“30-minute penalty for each taxi” — The Amazing Race stars Melinda and Erika reflect on rule misread

On the April 23, 2025 episode of The Amazing Race season 37, mother-daughter team Melinda and Erika Papadeas were eliminated after finishing last in the Bulgaria leg. In an interview with Us Weekly on April 24, Melinda said things could have gone even worse for them.

Explaining the mistake they made in Sofia,

“We would’ve had a 30-minute penalty for each taxi ride,” Melinda said.

Erika misread the clue, believing that taxis were the only allowed mode of travel when they were actually prohibited. The two took several taxis around the city, unknowingly breaking the rule. Fortunately, because they finished last, the penalties didn’t impact the outcome of their leg. Erika noted that the penalty could have added up to around two hours.

Throughout the race, Melinda and Erika tried to balance speed and clarity, but the mistake in reading the clue proved costly. Fans watched their journey come to an end during the episode, and the duo reflected on the moment in their interview.

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Erika misreads Sofia's clue, unknowingly breaks the rule in The Amazing Race

During their interview, The Amazing Race star Erika shared that she misread the clue in the Bulgaria leg. It said that taxis were not allowed, but she thought it said they were the only allowed transport. Estimating the total penalty they avoided,

“So it would’ve been about two hours,” Erika said.

Erika also recalled their reaction at the mat when host Phil Keoghan pointed out the mistake.

“[Phil] was like, ‘You guys misread it. I’m sure it was like a team thing.’ And my mom goes, ‘Oh, I’ve never read a clue,’” she said.

Melinda had trouble reading due to poor eyesight, so Erika usually handled the clues. “When he said that, I was like, ‘No, I read the clue.’ And he was like, ‘But did you?’” Erika continued, explaining that reading the clue wasn’t enough; it had to be understood correctly.

Looking back, Erika mentioned that in the first leg, she misread a clue again and had them run instead of taking a taxi. She added that it felt "ironic" to suggest taking a taxi on the last leg, given how their race had started. Their final mistake ended their race experience, both tied to clue misreads.

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Melinda shares how speed added pressure

The Amazing Race star Melinda explained that her eagerness to keep up with younger contestants might have affected their performance.

“I didn’t always like being the oldest and the slowest and the last and I’m competitive, so it was hard,” she told.

She said that her tendency to start moving quickly added pressure on Erika. Melinda added that she often acted too quickly or felt the urge to get moving before fully understanding the situation. Erika agreed with her mother,

“I would always rip and read and then while I was reading, my mom would just start bolting in like pretty much any direction she wanted to go,” she explained.

This routine often made it difficult to fully understand the clue before taking action. Erika praised her mother for trying to stay active throughout the race and added that despite the result, she was proud of how they handled challenges.

Melinda and Erika’s elimination marked the end of their journey on The Amazing Race season 37. Though the taxi error was unintentional, it was a key factor in their exit. They shared their reflections in the interview, offering more context on what led to their departure.

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The Amazing Race airs Wednesdays at 9:30 pm ET on CBS and streams on Paramount+ the next day.