The Amazing Race Exclusive Interview with Jeff and Jordan
Did The Amazing Race strengthen your relationship?
Jordan: It did strengthen our relationship before we went on the show I was thinking this is either going to make or break us and it actually really helped a lot. It helped me to understand a lot of things about Jeff. Before he was telling me something and I would get upset, I'd say "Why are you yelling at me?" And he would say "I'm not yelling at you." But then I'd say "The tone it's the way you are talking to me." I figured that is just Jeff, that is just how Jeff is and I think our relationship has gotten even better since being on The Amazing Race.
Do you feel the same Jeff?
Jeff: Yes I do I think we learned a lot about each other being on both shows (Big Brother and The Amazing Race) about our relationship. Everything on Big Brother was so hunky dory and lovey dovey there wasn't a bad moment between us. And like with any relationship with its ups and downs I knew it would have to get stressful at one point and we just happened to get thrown into the boiling water with this show. So I knew things would get real stressful and definitely what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It didn't kill us we had our low points and we learned from it and so I think definitely yes we got stronger from it.
So then you are definitely still a couple?
Jordan: We are!
Were you recognized by people because you were on Big Brother? Not by other couples in the race but out and about?
Jordan: No not in other Countries, but in the States at the LAX airport. People would ask "Oh what are you doing?" And we were OK we have matching blue shirts and backpacks and we'd say "Oh nothing" and try not to talk about it. But people would say "We know you are on the race and good luck" but we couldn't talk about it. We would just say we are doing a travel show but nobody from the other Countries recognized us.
Jeff: Nothing to the extent where it helped us out in anyway, let's put it that way!
Jordan: At Elimination Station in Puerto Vallarta we were recognized because it's a touristy spot.
Jeff: Oh Jordan's getting a big head...
Jordan: NO I'm not!! (Both laugh)
What surprised you the most about yourself?
Jeff: I think what we learned most, I don't know about surprising ourselves, I'm definitely too competitive....
Jordan: Wayyyyy to competitive...
Jeff: Jeez let me finish (both laugh) I need to take it down a couple notches. You (Jordan) need to turn it up a notch or two in certain situations. We need to meet in the middle so we definitely learned that about each other. When there is a situation, what ever we are doing, I need to sit back and realize who I am dealing with and I don't need to be as aggressive as I usually am. So I learned that about myself is that I need to take it down a little bit and hopefully she learned that she needs to crank it up a couple of notches during situations.
Jordan: Ya.
Both of you said in your Bios that communicating would be your biggest challenge do you feel you overcame that?
Jordan: NO! Not at all. That was the worst we have no communication what so ever that was like the worst part. We were just terrible at that.
Jeff: Ya there was no... I mean we communicate... Um no we didn't...
Jordan: No we didn't
Jeff: Ya I'm not even going to try and put a positive spin on that.
Jordan: I think maybe if we would have communicated a bit better I think it would have helped us. But we just did not see eye to eye about certain things. Whenever we had a detour we had to do what he always wanted to do the opposite and we both wanted to do different things. My fault was not sticking up and saying "No Jeff we are going to do this." Instead of being OK and just following him.
Jeff: Yes I definitely get stubborn at points and that has been my whole life. When I get something in my head, it's in there and I don't know that was just a downfall for us the communication. But I think we learned from that too. To know you did anything wrong is to better yourself. I understand I'm like that I understand our communication is like that so we have to work on that. So I think if you learn from things it just makes you better. Again, it made us better in the end.
See Jeff you did find a positive spin!
Jeff: Well there you go!
Did you learn something about each other that you didn't already know? You were together 24/7 in the Big Brother House so you pretty much knew everything, but was there anything on the race that you didn't know and then found out?
Jeff: Jordan is gassier than the normal person (Both laugh real hard)
Jordan: I think I didn't realize how competitive he was and mean on Big Brother he didn't seem that bad but on The Amazing Race he was and he got on my nerves a lot. But that is really it.
Jeff: Jordan can be very stubborn if she wants to. I really didn't see that on Big Brother she was so laid back, nothing really got to her. But on the Race things got very stressful and I saw her stubborn side and a side of her I didn't like. But there were probably 10 sides of me she didn't like so we just have to move on from that and learn from it.
Jordan: And Jeff, like he said, he gets something in his head and it's more like what Jeff wants we didn't decide as a group. He would say, "Let's do this" and there was no talking to him about it. That was annoying for me.
