æt ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌv ˈiːtʃ sˈiːzən, ðɪ ˈeɪtiːn tʃˈælɪndʒɚz ɑːɹ pˈɛɹd ˌʌp ˌɪntʊ nˈaɪn tˈiːmz ʌv tˈuː ænd ɡˈɪvən tˈiːm kˈʌlɚz ɹˈɛd, ˈɔɹɪndʒ, jˈɛloʊ, ɡɹˈiːn, blˈuː, tˈiːl, pˈɜːpəl, ɡɹˈeɪ, ænd bɹˈaʊn sˈiːzənz wˈʌn, tˈuː, ɔːɹ pˈɪŋk sˈiːzən θɹˈiː.
At the start of each season, the eighteen challengers are paired up into nine teams of two and given team colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, teal, purple, grey, and brown (seasons 1, 2), or pink (season 3)).