Brandon & Nicole

Brandon Davidson and Claudia Nicole O'Brian are a team of Dating Models on The Amazing Race 5.

Dedicated Christians, they would repeatedly pray for God to help them win. They made it to the final three, where they finished in third place due to being stuck on the same later flight with Colin & Christie, but not having an aggressive taxi driver to help them keep pace.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Brandon & Nicole met just over a year ago at a Bridal Extravaganza in Houston, Texas. As reigning Miss Texas, she was there to model a new bridal gown, while Brandon was there as her escort on the runway. Right after the bridal show ended, Brandon got her telephone number, and they've been dating ever since. Both consider themselves very religious and spiritual people and describe their relationship as God-centered.

Brandon, a Texas A&M alum, is now a model and has lived in various big cities, including New York, Miami and Houston, while Nicole currently lives in Los Angeles and is pursuing an acting career. Nicole's proudest accomplishments have been winning Miss Texas USA 2003 and being the second runner up at Miss USA 2003.

Brandon & Nicole's primary motivation for being on THE AMAZING RACE 5 is to win the $1 million prize, but they also look forward to spending more time together, since their careers have kept them apart.^[1]

When and where did you meet?

Brandon: Niki and I met January 4, 2003 in Houston. She was the reigning Miss Texas USA. A regional bridal wear company and sponsor of the Miss Texas USA pageant had Niki debut a new bridal gown at the local Bridal Extravaganza. I was hired to model tuxedos and escorted Niki down the runway.
Nicole: I was Miss Texas USA and I modeled a bridal gown for the Bridal Extravaganza. Brandon was modeling a groom's tuxedo and was paired up with me to be my escort. He got my number after the show, and we've been together ever since.

If you could describe your relationship in one phrase or sentence, what would it be?

Brandon: Our relationship is God-centered.
Nicole: Best friends.

Have you ever traveled together before? If so, what were the best and worst aspects of traveling together?

Brandon: No.
Nicole: No.

Why did you decide to team up for THE AMAZING RACE?

Brandon: Niki and I spend a lot of time apart, because modeling keeps me on the road. We figure the Race will be a great opportunity for us to spend a lot of time together.
Nicole: There is no one I would rather spend my time, with so when I found out about the Race, I knew Brandon had to be my partner. We make such a good Team.

As you begin the Race, how do you think this experience will affect your relationship?

Brandon: I have no idea how the Race will be.
Nicole: I know that Brandon and I will get along great. We never really get to see each other, so I'm just looking forward to getting to see him for an extended period of time.

What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the Team?

Brandon: I think I can be a good encourager for Niki. My biggest weakness is stress.
Nicole: I think I do a good job of staying focused and not getting discouraged. I am not a runner, so when it comes to anything that has to do with running I slow us down.

What strengths and weaknesses does your teammate bring to the Team?

Brandon: Niki makes good decisions. Oftentimes, she's decisive when I'm not. She's really competitive, but easily discouraged.
Nicole: Brandon has a lot of strengths. He keeps me going when I feel down. When I'm tired, he carries me. He works really hard at whatever he does and usually finishes on top. Brandon is really laid back, so being firm and assertive isn't his strongest area. He sometimes can be a pushover. He is also not so patient with people when he is nervous. Other than that, he is perfect!^[2]

The Amazing Race 5[]

Race History[]

Brandon & Nicole's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → Uruguay	Zips / Chips	No Roadblock	6 of 11
2	2	Uruguay → Argentina	Perro / Tango	Brandon	1 of 10
3	3	Argentina	Smooth Sailing / Rough Riding	Brandon	3 of 9
4	4	Argentina → Russia	Block 5 Shots / Drink 1 Shot	Nicole	5 of 8
5	5	Russia → Egypt	Rock & Roll / Hump & Ride	Brandon	3 of 7
6	6	Egypt	Herd It / Haul It	Brandon	4 of 7
7	7	Egypt → Kenya → Tanzania	Buzzing / Busy	Brandon	4 of 6
8	8	Tanzania → United Arab Emirates	Off Plane / Off Road	Brandon	2 of 5	^[1]
9	9	United Arab Emirates → India	Heavy but Short / Light but Long	Brandon	5 of 5
10	10	India → New Zealand	Clean / Dirty	Brandon	3 of 5
11	11	New Zealand → Philippines	Plow / Fowl	Brandon	3 of 4
12	12	Philippines	Unknown	Brandon	1 of 4	^[2]
12	13	Philippines → Canada → United States	Slide / Ride	Brandon	3 of 3	^[3]
				Average	3.31
Legend: The team finished in first place The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg The team that won The Amazing Race The team that crossed the Finish Line second The team that crossed the Finish Line third ► The team used the Fast Forward pass > The team used the Yield < Recipient of the Yield
Notes: 1: Leg 8 had an unaired Roadblock that involved buying and delivering nuts. In a post-race interview, fellow Season 5 team Linda & Karen stated that the men in the co-ed teams completed all the Roadblocks following the caviar Roadblock in Leg 4.^[3] 2: Leg 12 had a Detour, however all teams were shown performing the same task, and was aired as a miscellaneous task. 3: Leg 13 had a unaired Roadblock that involved pitching a tepee. Brandon has been confirmed to have completed the task.^[4]

Post-Race[]

A few years after the race, Brandon & Nicole broke up.
- Nicole got married in 2014.
- Brandon is married and has three children.

Trivia[]

Brandon is tied with Chip McAllister for most Roadblocks done in a single race, with both doing 11 each.
- This record is unlikely to be broken due to rule changes forcing each team member to perform at least 5 Roadblocks during the course of the race.

External links[]

Nicole's Wikipedia page: Nicole O'Brian

Interviews[]

Harry Smith on The Early Show (09/22/2004): "Race Ends with Proposal"
Ethan Alter at TV Guide Online (09/30/2004): "Pray for TAR's Brandon and Nicole"