Jeff: I don't want to get into a whole thing but I would say "Which way do you want to go?" and she would say "I don't care." Somebody had to make the decisions and sometimes I think it's easier for the other person to say "You make the decisions" so fingers can't be pointed. That is what stressed me out more. I make the decision and I'll take the blame for it. I won't point the finger at anyone else that is just how I am. I wish it were different but that is just how I am. But I am more than willing to follow too so step it up a notch!
On The Amazing Race what was your proudest moment?
Jordan: Mine was to walk on the wire and bungee jumping. When I did the wire thing I wasn't nervous at first and then when I got to the middle of it the wire started shaking and oh my gosh if I fell I knew I wasn't going to be able to pull myself back up. And just to be able to do that and then the bungee jump, I actually will say when I got up there I thought I don't want to do this. You have to make yourself go it's not like someone was pushing you, so I was proud that I did that.
Jeff: I will give the proudest moment to Jordan too. When she crossed that wire I was really, really proud of her. We were really clicking as a team. She put her trust in me and I put my trust in her and she stood up and did it like a champion and look what happened we won that leg. We need to believe in each other as we did in that first leg and do that in life and we will be OK I think. That was definitely the proudest moment for me on the race.
Jordan you said what you wanted to accomplish on The Race was to understand each other do you feel you accomplished that?
Jordan: I did, I really think I did. Since the race we have gotten along so much better and I think it really did help. Before I thought it would make or break and it helped. We get along so much better now which is good!
Jeff you said you wanted to learn more about your relationship, did you?
Jeff: Definitely! It helped me to understand about everything and in tough times that is when you learn the most. Anyone can go through life or any situation saying yea we are having the best time, everything is perfect. Your learning comes from when you are down and out and things are going bad. We definitely had our bad moments and we definitely learned from them, so ya we learned a lot about each other on this race and it was all for the best.
In your interview with Phil at the end of the race you said you needed to talk about "stuff". Did you and Jordan talk about that "stuff"?
Both: Oh ya!!!
Jordan: At Elimination Station...
Jeff: We usually talked about things that evening when everything is done. Jordan is good about let's sit down and talk about it and I'm not a really big let's talk it out type person. She is good about that and I like that about her. She likes to get things out in the open and then we take care of it right there.
Jordan: Jeff is very straight forward and tells you exactly how he feels, like he'll say "You are just being annoying" and he will just flat out tell you. And we are so honest with each other it helps.
Jeff you said you wanted to be more patient, are you now?
Jeff: Am I Jordan?
Jordan: I think he is much better than he was before. Before I was like Oh my gosh I cannot take this. But he is definitely a lot more patient.
Jeff: Patience was my thing my whole life. I was never patient as a kid I was always jumping around on my seat in class; I was always wired so patience is something I have been working on and will still be working on the rest of my life. But I think I have it to a point where I got it and my temper under control and my patience has improved a lot being with Jordan and trying to be really patient with her. It's a good thing; patience is a virtue they say.
Was your time in Puerto Vallarta a nice vacation and did it replace that vacation you were suppose to take together?
Both: No we still have to take it.
Jordan: I think more so when we were in Puerto Vallarta Jeff was still upset about not being in the race.
Jeff: I'm just a sore loser I'll tell you that straight out!
Jordan: He is he is a sore loser. Me I was just like we lost, it's over we are somewhere we can lay out and be on the beach and I was fine with that.
Jeff: I'm not a sore loser in the way I call everyone out and say "You suck." I definitely don't point fingers at anyone, I get more mad at myself thinking I could've done better I get hard on myself. I did have a bit of a pity party, but the ocean and the margaritas kind of wiped that party away. (Both laugh) I had a good time at the end but it still wasn't alone. Other people were there and the cameras were there so Jordan and I definitely need to by ourselves, get away and just enjoy each other.
Would either of you consider doing a Big Brother All Stars or The Amazing Race All Stars if asked?
Jordan: I think a Big Brother All Stars I would just need break from Big Brother because that was a lot, I don't think people realize even though you are sitting around the house being bored, it takes a lot out of you just because you go through all these emotions. But I would for sure do another Amazing Race.
Jeff: I don't know how we would make an Amazing Race All Stars because we definitely weren't all stars.
Well it's based on popularity and I'm not sure you realize it, but you had a lot of people pulling for you on The Amazing Race and watched this season because of Jeff and Jordan.
Jeff: Right and The Amazing Race is The Amazing Race and I don't think we did anything because it is an amazing show and they will get their viewers no matter what. But to answer the question if we were asked to do The Amazing Race All Stars I think we would 100% do it again. We do have some regrets from what we did and we would work better as a team. You learn from any experience and the second time you are going to do better.
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