Amazing Race Blind Dates Edition Kicks Off 2/25 Feat Jonathan Knight

The teams are all dating pairs. Half the couples are in existing relationships. The other half are “blind couples” put together by producers.  The idea is framed as an experiment. How will each type of pairing fare against the other? Hm. Sounds pretty gimmicky to me

Amongst the established couples is former New Kid on the Block, Jonathan Knight, and his boyfriend, Harley Rodriguez.

Read More: The Amazing Race 26 Will Feature Blind Date Couples and NKOTB Jonathan Knight (Video)

Check out the official press release below. Steven will be live blogging, so watch for that!

“The Amazing Race” Kicks Off with a Special 90-Minute Premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 9:30 PM, Following the Season Premiere of “Survivor”

The Race Travels to Its Regular Time Period on Friday, Feb. 27 at 8:00 PM

CBS announced today the 11 teams racing around the globe for the opportunity to win the $1 million dollar prize, on a special season of THE AMAZING RACE. This season will feature 11 new teams of all dating duos with a twist: six who are preexisting couples, and five duos who will meet for the very first time at the starting line when they are set up on the most extreme blind date ever. THE AMAZING RACE rounds out a night of reality television when it premieres with a 90-minute episode on Wednesday, Feb. 25 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT), following the premiere of SURVIVOR (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The Race moves to its regular time period on Friday, Feb. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). Phil Keoghan (@philkeoghan) is the host.

“Usually we have people who know each other really well. In this particular case, we have five blind dates and six regular dates,” said Bertram van Munster, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of THE AMAZING RACE. “Going on a blind date to a restaurant is one thing, but going on a blind date around the world is like rolling the dice in a big way,”

The preexisting dating teams traveling around the world include New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight and his partner Harley Rodriguez, and Olympic medalists Aly Dudek and Steven Langton. Dudek won bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in short track speed skating and Langton won two bronze medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in bobsledding. Those being set up on the blind dates of a lifetime include a Navy physician and a registered nurse and two lawyers.

The couple’s relationships will be tested right from the starting line as they navigate a muddy obstacle course before jetting off to Tokyo, Japan. The course will continue through Bangkok, Namibia, Monaco, and more, spanning five continents, eight countries and more than 35,000 miles.

The dating teams will also have an opportunity throughout the race to win the all-new “Date Night” reward. This allows one lucky couple to enjoy a one-on-one romantic activity, such as a steamy evening at a hot springs resort in Nagano, Japan, or star-gazing at the Bavarian Public Observatory in Munich, Germany.

The Preexisting Dating Couples:

Name: Aly Dudek
Age: 24
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Olympic Athlete
*won bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in short track speed skating

Name: Steven Langton

Age: 31
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Olympic Athlete
*won 2 bronze medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in bobsledding

Length of relationship: 7 months

Name: Harley Rodriguez
Age: 41
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Group Fitness Trainer

Name: Jonathan Knight (@JonathanRKnight)
Age: 46
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Entertainer (New Kids on the Block member)

Length of relationship: 7 years

Name: Jeff Magee
Age: 57
Hometown: McCall, Idaho
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Airline Pilot

Name: Lyda Grawn
Age: 49
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Flight Attendant

Length of relationship: Known 20 years, dating 4 years

Name: C.J. Harris
Age: 26
Hometown: Tuskegee, Ala.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: IT Technician

Name: Lebya Simpson
Age: 25
Hometown: Tuskegee, Ala.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Medical Support Assistant

Length of Relationship: Known for 15 years, dating for 10

Name: Matt Cucolo
Age: 30
Hometown: Scarsdale, N.Y.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Hairstylist

Name: Ashley Gordon
Age: 28
Hometown: Scarsdale, N.Y.
Connection to your teammate: Dating
Occupation: Hairstylist

Length of Relationship: Known 10 years, dating 3 years

Name: Rochelle Nevedal
Age: 29
Hometown: Kalkaska, Mich.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Contract Engineer

Name: Michael Dombrowski
Age: 26
Hometown: Traverse City, Mich.
Relationship Status: Dating
Occupation: Truck Stop Manager/Pro Wrestling Promoter

Length of Relationship: 2 years

The Blind Date Couples:

Name: Hayley Keel
Age: 28
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Registered Nurse

Name: Blair Townsend
Age: 31
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Navy Physician

Name: Jackie Ibarra
Age: 27
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Professional Dancer

Name: Jeffrey Weldon
Age: 26
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Account Executive/Sales

Name: Laura Pierson
Age: 29
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Talent Booker

Name: Tyler Adams
Age: 26
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Mobile App Developer

Name: Jenny Wu
Age: 32
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Blogger and Lawyer

Name: Jelani Roy
Age: 32
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Lawyer

Name: Bergen Olson
Age: 23
Hometown: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Human Resources Project Manager

Name: Kurt Jordan Belcher
Age: 24
Hometown: Butler, Ky.
Relationship Status: Single
Occupation: Pageant Consultant