Like much of TV production, The Amazing Race had to be halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The change in the schedule led to the debut of Tough As Nails, but Phil was frank about how heartbroken he was for the show's cast.  “My heart went out to the cast, who had taken time off work, who had sacrificed a lot to come onto the show,” Phil said in speaking with Variety. 

Initially, some people felt that the decision to halt the show was an overreaction, but Phil said that “we got everybody home safely to their families, which we told them was our number one priority. It’s the one thing we lose sleep over, making sure that we can get these amazing people around the world safely.”  

Although the pandemic changed plenty of things about TV production, it seems that it hasn't changed Phil's attitude about the importance of making worthwhile TV. “There’s something that unites all of us and what are those things? We care about our families. We care about each other," Phil said of the message of Tough As Nails. "Deep down, I really believe that regardless of who we vote for, we do care."