Claire Rehfuss and Derek Xiao won the first episode of The Amazing Race, which has left many fans rooting for their overall competition crown. The duo are closer than ever, but just how did they first meet?

It was during their Big Brother stint that the two built a bond strong enough to race across the world together. Then in October 2021, Claire and Derek took the next step and revealed they are in an official relationship.

Now, they are competing on The Amazing Race, meaning they have experienced two reality TV series side by side. Let’s look at how their romance first developed and what their career backgrounds are.

Claire and Derek’s Big Brother season

In 2021, Derek and Claire competed in season 23 of Big Brother. They finished in 10th and 8th place, but Derek has also had several stints on other reality shows, including The Challenge: USA, Survivor and Love Island.

The BB season began filming in June 2021, but they didn’t actually start dating in the main house. They waited until they were evicted to form a romance, after they were eliminated from the house in August and September 2021.

Derek and Claire got a second chance at love when they were in the jury house together for two weeks. Then shortly after Xavier Prather was crowned the season champion, the two announced they were in an relationship.

Their relationship timeline

Claire and Derek have been in an official relationship since October 2021. By August earlier this year, they had moved in together and are now competing on The Amazing Race together. Their romance developed off-camera, though.

“Once you’re off camera, that’s when you really, really get to know who a person is and you can really be vulnerable and you can really be open and really talk about a lot of things from your life,” Rehfuss told Us.

During their time in the jury house, they had late-night conversations and were able to get to know each other without the pressure of being filmed. They now both live in Los Angeles together, having moved from their places in New York.

The Amazing Race fans think they’ll win

Since Derek and Claire won the first episode challenge, The Amazing Race viewers have guessed they go on to win the show as a whole. Although this has not been confirmed yet, many fans are rooting for them.

One fan wrote: “How do Derek and Claire go from the last starting group to 1st place so quick?! I am in AWE.”

Another said: “Wow Derek and Claire have taken first place on that drive !! Impressive!”

“My mom and I rooting for Claire and Derek every week,” penned a show viewer on Twitter.

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