Up for the Challenge
From the October 5 - 11 issue of TV Guide
But do these reality-show vets play well with others?
Some reality-TV stars are ready to get real. Two Survivors (Ethan Zohn, Survivor: Africa’s winner, and Jenna Lewis, (from Survivor 1) plus two Road Rules alums (Tim Beggy and Adam Larson) have teamed up for the ninth Eco-Challenge. The 10-day trek, helmed by Survivor creator Mark Burnett, kicks off in Fiji on October 11 and will air on USA Network in April. More than 80 coed teams will attempt to cover more than 500 kilometers through such activities as jungle trekking, mountain biking, river kayaking and canyoneering.
“This makes Survivor look like going to the movies,” Zohn says. Plus they’re up against a certain dark force in the running: The future Darth Vader, actor Hayden Christensen, is competing with his sister, his brother and a family friend. But like the reality crew, Christensen’s team is a bunch of amateur adventurers among more seasoned competitors. “It’s comforting knowing there’s another team in the same boat as us,” says Road Rule’s Beggy. Although the reality team’s previous group experiences were more about conflict than teamwork, Zohn says they’ve had no problem getting along; “If I get mad at somone, I can’t kick them off my team. You have to make it work.”