Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss are less likely to work with other teams on The Amazing Race because of their prior history with reality TV. Derek and Claire met on Big Brother 23 and started dating soon after the season finished. Although they got sent to the jury early in the game, they were happy to be a part of such a historic season. Big Brother 23 featured the Cookout alliance, which was historic for bringing six black houseguests to the final six and then crowning Xavier Prather as the winner. Derek and Claire understood the Cookout's mission but still felt burned by their closest allies, thus resulting in some possible trust issues that are likely present in The Amazing Race.
On Big Brother 23, Derek and Claire were closest to Hannah Chaddha and Tiffany Mitchell, members of the Cookout. Derek and Claire were confident in their alliance and felt they were in a good position in the game. On a personal level, Hannah and Tiffany cared for them, but on a game level, they knew they had to stick to the Cookout's mission. Eventually, Derek and Claire got evicted even though they were trusted allies. This betrayal hurt them, and it is possible distrust will appear in future shows.
Why Betrayal Experience May Affect Derek & Claire On The Amazing Race
When Derek competed on The Challenge: USA, viewers saw his inability to trust allies fully. In the early part of the season, there was a divide of alliances based on which show competitors participated in before. Although Derek aligned with other Big Brother people, he felt he could not fully trust Xavier since he betrayed him in a game before. Derek's inability to trust led to him wanting to eliminate Xavier before he could betray him again.
With Big Brother 23's Derek and Claire feeling betrayed before and Derek experiencing trust issues on The Challenge: USA, it is unlikely they will work with other teams on The Amazing Race. It is difficult to trust the competition when they are also vying for the grand prize. Teams may have ulterior motives when they want to work together that could be detrimental to them. Still, working with another team has benefits, which other competitors have taken advantage of this season.
On The Amazing Race 34, some teams have already started to team up for the legs of the race. Early on, the Military brothers worked with NFL coach Rex Ryan's The Amazing Race team to find the finish line in Germany and reach the roadblock in Austria. Working with other competitors means more minds working together and eyes looking for roadblock locations. However, most contestants are running their own race and focusing on communication with their partners. Working with other contestants has benefits and disadvantages, but it comes down to whether it will get the team ahead or risk elimination.
Derek and Claire will likely not trust competitors because of the betrayal they felt on Big Brother. Trust in other teams is not a big part of the show, so Derek and Claire can do well without relying on the help of other The Amazing Race 34 teams. Although there are benefits to working with others, many contestants have held their own without outside help. Even so, alliances are something to consider since each round ends in elimination, putting pressure on contestants.
The Amazing Race airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.