Why Do People Constantly Discredit Amber?

Now that her run is over, we know Amber won’t be a two-time champ after Ride or Dies. But, she’s still a one-time champ, which is more than any of the remaining girls in the game can say.

Despite her accomplishments, Amber has a quite perplexing reputation on the show. On Spies, Lies, and Allies and Ride or Dies, she seemed to have few allies. She was unable to rely on her fellow Big Brother alum, and most of the veterans on the show have given her the cold shoulder.

According to Jakk, he was warned that she’s not a “real” vet even though she won a season. But, based on her previous record, you’d think she’d be considered a strong ally. She’s won four out of six eliminations and made it all the way to the end of Double Agents. Often people have turned on her, but she hasn’t really stabbed anyone in the back (as far as we’ve seen on TV).

So, why is Amber often discredited by other veterans?

Well, it’s hard to say without knowing her personal relationships on and off the show, but from a viewer’s perspective, there are two big components contributing to her reputation.

Firstly, she arrived to the show during the wrong era. Ten rookies debuted on Double Agents and only two returned for Spies, Lies and Allies — this includes Amber who was a replacement. Then, on Spies, Lies and Allies, 19 rookies debuted and only one, Michele, came back on Ride or Dies. Given the stats, Amber’s lucky she got a second shot. Production is pretty ruthless when it comes to rookies now, and the ones who get to become back, essentially return as an island.

When we saw Amber on Double Agents, she spent a lot of her time talking to the rookies in her room. She was an honorary member of the Big Brother alliance, but they turned on her first. The core members of this alliance formed on Total Madness when they had power in numbers. These numbers were retained on Double Agents, but all of the friendships Amber formed on Double Agents were absent on Spies, Lies and Allies. But, by the time Amber arrived on her second season as a replacement many relationships had formed. She was at a disadvantaged coming in late, but was forced into the Big Brother alliance because she was paired with Josh.

Given the fact that she struggled to find reliable allies on prior seasons, Ride or Dies seemed like the perfect format for Amber. She got to work with Chauncey, the one person she really trusted, but she still had to deal with cliques and alliances. In some regards, being disconnected can be an advantage because no one needs to break up her alliance. But as the numbers dwindle, her target got bigger, and no one felt too bad sending her into The Zone.

But let’s be honest, the second reason people don’t connect with Amber is due to jealousy. Statistically, she’s an anomaly. She won her first season — something that’s extremely rare, and she was invited to return to The Challenge in an era where the vast majority of Challenge debuts are disposable.

And the perception of Amber is generally favorable online. Many people believe she only won Double Agents because she was paired with CT, but few people can refute the fact that she earned her partnership with him. Afterall, he picked her because she demonstrated an ability to endure the running require to win a final. Meanwhile, Kaycee won Spies, Lies and Allies with CT, but most people call BS here. She was only paired with CT because she won an elimination, but was in the elimination for being a loser in the first half of the final.

When people hate on Amber, it often reeks of jealousy. Few people are able to accomplish the things she’s done, and regardless of how she got there, she did it. We’ll never see Amber complain that it’s “her time to win.” She already has the title, and this will give her opportunities to continue appearing on Challenges.