This could be our last eliminated team interview of the season, depending on what happens in Episode 11. The producers could follow in the steps of TAR US and have four teams in the finale instead of three. Sure, one team will probably be eliminated sometime in the finale (as it works in the TAR US) but we will probably only interview the winners of Season 3. This week, it's the teams that we started calling the Exes but in the end called the Dancers. Dujean Williams and Leilani Ross were exes but that dynamic didn't play throughout the season. Thankfully, the producers gave them a more diverse edit, showing not just the tough sides of their relationship, but the more positive ones. Remember when they won that leg in Halifax, when Leilani told us that the last time she had visited her old hometown was to bury her father? Heartwarming stuff. Unfortunately, the dynamic of being exes did play a role in their downfall as tension built throughout the episode and they just couldn't take it anymore. It seemed like it was more of a relief to be eliminated than a disappointment. Let's see what they have to say. Please note this interview was edited and will have some typos.
G & W - Leilani, how's the leg doing?
Leilani - It's still attached, you know. It's good.
G & W - Did you get stitches because it looked pretty bad?
Leilani - I did get stitches. I have a good ugly scar from it, but yeah.
G & W - How many stitches did you get?
Leilani - Seven. And yes, I'm great. I'm feeling great.
G & W - How about emotionally? We know it was a few months ago but watching that episode must have been tough.
Dujean - Oh man, it was tough for everyone watching, I'm sure. Everyone who was watching probably thought it was rough. Oh my god. (Both laugh). But you know, it's a pressure cooker, right? Back to reality and things have calmed down dramatically. We're all right.
G & W - So who's bright idea was it to go on Amazing Race Canada with an ex.
Leilani - It was mine, it was all mine.
Dujean - All her idea, all her idea.
(Leilani sighs, Dujean chuckles)
G & W - What made you want to do that?
Leilani - It was spur of the moment, I thought 'Hey that might be fun.' And we were really good friends, we haven't been dating for over a year so it didn't seem too weird at the time. And I never expected it to get to the point of running around in India. But we did pretty well.
G & W - So that sounded like a good plan to you, Dujean?
Dujean - Yeah, man. She asked me, you know and I said 'Hey sure.' We didn't really think twice that we were going to get it. It seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity, very exciting. So right into our laps we got it. And then you're thinking 'should we do it?' And then you're there doing it. And it's go time from there.
G & W - It was pretty shocking that you guys got in?
Dujean - Yeah, wow. Wow. Go time man, then go, go, go go.
G & W - What was it like, you're still recovering from the shock of getting on the race and then you're standing on the boardwalk in Quebec at the start.
Leilani - It's the wildest feeling. It feels like years ago that we were standing on that boardwalk and Jon says go and you think 'this is happening now, this is really happening.' Now, knowing all the teams, we love them all but it's funny when you first look at everyone what you think. It's wild, a wild experience.
G & W - Did you perceive a team a certain way at the start and then you realized they were totally different?
Leilani - Umm, I mean Brian and Cynthia, I never expected they would be threat. They seemed like cool, you know, parents. But you get to know them and they are hardcore; Cynthia's a beast.
Dujean - You get to see the true potential of people you know.
G & W - You guys had a good connection with Brent and Sean though. Anybody else?
Dujean - One thing that happened off camera and never shown was on Episode 1, we pulled Brent and Sean aside and built an alliance with them. They were our alliance team and that wasn't really shown. That's why we were helping them out and giving them positive words and etc., etc. But that wasn't a key point on television at all.
G & W - So did you guys come in with a strategy to make some alliances?
Leilani - It just felt right when we met Brent and Sean, after Sean just puked. And I know that they are Scotian and there was that immediate connection and I just loved them, I literally fell in love with them. We didn't go into it thinking of making an alliance, it doesn't really benefit you in the show, but we got a first class flight, that was great.
G & W - Leilani, how's the leg doing?
Leilani - It's still attached, you know. It's good.
