Amber had a really tough journey on Spies, Lies and Allies. She wasn’t even on the original cast, her alliance turned on her, and she was the first veteran to see an elimination. After winning Double Agents, she went home half way through Spies, Lies and Allies. She didn’t leave without a good fight, and she was also the first veteran to win an elimination.
While this is a decline from her winning appearance on Double Agents, she certainly still showed potential. So, she doesn’t even qualify for this list. We’ve seen a lot more champions give terrible performances after winning a season.
Overall, Amber’s time on the show could have gone a lot worse. If she ever feels bad, she can just point to these performances. She performed a lot better than some champions did after getting their title.
10. Tonya Cooley (The Island)
It took Tonya six seasons to win, but she got her title on The Inferno 3. Then, she went onto The Island and was sent home first. While this is a massive decline, she did need to compete against two of the strongest men: Abram and Kenny. Ultimately, she was voted out of the game, and didn’t need to spend a month on a sweaty island. Did she really lose here?
9. Nehemiah Clark (The Duel 2)
After winning The Gauntlet 3, Nehemiah had a lot to prove. After all, the Rookies team wasn’t too highly regarded after their victory. Nehemiah joined The Duel 2 as a replacement after CT & Adam left. He went into the fourth elimination and lost to Evan. A much worse performance than his prior season, but at least he left trying to shake up the game.
8. Elka Walker (The Gauntlet)
After emerging as part of the ultimate team on Battle of the Seasons, Elka started strong on The Gauntlet. She single-handedly won the Snake Soup mission, but she fizzled after the first competition. Later, she’d hurt her knee during the Heavyweight Hustle mission and got viewed as a liability on her team. This resulted in her going into the seventh Gauntlet of the season and losing to a young, naive Cara Z.
7. Jordan Wiseley (Total Madness)
War of the Worlds 2 was Jordan’s third victory, and he was riding high going into Total Madness. Then, the skull twist shook up his game and resulted in Tori leaving. So Jordan wanted to get his skull, and he faced Fessy in elimination. For the first time since gaining the Champion title, Jordan lost. He went home in the fourth male elimination with an injured shoulder and a bruised ego.
6. Janelle Casanave (The Gauntlet 3)
As the only rookie to win The Inferno 3, Janelle came into her second season looking tough. However, her team wasn’t as strong on The Gauntlet 3 as it was on The Inferno 3 and they lost a lot. This allowed her to get sent into the third elimination where she lost to an underestimated Jillian. Sadly, this was the last time we saw Janelle… for now.
5. Abram Boise (Battle of the Sexes 2)
Battle of the Sexes 2 may be the original rookies vs. veteran season. On the male side, the first three boots were newbies. However, the veteran alliance was starting to look a little suspicious because they were protecting some people who had made mistakes. After a few disqualifications in missions, the veterans decided it was time for Abe to go home. He left fourth, but was the first returning male sent home.
4. Ashley Kelsey (Invasion of the Champions)
Having won Battle of the Seasons, Ashley took a long time away from The Challenge. Then, she returned on Invasion of the Champions hoping to prove that she was worthy of her title. Not the case, she was in the first elimination for the champs and was sent home by Cara Maria. To be fair, she had to face a champ female, and they were all bad asses.
3. Adam Larson (The Gauntlet 2)
After winning The Gauntlet, Adam established himself as a cutthroat competitor. He was kind of a jerk, especially to Sarah, but there’s no denying he was a huge asset when his team won. On The Gauntlet 2, he went home in the very first Gauntlet. While this is a massive downfall, it’s unlikely his team would have let this happen if they could vote in both competitors. Adam only went into the first elimination due to the team captain twist; a twist that was pretty unfair.
2. CT Tamburello (Total Madness)
Dad bod CT will have a special place in Challenge history. Often underestimated, he won War of the Worlds 2. Then, he reappeared on Total Madness. This time, he went into the second male elimination on the quest of getting his red skull early and coasting through the game. Unexpectedly, Jay was able to beat CT. Everyone was shocked, but it seems like it was a kick in the ass for CT. He came back on Double Agents and Spies, Lies and Allies in much better shape.
1. Ashley Mitchell (War of the Worlds)
Ashley might have the most notorious victory ever when she won Final Reckoning, but it did a number on her reputation. On War of the Worlds, she found herself in the very first elimination against Hunter. This time, he came out on top. Ashley was the first veteran to go home, but she still had a million dollars in the end. Since War of the Worlds she’s been on every season and hasn’t scored victory #3 yet.
Stop Being Polite 