Melinda and Erika Unveil Taxi Penalty Details from The Amazing Race
Melinda and Erika Papadeas narrowly avoided a significant penalty for using taxis during the Bulgaria segment of The Amazing Race, as they finished in last place.
“We would’ve faced a 30-minute penalty for each taxi ride,” Melinda, 66, shared exclusively with Us Weekly on Thursday, April 24, after her and her daughter’s elimination from the competitive series.
In the episode that aired on Wednesday, April 23, Erika, 32, misinterpreted their clue, which prohibited taxi use while they were in Sofia. Instead, the client engagement specialist mistakenly believed the clue allowed only taxi travel during that leg of the race. This misunderstanding led to the mother-daughter team taking various cars to navigate the city.
“So it would’ve amounted to about two hours,” Erika explained to Us.
Throughout the episode, Melinda and Erika were unaware they had broken the rules. It was only when host Phil Keoghan informed them they were last to arrive on the mat that they realized their mistake. Erika went on to describe the exchange as more “comical” than what viewers witnessed.
“[Phil] was like, ‘You guys misread it. I’m sure it was like a team thing.’ And my mom said, ‘Oh, I’ve never read a clue,’” Erika recounted. “I was like, ‘Thanks for that.’”
Erika mentioned her mother’s struggles with poor eyesight made it difficult for her to read the clue. After Keoghan, 57, pointed out the error, Erika clarified to the host that she had indeed read it but had misinterpreted it.
“When he mentioned that, I was like, ‘No, I read the clue.’ And he said, ‘But did you?’” she explained. “So we need to clarify: it’s not just about reading your clue, it’s about reading your clue correctly. I did read it; I just didn’t understand it correctly.”
Reflecting on the incident, Erika noted that “several factors” contributed to their confusion over the clue.
“I would usually rip it and read, and during that process, my mom would take off in practically any direction she felt like,” she told Us. “So I’d be reading while running to catch up.”
Melinda acknowledged that being one of the oldest competitors on season 37 was challenging, but she was determined to keep pace with the others.
“I didn’t always enjoy being the oldest, slowest, and last, and I’m competitive, so it was tough,” the administrator revealed to Us. “Often, I would act too quickly or just want to get started, adding more pressure on [Erika]… but she really did an amazing job directing us.”
Erika further explained that an earlier mistake in the first leg, where they accidentally skipped taking a taxi, ended up impacting their final leg.
“It’s quite ironic, actually. During the first leg of the race, we were supposed to take a taxi, but I misread the clue and made my mom run about two miles to find Phil,” she said. “So it’s funny that on the last leg, I thought, ‘Let’s take a taxi.’”
The Amazing Race airs on CBS Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET and is available for streaming on Paramount+ the following day.
