‘Amazing Race’ Winners Derek and Claire Talk Finale Win: Interview

They did it! Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, who met whereas competing on Large Brother in the summertime of 2021, simply gained $1 million after competing collectively on The Superb Race.

The previous start-up founder 25, and AI engineer 26, spoke completely with Us Weekly forward of the Wednesday, December 7, finale airing – and earlier than they even had an opportunity to observe the episode – to interrupt down the finale, their expertise and what it was like crossing the end line first.

“It’s surreal,” Claire tells Us of profitable the $1 million prize. “It’s simply unbelievable. It’s so wonderful. What a implausible alternative.”


“The Solely Leg That Issues” – Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss
CBS Broadcasting

“I bear in mind me and Claire had been within the ultimate leg. We completed the entire challenges, and now we’re simply operating to the pit cease. We run into the room after which we see everybody, all of our forged, Phil [Keoghan, host], all of the digital camera guys standing within the auditorium, like, clapping, cheering our title,” Derek explains. “I turned to Claire and I used to be like, ‘I nonetheless can’t consider this.’ I used to be anticipating us to run as much as the mat and Phil was gonna say, ‘Sadly, we’ve to present you a two-hour time penalty as a result of you’re a Large Brother workforce.’ Like, one thing loopy. I didn’t consider it. I in all probability nonetheless gained’t consider it till I watch the episode.”

Whereas the duo had no idea of time through the race, they estimate, “Molly and Emily had been in all probability 15 to twenty minutes behind us. After which Luis and Michelle had been in all probability 15 to twenty minutes behind them.”

The couple had been courting solely about 9 months after they went to compete on the long-running CBS sequence however felt assured. (Us Weekly completely broke the information of their relationship in October 2021 after they linked within the Large Brother jury home.)

'Amazing Race' Winners Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss on Their Win, What We Didn't See

“The Solely Leg That Issues”
CBS Broadcasting

“We went into the race and I used to be like, ‘Me and Claire are going to win this,’” Derek tells Us. “I used to be like, ‘I can’t think about us combating over something. I can’t think about a stronger relationship.’ Day one. I used to be like, we’re gonna break up. We’re gonna break up. That is so onerous That is unattainable. Like, oh, my God. After which I feel after that, it’s simply been a climb again up, and I feel we’re positively stronger than even after we began.”

He continues, “I feel on the very starting, I had delusions of grandeur round how good our relationship was as a result of we hadn’t been examined, so I didn’t know. However then we really received examined, and now I feel our relationship really is the place I believed it was.”

'Amazing Race' Winners Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss on Their Win, What We Didn't See

“The Solely Leg That Issues” – Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss
CBS Broadcasting

Claire echoes his sentiments about how operating the race checks relationships. “I do perceive why individuals are like, ‘You go on the race and also you’re gonna break up otherwise you’re gonna make it work,’” Claire tells Us. “We simply had been actually required to speak about like, how will we talk, how will we wanna remedy issues? And be very trustworthy and be very actual with one another in a approach that I feel quite a lot of {couples} don’t should be, essentially, and nonetheless be completely satisfied. In order that simply made it a lot stronger and it’s like made it a lot extra like, relevant after we get into like fights or no matter exterior of the race too. I do assume it was actually a check – which I feel could be very cliche that individuals say – however I feel that it did make us lots, lot stronger.”

Watch our full unique interview with Derek and Claire above!