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The Amazing Race season 37 came to an end on May 15, 2025, with Jonathan and Ana Towns finishing in third place. Known throughout the season for their intense dynamic, the married couple’s journey included moments of teamwork as well as emotional lows.
In an exclusive interview with Parade on May 17, Jonathan and Ana opened up about their time on the show, revealing that the experience not only tested their relationship but also led to a life-changing discovery, Jonathan’s autism diagnosis.
“It’s so impossible to describe to someone that doesn’t live this experience. And that’s what I think has been so hard for people that did see it. You say, ‘Okay, he has autism, but what does that have to do with anything?’ And I think an important distinction is that I was undiagnosed,” Jonathan said, reflecting on his emotional outbursts during the race.
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The couple made it clear that the diagnosis, which came after the show was filmed, helped them better understand years of miscommunication and emotional disconnection. They also acknowledged the public reaction to Jonathan’s behaviour and stated they were not making excuses, but rather trying to grow from the experience.
“Every time I did that, I was wrong” — Jonathan reflects on emotional outbursts during The Amazing Race
During their interview, Jonathan admitted that many of the arguments seen on The Amazing Race were driven by emotional overload that he did not understand at the time.
“I would often blame [Ana] for things that she didn’t deserve blame for. I know what that was now… I was just trying to make sense of these emotions in my head. And I would just put it on the first thing that I saw, which was her,” he said.
Ana confirmed that after every leg, they would have conversations and apologies once he calmed down. Jonathan acknowledged how difficult it was to see his own behaviour play out on national television. After returning home from the race in June, and receiving the premiere date in October, the realization set in.
He revisited past seasons of The Amazing Race to see if other contestants had similar traits but struggled to find someone he fully related to. This led him to take an autism quotient test, which aligned with the diagnosis. He then pursued confirmation from a medical professional.
Ana explained that Jonathan’s family had suspected autism for years, but it had never been addressed. She noted that after watching the show and starting therapy, things began to make sense.
“Now that I am learning, again, it’s like the fog was lifted,” she said.
The couple added that awareness was the turning point in their communication and understanding of past conflicts.
Jonathan and Ana admit the diagnosis helped repair their relationship
The couple credited The Amazing Race not just for reconnecting them after a separation but for prompting the deeper self-reflection that led to Jonathan’s diagnosis. According to Ana, they reconnected during the pandemic through the show.
They began watching it together, applied in 2021, and were accepted on their fourth try. They made it clear that their initial goal was not to win the race but to reach the final three.
Jonathan then described how overwhelming emotions made it difficult to think clearly or react appropriately, and said that his inability to process those feelings led to lashing out in The Amazing Race.
“When the anger gets to that point, you just want to get it out. And you put it on the first thing you see. That was always my wife,” he explained.
Since the diagnosis, Jonathan has taken steps to better understand his responses. Ana noted that although the process of finding a professional was difficult, they were eventually able to get confirmation.
She added that understanding Jonathan’s condition helped them revisit past disagreements and approach each other with more patience. They also reiterated that Jonathan was not using autism as an excuse, but rather as a tool for accountability and change.
The Amazing Race episodes are available to stream on CBS.
