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'Amazing Race' Returns Sunday With Familiar 'Big Brother' Faces

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Did you honestly think you had seen the last of "Brenchel"?

That would officially mean nothing to a non "Big Brother" fan, but "Brenchel" are the torrid tandem of Brendon Villegas and his fiance Rachel Reilly, the season 13 champion.

"The Amazing Race" begins its 20th season Sunday on CBS, and Brenchel is one of the 11 two-member teams vying for the million dollar prize.

"Brendon and I are really good competitors," said Reilly, a 27-year-old who, like Villegas, lives in Westwood.

"We're fast, we're smart, we're street-wise. I think we have a great chance at winning the race. The two of us together, no one can stop us. No one comes between me and my man. No one comes between me and my million dollars."

Reilly entered into a romantic relationship with Villegas during the first week of the 12th season of "Big Brother," which aired in the summer of 2010. She finished ninth and Villegas sixth. The following summer, Reilly was the winner while Villegas finished ninth to win the $500,000 prize.

"I think the difference between `Big Brother' and `Amazing Race' is we are here to play our own game," said Villegas, a 31-year old doctoral student in physics.

"We're not here to make sure we're cool with everyone else so they don't vote us out. It's going to come down to how well we play the game."

Another team that will be racing from Santa Barbara to Santa Barbara, Argentina, in Sunday's episode consists of two federal agents from Los Angeles.

Jamie Graetz and Nary Ebeid said that being law enforcement officers will both hurt and help on "The Amazing Race."

"Some people will probably already have their preconceived notion of what a law enforcement officer is that could already be a negative for us... and we're going to say we're teachers," the 33-year-old Graetz said.

Ebeid said that because "people like teachers" opposing contestants might "not U-turn us," forcing them to complete a detour.

Ebeid, 32, said she and Graetz are "a lot stronger" mentally because they are in law enforcement "and we can handle a lot more stressful situations."

Ebeid described herself and Graetz as "both very competitive."

"This race is like a job to us," the 32-year-old Ebeid said. "We need to complete the job and do it well."

Ebeid warned the opposing 10 teams to "just stay out of our way because we're coming."

Said Graetz: "If you happen be in front of us, we're going to come get you, so watch out."

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