G & W - Did you get stitches because it looked pretty bad?
Leilani - I did get stitches. I have a good ugly scar from it, but yeah.
G & W - How many stitches did you get?
Leilani - Seven. And yes, I'm great. I'm feeling great.
G & W - How about emotionally? We know it was a few months ago but watching that episode must have been tough.
Dujean - Oh man, it was tough for everyone watching, I'm sure. Everyone who was watching probably thought it was rough. Oh my god. (Both laugh). But you know, it's a pressure cooker, right? Back to reality and things have calmed down dramatically. We're all right.
G & W - So who's bright idea was it to go on Amazing Race Canada with an ex.
Leilani - It was mine, it was all mine.
Dujean - All her idea, all her idea.
(Leilani sighs, Dujean chuckles)
G & W - What made you want to do that?
Leilani - It was spur of the moment, I thought 'Hey that might be fun.' And we were really good friends, we haven't been dating for over a year so it didn't seem too weird at the time. And I never expected it to get to the point of running around in India. But we did pretty well.
G & W - So that sounded like a good plan to you, Dujean?
Dujean - Yeah, man. She asked me, you know and I said 'Hey sure.' We didn't really think twice that we were going to get it. It seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity, very exciting. So right into our laps we got it. And then you're thinking 'should we do it?' And then you're there doing it. And it's go time from there.
G & W - It was pretty shocking that you guys got in?
Dujean - Yeah, wow. Wow. Go time man, then go, go, go go.
G & W - What was it like, you're still recovering from the shock of getting on the race and then you're standing on the boardwalk in Quebec at the start.
Leilani - It's the wildest feeling. It feels like years ago that we were standing on that boardwalk and Jon says go and you think 'this is happening now, this is really happening.' Now, knowing all the teams, we love them all but it's funny when you first look at everyone what you think. It's wild, a wild experience.
G & W - Did you perceive a team a certain way at the start and then you realized they were totally different?
Leilani - Umm, I mean Brian and Cynthia, I never expected they would be threat. They seemed like cool, you know, parents. But you get to know them and they are hardcore; Cynthia's a beast.
Dujean - You get to see the true potential of people you know.
G & W - You guys had a good connection with Brent and Sean though. Anybody else?
Dujean - One thing that happened off camera and never shown was on Episode 1, we pulled Brent and Sean aside and built an alliance with them. They were our alliance team and that wasn't really shown. That's why we were helping them out and giving them positive words and etc., etc. But that wasn't a key point on television at all.
G & W - So did you guys come in with a strategy to make some alliances?
Leilani - It just felt right when we met Brent and Sean, after Sean just puked. And I know that they are Scotian and there was that immediate connection and I just loved them, I literally fell in love with them. We didn't go into it thinking of making an alliance, it doesn't really benefit you in the show, but we got a first class flight, that was great.
G & W - Yeah, how was that?
Leilani - It was A-Mazing.
Dujean - Yeah, man.
G & W - Now it's first class all the way?
Dujean - Uhhh, first class is overrated. It's awesome and overrated. It's awesomely overrated.
Leilani - But that flight, that was what we needed.
Dujean - And we won that leg.
G & W - You guys were completely surprised by that.
Leilani - We thought we were fighting for last, second last. We were in the back at the pack, they were hours ahead of us and we were with Brian and Cynthia so it was really shocking to win.
G & W - Speaking of India, Dujean, do you have any injuries when Leilani threw you around in the wrestling pit?
Dujean - It's funny, I think Leilani injured herself throwing me around.
Leilani - I did.
Dujean - I was good man, I can take those licks.
G & W - Did it feel good to toss him around? You seemed like you were enjoying yourself, Leilani.
Leilani - It was just something we had to get done. And he was a great sport about it because I also didn't want to be thrown around. So he took it and he's a more graceful faller than I am.
G & W - I know you guys had some hard times in the race, but you guys had some good times. What were those?
