The Amazing Race's Leni and Brendan Fevola reveal medical issue after show exit

“[I] came down with a really, really nasty, what we think was a super aggressive strain of COVID or the flu or something like that,” Leni tells Chattr. “I [had a] high fever, I was achy, I was delirious. So the medics came and checked me out.”

Brendan adds that Leni has a “really bad immune system”, so he was hoping she would recover after having a couple of days off from the race. When he finished the leg and found out it was a virtual pit stop, he just “melted” and decided to withdraw from The Amazing Race — a decision that the Fevolas are grateful for.

“That led into a six-week chest infection, so good call by dad, because then the week that I got better, my appendix burst,” Leni recalls. “So it was just a series of unfortunate events.”

Throughout the seventh leg, Brendan was thinking about Leni the entire time. “She was in a hotel by herself you know, crook. So I was constantly checking with the producers throughout the race because they were in contact with her,” he says.

The contestant found himself racing to make Leni proud and wanted to push through for their chosen charity, Small Steps 4 Hannah. “I think it was the first time in the world that someone’s actually raced on their own,” Brendan tells us. “You want to obviously do it for your charity… [but] it was really hard doing it on [my] own. Didn’t have my little mate with me.

“All that’s going through your mind [is when] I get to the final mat… I can get home to her. And then [Beau] said, it’s a virtual pit stop. And I [just] literally melted. I cried,” he adds.

“I just wanted to go home to my wife and kids, and wanted to take Leni home, because I knew how sick she was — and I didn’t realise how sick she actually was — so I made the right call in the end.”

What did Leni think of Brendan Fevola’s decision to quit The Amazing Race?

When Leni heard the pair were now out of The Amazing Race Australia 2025, she had mixed emotions.

“I was devastated that our time on the race was over, because it was just, it was so incredible. And I’ll probably do nothing like that ever again,” Leni explains. “But at the same time, I was so sick. I was quite delirious. I don’t think I was quite aware of what was going on.

“I was quite excited to get home to my mum, be in the comfort of my bed, and have her and my sisters and just everyone.”

Now that they’re officially out, Brendan has his eye on Rob and Georgie to take out the grand prize, while Leni says it could be anyone’s game. No matter who wins, they’re both eagerly anticipating the grand finale.