HÀ NỘI — The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 5 will premier worldwide on October 13 on the entertainment powerhouse AXN channel, six years after its last episode ground to a sudden halt.

The reality TV show is making a comeback, with the participation of one team from Việt Nam.

Based on the Emmy Award-winning adventure reality series distributed around the world by Disney Media Distribution, TARA 5 this year promises to be the most adrenaline-fueled season ever. Eleven teams, including three from Malaysia, two each from Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, and one each from Thailand and Việt Nam.

This is the first season without representatives from Hong Kong, but also the first with a Vietnamese team.

Teams of socially savvy, fearless warriors will embark on an once-in-a-lifetime experience, traversing the globe and proving their mettle on a quest to be crowned the all-out champion. Traveling to multiple countries in the shortest amount of time, each team will arrive at a new destination where they must compete in a series of physical, mental - and often emotional - challenges. Only when the tasks are completed will the teams learn of the next exotic location. Teams who fall the farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the competition progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning The Amazing Race Asia and claiming the US$100,000 prize.

The show’s format will be largely the same, including the host, Chinese-American actor Allan Wu, who will pair up with Tara Basro, an Indonesian film actress in hosting this season.

Vietnamese representatives are Lisa, 38, and Nic, 34, who are life partners.

Lisa, a business manager, said it was her absolute dream to go on The Amazing Race.

“I have literally been watching it for years and I feel like I am perfect for it - because of my resilience in stressful situations, my physical ability, my travel savvy, my resourcefulness, and my ability to always look on the bright side of things no matter what. I love all the games, the obstacles, the detours, the challenges,” she said.

Psychologist Nic strongly support his partner: “It has always been a dream of Lisa to be on The Amazing Race! Her dreams are my dreams so when she pitched it to me, I was totally on board. And we want to bring the happy-go-lucky, can-do culture of Việt Nam to the race!”

The organisers revealed the 10-stage race begins in Jarkata and travels to local Indonesian destinations along with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Taipei and HCM City before finishing in Bali.

The one-hour show’s first stage will be on AXN from 9pm Hà Nội time. — VNS