Watching The Challenge USA, it’s clear that Xavier was in a tough spot. He had just won Big Brother 23, and he had a lot of people looking for revenge. But that was the least of his concerns.
Xavier revealed on the “Reality Rundown” podcast this his cousin was murdered a couple of weeks before flying out to do the show. Then, within a week of that, his grandmother passed away, and her funeral was two days before he departed for Argentina.
Coming onto the show, he had a lot going on. He almost backed out, but he had the support of his family. That’s what pushed him to compete.
This was especially important after Big Brother, where he was playing for his recently-deceased brother and his nephew. Xavier didn’t want to be known as the person who was only playing for dead family members. And that ultimately wasn’t his edit this season because he only told one (unnamed) person about the tragedy prior to coming onto the show.
Beyond that, he felt like he was being set up, because his fellow BB23 houseguest weren’t too fond of him. I don’t believe this to be the case, but I do see his perspective. The recency bias is crazy when it comes to Big Brother players, with six of the nine being from BB23.
Xavier also found himself in the dilemma because he knew he wanted to do The Challenge, and even though the time wasn’t ideal, he’d spoken to former cast members. They informed him that production can be ruthless. Decline once, and they lose your number like it’s nothing.
It’s sad to hear Xavier’s story, and it’s unfortunate he was put in a pressure cooker to make a decision. Let’s hope his phone keeps ringing, because I’d love to see him compete again with mental clarity.
Stop Being Polite 