The Amazing Race Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Hayley Keel and Blair Townsend are a Blind Dating team on The Amazing Race 26.

Among the blind dating teams, Hayley & Blair had by far the most explosive relationship, with the two frequently having communication issues throughout the race—Hayley would frequently nag at Blair for refusing to her suggestions, which more often than not turned out to be correct. While Hayley was often correct and Blair constantly displaying a stubborn attitude, her way of communicating failed to resonate with him, with other teams even sympathizing with Blair for having to put up with her. Though this gap in communication initially affected their performance, they were able to find their groove in the race, using their physical and mental abilities to make it to the final three. They led for most of the final leg until they hit the final Roadblock, which required one member, Hayley, to spot flags from a distance and lead their team there. As Blair had no way of verifying otherwise, he put complete trust in Hayley for once. However, unlike their previous issues, Hayley proved to be wrong on this occasion, and by the time they were able to correct their mistake, they dropped to last and eventually finished in 3rd place.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com[1]

Hayley[]

Name: Hayley Keel
Age: 28
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Current occupation: Registered Nurse
Describe what you do: I am an ER/trauma RN, currently working at a pediatric hospital in the ER.
3 words to describe you: Genuine, witty and passionate.
Favorite hobbies: Going to the beach, anything active (biking, paddle boarding, working out), cooking, traveling, attending Cleveland/Tampa Bay sporting events and exploring new places (cities, restaurants, local attractions).
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Becoming a registered nurse. It is simply amazing to be able to help people and make a difference in their lives.
What scares you most about traveling? Becoming sick or sustaining an injury.
What excites you most about traveling? Not knowing what I will see and experience. I love the spontaneity of traveling to new places.
How many serious relationships have you been in? When were they and for how long? 3. From 2004-2005, college boyfriend; 2006-2013 long term relationship; 2013-2014 dated.
What are your deal breakers in a relationship? Poor communication, lack of goals, no motivation, boring, bad attitude and laziness.
What are the top 3 qualities you are looking for in a mate? Confidence, loyalty and happiness.
What are 3 turn offs or pet peeves in a mate? Jealousy, negativity and insecurity.
Who is your celebrity crush? Justin Timberlake
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Taylor Swift
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Thailand, because of its beautiful beaches and fun atmosphere.

Blair[]

Name: Blair Townsend
Age: 31
Hometown: Amelia Island, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Current occupation: Physician
Describe what you do: I am taking a few years away from surgery residency to serve as an active duty doctor in the Navy. I provide medical care to Sailors in the Dive and Undersea communities.
3 words to describe you: Versatile, brave and inventive.
Favorite hobbies: Ironman competitions, sailing, scuba diving and golf.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Being a good son to my parents and a good brother to my sisters.
What scares you most about traveling? Not ever wanting to return to real life.
What excites you most about traveling? Knowing that I will return a better man.
How many serious relationships have you been in? Two
What are your deal breakers in a relationship? Lack of curiosity in the world, complacency and dishonesty.
What are the top 3 qualities you are looking for in a mate? Razor-sharp wit, bold confidence and a contagious smile.
What are 3 turn offs or pet peeves in a mate? Excessive swearing, no swearing and excessive make-up.
Who is your celebrity crush? Lionel Messi's significant other, Antonella Roccuzzo.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? If Ryan Gosling had a miracle baby with Brad Pitt then that child was tutored by Stephen Hawking, mentored by the late Maya Angelou, and trained by Bruce Jenner in his prime...I would be that person.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Thailand or any country in Southeast Asia. I am obsessed with the food in the region, think the terrain is beautiful, and want to be thrown into the hustle and bustle of an overcrowded city while searching for Phil.

The Amazing Race 26[]

Race History[]

Hayley & Blair's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Japan Syncing Steps / Samurai Sake No Roadblock 8 of 11
2 2 Japan Share / Chair Hayley 9 of 10
3 3 Japan → Thailand Ski / Tree No Roadblock 2 of 9
4 4 Thailand Wheel / Water Blair 2 of 9
5 5 Thailand → Germany Stein / Stack Blair 5 of 8
6 6 Germany → France → Monaco → France Win By a Nose / Don't Slack Off Hayley 1 of 7
7 7 France → Namibia Track / Pack Blair 3 of 6
8 8 Namibia Work / Play Hayley 3 of 6
9 9 Namibia → Netherlands Soak / Shuffle Blair 2 of 5
10 10 Netherlands → Peru Mamas / Papas Hayley 1 of 5
11 11 Peru Shake Your Hips / Make Some Bricks Blair 1 of 4
12 12 Peru → United States No Detour Blair 3 of 4 [1]
Hayley
Average 3.33
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn
The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn"
Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist
The team that found and won the Date Night ticket

Notes:
1: Leg 12 featured two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

Post-Race[]

  • Hayley married Brian Bivens in 2018 and now goes by Hayley Bivens.[2]

Trivia[]

External links[]

Interviews[]

  • Guy D'astolfo at valley24.com (02/23/2015): "Niles native competes on Amazing Race"
  • Janie at shejustglows.com (04/10/2015): "Amazing Race contestant shares 16 things you didn't know about the show"
  • 10 News Staff on WTSP (05/15/2015): "St. Pete nurse 3rd in Amazing Race"
  • Robbyn Mitchell at Tampa Bay Times (05/16/2015): "Amazing Race contestant from St. Petersburg comes up short
  • Rob Cesternino at RHAP (05/18/2015): "Amazing Race 2015 | Top 4 Exit Interviews"
  • Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (05/19/2015): "Hayley and Blair Explain All the Nagging"
  • Elimination Interview at CBS.com (05/19/2015): "Hayley And Blair Miss The Mat On Amazing Race's Finale, Coming In Third: No @RxForLove for these two"
  • Lauren DuBois at Enstarz.com (05/20/2015): "Hayley & Blair Reflect On 3rd Place Finish, Say Final Challenge Would Have Kept Them From Winning Anyway"
  • Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (05/22/2015): "Exclusive: Hayley Keel and Blair Townsend talk 'The Amazing Race' and finishing third"
  • Mizkirsten on WFLA Daytime (06/04/2015): "Daytime Local Nurse on The Amazing Race"
  • Mike and Rochelle on On the Block Network (09/25/2015): "Amazing Race Weekly Recap | The Pit Stop | Guest Hayley Keel (TAR26)"

Social Media Profiles[]


References[]

The Amazing Race 26 Teams
 Aly & Steve
Dating Olympians
S26 AlySteve
 Bergen & Kurt
Blind Dating
S26 BergenKurt
 Hayley & Blair
Blind Dating
S26 HayleyBlair
 Jeff & Jackie
Blind Dating
S26 JeffJackie
 Jeff & Lyda
Dating
S26 JeffLyda
 Jelani & Jenny
Blind Dating
S26 JelaniJenny
 Laura & Tyler
Blind Dating
S26 LauraTyler
 Libby & CJ
Dating
S26 LibbyCJ
S26 MattAshley
S26 MikeRochelle
Advertisement