THE AMAZING RACE CANADA host Jon Montgomery Flips into FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Just like the rest of the planet, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA host Jon Montgomery has soccer fever, and it’s fair to say he’s putting some money on it. Prior to the final Round-of-16 match at FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™, on Tuesday, July 7 in Vancouver, Montgomery will assist in the official coin toss, as a Coca-Cola Coin Toss Assistant. Then later that same day, Season 12 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA premieres at 9 p.m. ET on CTV (available next day on Crave). “I’m a coin toss assistant!” Montgomery said excitedly in a phone interview. “On July 7 in Vancouver, myself, my wife, and my two little ones will be there as a family.” He continued, “my wife and I were treated to an experience at the WORLD CUP in 2010 in South Africa, when we were in an adjacent country on a humanitarian mission with Right To Play, and got a chance to attend a game. Neither of us were soccer players, but we were blown away by the energy and the atmosphere. So this time we’re thrilled to be able to share it with our kids, and hopefully we can also showcase what just happens to be on TV later that night, for some more competition.” Montgomery, of course, is a gold medal-winning athlete himself, having triumphed in the men’s skeleton event at the 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS in Vancouver. It was in 2013 that he signed up to host the rookie season of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, which has become a summer staple of Canadian TV viewing. He was asked if it ever crossed his mind that hosting THE AMAZING RACE CANADA essentially would amount to a second career. “No, I had no clue,” he admitted. “Back in that first season, I never allowed myself the freedom to have any expectation for a second season, because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I loved it so much, I thought, ‘well, if I hold onto this too tightly, it’s going to be really difficult to let it go.’ But you know, I don’t feel as though I’ve had a career in tobogganing, or a career in television. It feels like a perpetually delayed attempt to reach adulthood and actually find a career. So I look at it as though I haven’t quite gotten started yet. I’ve had a pretty good kick at enjoying myself thoroughly, so if it doesn’t feel like work, I won’t refer to it as such.” But was there a time when Montgomery came to the realization that THE AMAZING RACE CANADA was going to be a long-running gig? Like maybe in Season 3, or 5, or 7? “I don’t know that there was ever a flash-of-lightning moment,” he said. “It’s sort of like losing your hair. It happens very progressively, and you look at yourself every day in the mirror, and you don’t always see that incremental change that’s happening.” Only Jon Montgomery would find a way to equate the enduring success of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA with hair loss. He laughed hard at that observation. “My metaphors are going to reach deep into the well,” he said. “You have to do some mental gymnastics to find out what the hell this man is actually talking about.” Tackling the question more philosophically, Montgomery added, “from Season 1 to Season 12, which is just about to air, this show has continued to grow, but what never changes is the pride that I have in the fact that families watch it together, that it is literally scheduled family viewing time. I won’t denigrate any other programs, but this is one of a small handful of shows that families can watch together. And not just for entertainment purposes or mindless escape, but for actual inspiration, and connectedness to your brothers and sisters, whom you need to collaborate with to do anything of value in this country. You can’t convince me that we aren’t doing a legit general public service, while at the same time entertaining Canadians. I believe that.” And hey, not everyone gets to assist in an official coin toss prior to a FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ game, so Jon Montgomery clearly has the gift for inspiring Canadians as well. “Being part of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA has given me so much, and this is just another example,” he said. “A WORLD CUP game is such an awesome experience. You can’t help but be a fan of the energy. You can feel it everywhere. I can’t wait.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv