Janelle Pierzina & Britney Haynes on ‘The Amazing Race’

Getty Janelle Pierzina

Former Big Brother contestant Janelle Pierzina is set to appear on Season 31 of The Amazing Race. Janelle will be partnered with Britney Haynes, another Big Brother alumni, and they will be competing for the $1 million cash prize and a chance to become the latest house guests to win the series.

Pierzina, 38, told CBS that she was looking forward to competing on the show. “I hope to prove to the world that moms are capable of anything,” she said. “Our biggest competition will absolutely be The Amazing Race teams. They have done this before and know what they are doing.” She also described herself as “determined” and “competitive.”

Pierzina & Haynes Are Friends & Former Contestants on ‘Big Brother’

Haynes, 30, said that her Big Brother experience will help her be a better contestant on The Amazing Race. “Big Brother prepares you for social aspects of the Race, but I don’t think those skills are nearly as important for racing as they were in Big Brother,” she said. Haynes also said that she hopes to gain travel experience and representation for women by appearing on the series.

Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan recalled what it was like to meet the duo. “My first impression is wondering how they were going to deal with the sleep deprivation and travel,” he told Parade. “They’re used to bringing up kids; that in itself is a great qualification for being adaptable and flexible in dealing with new challenges. But I’m not so sure how they’re going to handle moving around the world and coping with some more physical challenges.”

Host Phil Keoghan Is Skeptical That the Duo Can Withstand the Physical Challenges

“In a house, there are a lot of mind games going on,” he added. “The Amazing Race is very reactive. There’s not a lot of time to strategize. There’s no briefing on what to do with The Amazing Race; you just do it. I’m wondering how they’re going to cope with the randomness of that.”

Keoghan also compared the series to Big Brother, and why he thinks there’s so crossover in terms of contestants. “It’s been an idea that’s been thrown out by fans for a long time,” he added. “There’s been a lot of chitter-chatter among the various franchises which show is the toughest, and what would happen if you put some of the toughest players from those franchises in competition against each other.”