Nine’s big new global adventure program Rush is set to premiere on Channel Nine and 9Now on Sunday, July 2, at 7:00 pm.
Three teams of Aussies are put to the test in the new race around the world. In nine different countries, Brazil, Turkey, Jordan, India, Thailand, Ireland, France, Kenya and South Africa, the teams have one mission: be the first to get out and move on to the next destination.
Each team will be dropped into the middle of cultural festivals, huge events and exotic locations including Carnival in Rio, St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, the colourful Holi festival in India and the Tomorrowland music festival in France.
The travellers arrive at each new drop point deprived of sight and sound. Once their noise-cancelling headphones and blackout goggles are removed their first task is to find the show’s host, David Genat, waiting for them with mission instructions.
In each location, Genat will give them a series of tasks which they must complete, immersing themselves in the chaos of the local culture before locating an extraction point and rushing to the escape zone.
They might have to organise and win a soccer match with the locals in Rio, find and photograph the Stone of Sacrifice in Petra in Jordan, or bungee jump from the world’s highest bridge, Bloukrans Gorge in South Africa.
However, the last team to arrive at each escape zone in every country will need to eliminate one traveller from their team.
As the numbers reduce and the teams dwindle to become individuals, one winner will emerge and win $100,000 and two first-class, around-the-world airline tickets.
This week, Mediaweek spoke to host David Genat about the new show and how even though he is now a host of a brand new series, he had actually auditioned for other gigs on TV, but says that Rush is a dream project for him.
“I’ve auditioned for shows previously and looked for hosting gigs here and there,” he admitted. “And then when this gig [Rush] came up, that’s the one where I was like, ‘Oh, I want that. I want that so bad’.”
He also talks about how the contestants have to be a certain type of person in order to compete in the new show.
“There are just so many cool themes that people can be a part of,” he said of the experience. “But I think if you want to apply and be a part of the show, you need a resilient spirit because travel is that right?”
Read more: How a practical joke catapulted Nine’s Rush host David Genat into international stardom
Rush is an original concept developed by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Company) and Nine and will be represented internationally by Banijay.
Rush premieres Sunday, July 2 at 7:00 pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.