Dujean - I personally liked every single dance challenge. It was so much fun, to be put to the test by something that we do. It was fun and we nailed them.
Leilani - It was very lucky for us to have so many choreography-based challenges.
G & W - And some swimming ones.
(Leilani laughs)
Dujean - I sink when I swim so I stayed away from that.
G & W - Did you have enough time, Dujean to learn how to swim before the race started?
Dujean - We'll not to the point where I was going to be an amazing swimmer. And I know I can swim to save my life...
Leilani - —He didn't take a lesson, he didn't take a lesson.
Dujean - But it's like, you know, in the moment if you're wondering what kind of swimming challenge it's going to be, if it's going to be a harder one, so if there was an option of which partner was going to take, yeah Leilani is a better swimmer than me so she was going to do it. But if the clue said 'Who's going to wakeboard', I would have done it.
Leilani - No you wouldn't have done it! You can't swim! You can't swim!
G & W - But you don't have to swim, you just have to hang onto the rope.
Dujean - Exactly.
Leilani - But if you've never really been in a body of water, I also think the hits...I don't know, we'll never know really, but we walked into it looking at Summerland Resort and we were like 'it's going to be water' and if it was going to be water, I was going to do it regardless. (Pause then laughs). Woo. It was starting to get heated again.
G & W - Sorry we got you guys started. We apologize. At the end of the race, you said you needed time for yourselves but do you see each other once and awhile?
(Both laugh) Dujean - No, we see each other. We've watched some episodes with Brent and Sean and other teams. We're around in the city. But the game is hard, man. It brings the worst out of you, man. The worst.
G & W - How hard is it? We watch it and we say 'Yeah that's easy, Gord and Wayne can do that, blah, blah, blah.'
Dujean - Yeah, Gord and Wayne, you guys, man, you guys are the best. Honestly, it's 20 times harder than what you see because you're running so much with your bag on, in the heat, in the cold and the challenges mess you up, man. After the Quebec challenges on the Isle de Magdalene, everybody was sick because it was so cold. You can't tell how cold it was on TV. Everybody was sick. It was 20 times harder.
G & W - But it's great to win. And how great was it to win in Halifax?
Leilani - Oh, there are no words. No words. That was a great leg. All I wanted was not be eliminated in my hometown and we won. So it was amazing.
G & W - And you got two trips so who's going to the Carribean and who's going to London? Or are you going together?
(Everybody laughs)
Dujean - Uhhhhh....
Leilani - I'm going to London and he's going to the Carribean.
Dujean - It's going to be fun. And we have to be happy how well we did, man.
G & W - You guys did do well. There were times when you fought but times when you worked well together. So how did you guys meet?
Dujean - Through dancing. It was the main factor. We both have lost parents so we have a lot in common there. But at the same time that's life, man. Personalities don't mix, it's like chemistry, man. You mix one element with the wrong element, you're going to get an explosion sometimes. You add some heat in there, who knows, under pressure? Put that in a pot, turn up the heat, who knows what you're going to get, you know.
(Leilani laughs)
G & W - Okay, final question, if they had an All-Star Amazing Race Canada and they asked you back, would you say yes?
Dujean - Same team?
G & W - Of course the same team.
Leilani - That's a good one.
Dujean - Yeah, that's a good one.
(Both laugh)
Leilani - We'll get back to you on that one.
Dujean - Yeah, next time you call us, we'll tell you.
(Both laugh).
Leilani - It was A-Mazing.
Dujean - Yeah, man.
G & W - Now it's first class all the way?
Dujean - Uhhh, first class is overrated. It's awesome and overrated. It's awesomely overrated.
Leilani - But that flight, that was what we needed.
Dujean - And we won that leg.
G & W - You guys were completely surprised by that.
Leilani - We thought we were fighting for last, second last. We were in the back at the pack, they were hours ahead of us and we were with Brian and Cynthia so it was really shocking to win.
