Keoghan grabs third Emmy

Phil Keoghan (right) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer collect the Emmy for The Amazing Race. Picture / Reuters

Kiwi adventure-TV presenter Phil Keoghan has added another Emmy to his CV for The Amazing Race.

The American show was named outstanding reality-competition programme for the third time at this year's awards.

Keoghan, who is based in Los Angeles with his family, has travelled to more than 50 countries during seven seasons of hosting the show, in which couples compete together in a treasure-hunt-style race around the globe to win money. TV2 screened the show this year but Kiwis will also remember Keoghan from 80s kids' programme, Spot On.

Since leaving New Zealand in his 20s, Keoghan has co-created and co-produced a number of TV shows, including Keoghan's Heroes, which profiles thrill-seekers around the world, Phil Keoghan's Adventure Crazy for the Discovery Channel and The Human Edge, a technology series for National Geographic Television.

He returned to film the one-hour Natural History New Zealand documentary, New Zealand: Movie Paradise, which screens on Discovery on Sunday at 7.30pm. The programme looks at why Hollywood producers make movies here and is aimed at promoting New Zealand to US tourists.

"As much as possible I've been trying to get exposure for New Zealand," he said while snowboarding in Queenstown, shortly before his win.

Keoghan is also the author of self-help book and TV series No Opportunity Wasted, which suggests writing down lists of the things you would like to accomplish in life.

Keoghan said he had recently crossed off several goals of his own, including night swimming with manta rays in Hawaii, driving across the US with his father, writing a film script with his wife and learning to fly.

"I think adventure is any time you're out of your comfort zone," he said. "I'm disappointed when things don't go wrong. It's when you're forced to deal with difference that you learn and give yourself another notch on your belt."