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Nicole Ann Franzel and Victor Arroyo III are an Engaged team on The Amazing Race 31.

Nicole & Victor proved to be a strong team, being the only new team to be able to regularly keep up with their more experienced The Amazing Race alumni competitors on their way to the final four. In addition, they formed a Big Brother alliance with Janelle & Britney and Rachel & Elissa, with the three teams agreeing not to U-Turn each other. The alliance fell apart in the seventh leg, however, when Rachel & Elissa informed Nicole & Victor that other teams were targeting them for a U-Turn; Nicole & Victor then threw their allies under the bus to save themselves, with Nicole reverting to her infamous strategy of playing the victim and being passive-aggressive when called out afterwards by the sisters. As the only non-Race alumni in the final four, they were again targeted in the penultimate leg to ensure an all-Race final three. Despite their efforts to overcome this target, Nicole & Victor's struggle with the Detour put them in last, and they were eliminated in 4th place.

Profile[]

Retrived from CBS.com[1]

Previous seasons: Big Brother 16 and winner of Big Brother 18 (Nicole); Big Brother 18 (Victor)

Nicole Franzel[]

Age: 26
Instagram: @coconuts_
Twitter: @nicole_franzel
Hometown: Ubly, Michigan
Current occupation: Registered Nurse, content creator, podcast co-host
Describe what you do: Currently working as a school nurse, occasionally. Previously worked in the ER, ICU & Rehabilitation Units. I also create content for companies and products to share on social media platforms and get to travel with my BFF, Victor, for our podcast!
Three words to describe you: Cuddly, quirky, and competitive.
Favorite hobbies: Cooking, crafting, and drinking coffee.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Becoming a nurse, winning BB18 and starting the Coco Caliente podcast.
What scares you most about traveling? Being stranded alone or getting really sick!
What excites you most about traveling? Being immersed in different cultures and learning about them. Also, as cliche as it sounds, getting to see the world; it’s not easy to get this experience and I’m not going to take it for granted.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Anywhere with elephants! I LOVE ANIMALS.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Learn how to handle stressful situations together, experience the world with someone I love, create once-in-a-lifetime memories, and kick some butt.
Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Former Race teams, for sure! They know how to work together as a team, what their prior strengths and weaknesses are and know what to pack, which we are very uncertain about!
Do you think Survivor prepared you for The Amazing Race? Do you think you learned anything on Big Brother that will help you on the Race? Yes, but probably not enough. Socially, I can usually survive, but I haven’t done much exercise in quite some time and I think it's much more physical than Big Brother. I also don’t do well under pressure. The irony is I’m assuming it feels like you're "on the block" every single day in this Race. We will give it our best shot though and Vic is the best teammate I could ever ask for! Excited to have a permanent alliance member, it only takes one!

Victor Arroyo[]

Age: 28
Instagram: @elfitvic
Twitter: @cococalientepod
Hometown: Ubly, Michigan
Current occupation: Freight broker
Describe what you do: Provide transportation and logistical services.
Three words to describe you: Outgoing, silly, and competitive.
Favorite hobbies: Exercise, date nights, and podcasting.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Graduating college and getting engaged to the love of my life.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting injured or falling ill in a foreign country.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing different cultures, foods, meeting new people and trying new activities. Also seeing the other beautiful landscapes of the world.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Maldives: amazingly beautiful and slowly disappearing into the ocean. Might not be here in the future.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Bring us closer and share an amazing experience. We will really learn a lot about each other and share something that we will have to look back on forever.
Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Racers, because they have done this before which makes them more prepared for this type of competition.
Do you think Survivor prepared you for The Amazing Race? Do you think you learned anything on Big Brother that will help you on the Race? I believe BB is more of a social game and less of a physical competition like Race. Although The Amazing Race has some mental challenges, the social aspect of the game itself is minimal. I do hope winning BB competitions gives me the confidence to do well on The Amazing Race’s challenges.

The Amazing Race 31[]

Race History[]

Nicole & Victor's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Japan No Detour Victor 6 of 11 [1]
Nicole
2 2 Japan → Laos ABC / BBQ Nicole 2 of 10
3 3 Laos → Vietnam Reel It In / Light It Up Victor 2 of 9
4 4 Vietnam Irritation / Irrigation Victor 2 of 9
5 5 Vietnam → United Arab Emirates Fall / Find Nicole 5 of 8
6 6 United Arab Emirates → Uganda Salty Roll / Move the Pole Victor 3 of 8
7 7 Uganda → Switzerland Water Power / Water Down Nicole 7 of 7
8 8 Switzerland Haymaking / Cow Dressing Victor 5 of 7
9 9 Switzerland → Croatia Poetry in Motion / Washed in from the Ocean Nicole 2 of 6
10 10 Croatia → Netherlands High / Dry No Roadblock 4 of 5
11 11 Netherlands → United Kingdom Know / Row Victor 4 of 4
Average 3.81
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 U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn
The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn"
Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist
The team that lost the Double Battle

Notes:
1:Leg 1 had two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

Post-Race[]

  • In 2020, Nicole competed on the twenty-second season of Big Brother. She was evicted on Day 85 during the live finale and finished in third place.
  • On January 10, 2021, Nicole announced on social media that she was pregnant.[2]
  • Nicole & Victor got married on March 16, 2021. The Amazing Race 31 castmates Bret LaBelle and Leo Temory, as well as fellow Big Brother alumni Christmas Abbott, Josh Martinez, and Memphis Garrett, were among the wedding guests.[3]
  • On July 2021, Nicole gave birth to their son, Victor "Arrow" Arroyo IV.
  • In 2023, Nicole competed on Big Brother: Reindeer Games, a special holiday season of Big Brother. She ended up making it to the finale, where she went on to win the season, her second Big Brother win.

Trivia[]

  • Although Nicole & Victor were marketed as an engaged couple on the show, they were only dating when The Amazing Race 31 filmed. The change was due to their engagement on Big Brother 20 airing in between the filming and airing of The Amazing Race 31.
  • Nicole & Victor are the highest placing team of first-time racers on The Amazing Race 31.

External links[]

Interviews[]

  • Joyce Eng at Gold Derby (06/28/2019): "Nicole and Victor ('Amazing Race' exit interview) on getting sunk by a boat: 'We had our blinders on'"
  • Mike Bloom at Parade (06/28/2019): "The Amazing Race 31: Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo Reach Their Tipping Point in London"

Social Media Profiles[]

References[]

The Amazing Race 31 Teams
 Art & JJ
Best Friends
S31 ArtJJ
 Becca & Floyd
Friends
S31 BeccaFloyd
 Chris & Bret
Friends
S31 ChrisBret
 Colin & Christie
Life Partners
S31 ColinChristie
S31 CorinneEliza
 Leo & Jamal
Cousins
S31 LeoJamal
 Nicole & Victor
Engaged
S31 NicoleVictor
S31 RachelElissa
S31 RupertLaura
 Tyler & Korey
Best Friends
S31 TylerKorey
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