Phil Keoghan

03/28/22 • 41 min

Come on down Canada, says Phil Keoghan.

The New Zealand-born host of The Amazing Race is throwing the doors open to any Canadian who wants to prove themselves on his other show, Tough as Nails.

Canadian citizens 21 or older can now apply to be on the CBS series, which will be retuning next season on Global. Tough as Nails features competitors at work sites who are challenged to prove themselves as individuals and as team members.

Keoghan, 54, agrees that the war in Ukraine has raised the bar when it comes to toughness under fire. He created this series, together with his wife Louise Rodrigues, with an aim to present a positive salute to ordinary heroes.

There’s also a substantial cash prize: $200,000 – American – and a Ford Super Duty truck.

Keoghan is hoping Canadians do well. After all, at one time he enjoyed landed immigrant status. His family lived in Guelph, Ont., for nearly four years when Keoghan was a lad, and he’s been back many times since.

Back in the ‘90s, however, a Calgary border official tore up his Canadian status card. That was a drag, he says. “I was kind of proud of being a landed Canadian immigrant.”

Good thing he doesn’t hold any grudges. Canadians can fill out a CBS casting application for Tough as Nails by following this link. Listen to the podcast to get more information. You’ll also hear Keoghan’s inspired answer to how people of all ages can seize the day with his “No Opportunity Wasted” philosophy.

Come on down Canada, says Phil Keoghan.

The New Zealand-born host of The Amazing Race is throwing the doors open to any Canadian who wants to prove themselves on his other show, Tough as Nails.

There’s also a substantial cash prize: $200,000 – American – and a Ford Super Duty truck.

Back in the ‘90s, however, a Calgary border official tore up his Canadian status card. That was a drag, he says. “I was kind of proud of being a landed Canadian immigrant.”

Previous Episode

Farmhouse Facelift hosts Carolyn Wilbrink and Billy Pearson

Those stylin' siblings, Carolyn Wilbrink and Billy Pearson, are back with a second season of Farmhouse Facelift (Tuesdays on HGTV and streamable on StackTV). They launch their ten new episodes by tackling a much-needed renovation on an Ontario farmhouse built in 1881.
Shooting a second season in the middle of the pandemic was a challenge, they say, not just in having to obseve all the production protocols, but also dealing with sharply-rising prices and supply issues. In some cases, projects started in summer did not get finished until winter and vice-versa.
Still, the wait was worth it for Ron and Jason, whose 141-year-old farmhouse needed a whole re-think. Carolyn and Billy had to put together a plan that would also accommodate Ron's 84-year-old grandmother, who raised her family in the cherished homestead.
The challenge for Billy and Carolyn, who were raised in a farmhouse themselves, was to combine country charm with 21st century convenience on a multi-generational level -- and on a $100,000 budget (stretched thanks to sponsor support).
It all leads to a sweet and satisfying happy ending. Hear more from Carolyn and Billy on a fun and free-wheeling podcast conversation.

Next Episode

Tripping The Bruce with Mitch Azaria

Are you ready to go Tripping with Mitch Azaria? The executive producer behind two very successful real-time travel documentaries for TVO is back with a third: "Tripping the Bruce." It premieres Friday, April 15 on TVO and repeats on Sunday the 17th.
Bruce Who? Bruce Peninsula, silly. That glorious, prehistoric Great Lakes land mass that separates Lake Huron from Georgian Bay. I've spent all my summers cottaging there and I still did not know most of the amazing factoids that flash upon the screen during this three-hour sailboat ride across the tip of the peninsula.
Did you know that the Bruce is home to it's very own sub-species of black bear? That a reported one thousand shipwrecks surround its coasts -- the world's largest collections of intact wooden shipwrecks? That it is home to 150 species of migrating birds?
Mitch knows all and shares more fun facts, including how he and a small crew were able to capture the Bruce in all its glory from the deck of a sailboat last summer. Listen in, and see you up at Flowerpot Island this summer.