Real World: St. Thomas has one of the oddest histories in the franchise — both on The Real World and The Challenge. Four cast members came in hot on Battle of the Season, and LaToya wasn’t one of them. Her debut would come two seasons later on Free Agents, then she’d return for two more seasons three years later.
LaToya seems to have left The Challenge scene with a sour taste in her mouth, but she’s left a lasting impression on some viewers. It’s been five years since she’s graced our screens, but some fans think her story shouldn’t be over yet.
Free Agents
If you watched the first episode of Free Agents, you probably thought LaToya would be a goner right away. She passed out during the On a Ledge challenge, but she made a comeback in the Balls In elimination. She defeated Jemmye, which earned her some respect, but she found herself facing Cara Maria in Oppenheimer in the fourth episode. Before this, she called out Jordan for being dishonest — both in front of TJ and after the nomination ceremony.
This might be her most-remembered moment. While Jordan is known for being stubborn, LaToya held her ground and wasn’t going to let Jordan get the last word.
Invasion of the Champions
It’s uncommon for someone to debut on The Challenge, take three years off, then get to return, but LaToya’s late return was a pleasant surprise for fans. It was also the first time people would see her with her St. Thomas BFF since their Real World season, but the pair would immediately face setbacks. Both Marie and LaToya took the last two spots in The Over Under, which resulted in Marie losing the first elimination.
LaToya got to stick around, but she never made it into the Oasis. She lost in Thai Rise to Sylvia, which was an uneventful, timed race. Her only real moments this season were shooting down Nelson’s advances and blowing her lead in Caged and Confused.
Dirty Thirty
Once again, we got a Marie and LaToya reunion and it was cut short. Thanks to the Redemption twist, LaToya was one of the three people purged out at the start of the game. Understandably, this frustrated her and it’s probably the reason she has a sour taste toward The Challenge.
You’d be forgiven if you forgot that LaToya appeared on five episodes this season, because she was mostly chilling in the Redemption house and avoiding drama. Then, she had to face Amanda in the Man Overboard redemption and she lost because she hit the water first, even though it seemed like LaToya had control over Amanda.
Her Legacy
If you just watch The Challenge, there’s a good shot you don’t remember LaToya too well, but she’s definitely someone with a lot of personality. This is why people loved her on The Real World, but you don’t see it much when she’s in a house with 25 other people.
She showed a good amount of potential on Free Agents when she sent Jemmye home, and she seemed poised for an underdog storyline. Then, she didn’t really fit the themes that followed Free Agents. She didn’t have a solid ex for Exes, and she didn’t have huge rivalries for Rivals. By the time she got back in the game, she became a casualty of twist-ridden seasons.
After Dirty Thirty, it’s understandable that she didn’t feel valued by the show, which is why she avoided Dirty Thirty’s promo events and reunion. Most people don’t come to the show to sit in a redemption house an wait to compete.
It seemed production was willing to just let her go, but there’s a portion of fans that don’t feel the same way. As it stands, she’s best remembered as a victim of twists (the ticket to the oasis and immediate redemption), but it would be great to give her the shot to show she’s a cutthroat and strong player.
Stop Being Polite 