Keoghan Views

• Books

While completing a TV cameraman apprenticeship, he successfully auditioned for New Zealand children's show Spot On at age 19. After a series of further presenter work on television in New Zealand television, including as a reporter on That's Fairly Interesting, he set off to further his career abroad. Before joining The Amazing Race, he was considered as a host for Survivor, but was unsuccessful partly due to his nationality.[3][4] For his hosting of The Amazing Race, Keoghan was nominated for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program in the second year of the award's creation but lost to Jeff Probst of Survivor.[5] In a 2002 interview, he admitted that his pay for a single episode of The Amazing Race is more than an entire year on Spot On.[6]

According to his book, No Opportunity Wasted, Keoghan set out to live his life to the fullest by accomplishing exotic goals and taking risks after a near-death experience at the age of 19. Since then, he's broken a world bungee jumping record, gone diving in the world's longest underwater caves, eaten a meal on top of an erupting volcano, and renewed his vows underwater. He was a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where he shared with Oprah his list of things he wants to do before he dies. The focus of many of his shows is helping others live their lives to the fullest.

From March 28 to May 9, 2009, Keoghan performed a Ride Across America, in partnership with several organizations including GNC, to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. Keoghan and others biked 3,500 miles from Los Angeles to New York City, averaging 100 miles per day. Keoghan stopped in 39 cities en route, attending various events and participating in casting for season 15 of The Amazing Race; the ride culminated a day before the finale of season 14. The event raised $500,000, with over $400,000 coming from in-store donations during the ride.[7][8] Phil's documentary movie The Ride about his ride across America, premiered on February 3, 2011.[9]

Shortly after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in February 2011, Keoghan traveled to his hometown to assure his family was safe but also to record segments for The Early Show to implore viewers to provide aid to the New Zealand Red Cross and to promote continued tourism, a fundamental part of New Zealand's economy, to the country.[2] At the same time, Keoghan participated in the recording of Air New Zealand's new safety video for its domestic jet fleet.[10]