other. And when I got there, she was like, "Listen, I know you don't feel good. I'll do it."

So, mentally, I'm sure she was expecting me to do the Roadblock originally, but I mean, so I guess her head wasn't in the game. But sitting there watching her, I couldn't even feel one ounce of pain because I knew that had I been doing it, I would've been way more miserable. I probably would've been way more aggressive to the teams that were ignoring me. (Laughs) I'm actually really thankful that Jessica did it.

Reality TV World: So it sounds like you didn't have a strategy for deciding who should do which Roadblock. You basically just switched off every other?

Brittany Oldehoff: Yeah. Going on the show, both of us wanted to do all the crazy, adrenaline challenges. And we were kind of arguing over who was going to do what, and so we made an agreement that we should just do every other, unless it was a puzzle or memorization. So, the very first leg happened to be a puzzle and she did it. If it was memorization, I would've done it.

Reality TV World: Okay, so you at least determined your strengths for Roadblocks.


Brittany Oldehoff: Yes!

Reality TV World: It was a little confusing from a viewer's perspective when the teams got to that Chocolate Rohr place and you had to grab times for the next morning. Could you explain that to me? How far behind were you from the first-place team when you took off that morning after sleeping?

Brittany Oldehoff: I can't remember what they showed, but as soon as we got off the plane, we had to take a train to the jet stream and then pick up a clue. I think we all felt in the little group that I was with -- there were four teams -- we were the first ones to get the clues.

But I'll say this, because I regret doing this. We teamed up, the four of us, to find the place. And we just kept getting lost. I wish Jessica and I branched off, but we didn't.

So getting there to get the clue, I think it was pretty much five minutes apart from what I could tell, because I think it was [Cole LaBrant] who had grabbed his clue and then yelled to everybody -- because he saw us running -- "The clue is here! The clue's here!" We actually went to the wrong Chocolate Rohr place. We went to another one.

Check back with Reality TV World soon for the concluding portion of Brittany's exclusive The Amazing Race interview.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski