"It feels like a heartbreak": The Amazing Race star Natalie reflects on her and her sister Stephanie's eliminations from the contest

The Amazing Race season 38 bid farewell to sisters Stephanie and Natalie Negrotti during their November 5, 2025, episode. After racing through seven legs, the sisters were unable to outperform their competitors in the Romania race.  

In an interview with Gold Derby, published on November 6, 2025, Stephanie and Natalie reflected on their journey on the show, while expressing their feelings about their elimination.

“I’m really sad. It was uncomfortable to watch the elimination episode. We were on a roll and really working as teammates, but Romania just kicked our b*tts. It was difficult, and unfortunately, we weren’t in alignment like the other legs. I’m not going to lie – it feels like a breakup,” Natalie admitted.

Stephanie expressed a similar sentiment, noting that rewatching their exit on TV felt like “reopening the wound.” She added that there were things they could have done better, but at the same time, it was difficult to always think reasonably when under pressure. 

She referred to the “race brain” effect, pointing out that sometimes logic disappeared when in a race. 

In the November 5 episode of The Amazing Race, Natalie and Stephanie put their spots in the competition in jeopardy by letting co-stars Joseph and Adam Abdin slip ahead of them in line on a flight to Bucharest. 

Eventually, they fell behind due to navigation issues and a series of tasks and became the last ones to reach the Pit Stop.

“Need to work on being a little less empathetic”: The Amazing Race’s Natalie comments on allowing Joseph and Adam to get to the ticket counter first

Both Natalie and Stephanie admitted that it hurt to exit the competition, having performed well in the previous legs.

According to Natalie, allowing Joseph and Adam to cut in line before them to get a ticket to Bucharest was what made the difference. 

“We need to work on being a little less empathetic and a little more assertive at the right times. Being raised by a single mom, sometimes I just bite my tongue instead of taking up space. Watching it back, I was mad at myself,” Natalie added.

However, the female cast member noted that she had learnt her lesson and would “have a little more audacity” in 2026. 

When asked about alliances and whether they benefited them in any way, Stephanie stated that even before they left for the competition, she had told Natalie that they should “just race on their own and not rely on alliances.”

However, on the show, things played out differently. Stephanie added that they ended up “leaving on people” more than they wanted to. 

Natalie chimed in, saying “people leaned on us too.”

“Steph even felt weird when we got first place because she thought it was given to us, but it wasn’t – we earned it socially. We helped others so much and even wrote out their instructions,” she mentioned. 

While talking about their social game, Natalie stated that she and Stephanie were the “most loyal to the girl-girl teams.” She clarified that although they had an alliance with the male co-stars, their mission had always been to help a female team win.

Looking back on their journey and the hardships they faced, Stephanie noted that navigation was one of the biggest problems they faced, and it was what cost them their spots in the Romania leg. 

Stephanie believed that if their navigation was better, they would have stayed in the race. 

Regardless, the sisters were pleased with their overall journey on the show. Stephanie mentioned that it made her “more empathetic toward Nat” and understanding of her anxiety. 

Stay tuned for more updates.