G & W - Speaking of India, Dujean, do you have any injuries when Leilani threw you around in the wrestling pit?
Dujean - It's funny, I think Leilani injured herself throwing me around.
Leilani - I did.
Dujean - I was good man, I can take those licks.
G & W - Did it feel good to toss him around? You seemed like you were enjoying yourself, Leilani.
Leilani - It was just something we had to get done. And he was a great sport about it because I also didn't want to be thrown around. So he took it and he's a more graceful faller than I am.
G & W - I know you guys had some hard times in the race, but you guys had some good times. What were those?
Dujean - I personally liked every single dance challenge. It was so much fun, to be put to the test by something that we do. It was fun and we nailed them.
Leilani - It was very lucky for us to have so many choreography-based challenges.
G & W - And some swimming ones.
(Leilani laughs)
Dujean - I sink when I swim so I stayed away from that.
G & W - Did you have enough time, Dujean to learn how to swim before the race started?
Dujean - We'll not to the point where I was going to be an amazing swimmer. And I know I can swim to save my life...
Leilani - —He didn't take a lesson, he didn't take a lesson.
Dujean - But it's like, you know, in the moment if you're wondering what kind of swimming challenge it's going to be, if it's going to be a harder one, so if there was an option of which partner was going to take, yeah Leilani is a better swimmer than me so she was going to do it. But if the clue said 'Who's going to wakeboard', I would have done it.
Leilani - No you wouldn't have done it! You can't swim! You can't swim!
G & W - But you don't have to swim, you just have to hang onto the rope.
Dujean - Exactly.
Leilani - But if you've never really been in a body of water, I also think the hits...I don't know, we'll never know really, but we walked into it looking at Summerland Resort and we were like 'it's going to be water' and if it was going to be water, I was going to do it regardless. (Pause then laughs). Woo. It was starting to get heated again.
G & W - Sorry we got you guys started. We apologize. At the end of the race, you said you needed time for yourselves but do you see each other once and awhile?
(Both laugh) Dujean - No, we see each other. We've watched some episodes with Brent and Sean and other teams. We're around in the city. But the game is hard, man. It brings the worst out of you, man. The worst.
G & W - How hard is it? We watch it and we say 'Yeah that's easy, Gord and Wayne can do that, blah, blah, blah.'
Dujean - Yeah, Gord and Wayne, you guys, man, you guys are the best. Honestly, it's 20 times harder than what you see because you're running so much with your bag on, in the heat, in the cold and the challenges mess you up, man. After the Quebec challenges on the Isle de Magdalene, everybody was sick because it was so cold. You can't tell how cold it was on TV. Everybody was sick. It was 20 times harder.
G & W - But it's great to win. And how great was it to win in Halifax?
Leilani - Oh, there are no words. No words. That was a great leg. All I wanted was not be eliminated in my hometown and we won. So it was amazing.
G & W - And you got two trips so who's going to the Carribean and who's going to London? Or are you going together?
(Everybody laughs)
Dujean - Uhhhhh....
Leilani - I'm going to London and he's going to the Carribean.
Dujean - It's going to be fun. And we have to be happy how well we did, man.
G & W - You guys did do well. There were times when you fought but times when you worked well together. So how did you guys meet?
Dujean - Through dancing. It was the main factor. We both have lost parents so we have a lot in common there. But at the same time that's life, man. Personalities don't mix, it's like chemistry, man. You mix one element with the wrong element, you're going to get an explosion sometimes. You add some heat in there, who knows, under pressure? Put that in a pot, turn up the heat, who knows what you're going to get, you know.
(Leilani laughs)
G & W - Okay, final question, if they had an All-Star Amazing Race Canada and they asked you back, would you say yes?
Dujean - Same team?
G & W - Of course the same team.
Leilani - That's a good one.
Dujean - Yeah, that's a good one.
(Both laugh)
Leilani - We'll get back to you on that one.
Dujean - Yeah, next time you call us, we'll tell you.
(Both laugh).