The algorithm has spoken, and The Challenge is back. Want to get caught up? Stream it on Paramount+. Here, we’re counting down the top players in the second episode of the new series.
10. Cashel Barnett
Everything that plagued Tiffany’s game impacted Cashel, despite him being the exact opposite. He’s cordial with his ex Kyra… in fact, he’s thinking about her during Yeah Buoy. He’s cool with his Love Island peers, but he also couldn’t compensate for Tiffany’s lack of speed during Knowledge Is Power, so he’s gone from the game with no money and no Kyra.
9. Cayla Platt
Cayla has managed to pull rabbits out of hats during the first two weeks on the show. While she found herself in elimination thanks to James’s blunder, she survived and has another week under her belt. The good thing: She’s burned through some of the less desirable partners early into the game.
8. Xavier Prather
It took one moment of pressure for the Cookout to crack this season, and Xavier is the one who allowed it to happen. Understandably, Alyssa is skeptical of X, but he seems to want to build trust with her. So, he allowed Tiffany to be thrown under the bus to keep Alyssa and Enzo safe. He agreed to help Tyson smooth things over, but will Kyland or Azah really be OK with this?
7. Justine Nbida
Last week, Justine was crying as she watched Cely leave. But she got over it really fast when she was paired with Tyson and forced to make game moves. She won Yeah Buoy, mostly because Tyson fed her letters and she played Scrabble on her smartphone. Then she made a power move with Tyson. Was it a smart move? Maybe, but it’s likely Tyson will let her pay the price before he does.
6. Cinco Holland
Thanks to the algorithm, Cinco is paired with his ex, Cashay. This creates a lot of tension because they haven’t spoken since splitting up, and apparently Cashay holds some jealousy. She sees Cinco flirting with Tiffany, but this doesn’t derail Cinco’s game. He still manages to cheer for Cashay in Yeah Buoy.
5. Cashay Proudfoot
Sometimes, we need to wonder why people show up for The Challenge. Cashay, who can’t swim, finds herself paired with her ex, and she’s not happy about it. This sparks jealousy when she sees Cinco and Tiffany together, and fear when she finds herself above water. She manages to avoid elimination, but she does find herself plotting Tiffany’s demise despite her lack of power.
4. Alyssa Lopez
Alyssa is the wildcard from BB23. She’s ready and willing to dismantle the Cookout after feeling betrayed by Xavier. So when she feels a target on her back, she deflects it onto Tiffany’s. Did it work? Apparently so. Tyson followed her advice to send Tiffany into elimination, and Xavier followed along. It seems like Alyssa is putting in work without getting much blood on her hands.
3. James Wallington
Once again, James finds himself in a sticky situation. At the Yeah Buoy challenge, he hits the buoy too hard and flops around in the water in pain. This prevents him from getting a single word on the board, but he recovers fast enough to throw some names under the bus prior to elimination, including Tiffany and Cashel, the two who are selected for elimination, and he manages to defeat them despite a slower start.
2. Tyson Apostol
Once again, Tyson wins the challenge, proving he’s the early frontrunner in the game. This might be painting a target on his back, but he also has Justine on his side. Even though she lost Cely last week, she was able to overlook this for a taste of power. This week, he decides it’s best to blindside Tiffany. She thought he was a friend, but he thought she was disposable. The weird thing, he claimed most of the Big Brother players wanted her gone… so he did their dirty work? That’s not a very Tyson move.
1. Tiffany Mitchell
Coming into this game, you’d think Tiffany was in a good spot. Production clearly favored BB23 when casting, and she’s the glue holding the alliance together. Then, she starts making side deals. She’s flirting with Cinco and she’s allegedly close with Tyson. On top of that, the BB23 cast has no problem watching her go, including Xavier. It’s a weird way for The Cookout to dissolve, but Tiffany is going home early this time.
Stop Being Polite 