Recent seasons of The Challenge have been noted for having many of the same people over and over. Or, we see a revolving door of rookies who last for one season before falling off the map (though season 39 may change that to some degree).
There have been some exceptions to this mold, and the most notable is likely Michele Fitzgerald.
Let’s look at the facts: On Spies, Lies and Allies, 20 Challengers made their debuts. Only one returned for Ride or Dies, and it was Michele. Plus, she’s going to be on The Challenge: USA 2 — and she’s the only person from that season who will also do Challenge 39.
Clearly, MTV and CBS have put a huge investment in Michele — but why does she seem to be the chosen one?
Well, firstly, let’s look at the obvious point. She won Survivor, and not only that, she returned for Winners at War and made it all the way to the end of the season. This allows her to brag that she’s one of the rare Survivor players who have never been eliminated, and her winner status makes her an interesting addition to the show. Beyond The Challenge, Survivor and Big Brother are the most comparable competition reality — likely, this is a similar reason that Josh and Kaycee have migrated to The Challenge.
But there’s something about Michele that makes her interesting on The Challenge. By her own admission, she’s been regarded as one of the more boring Survivor winners. Whether or not this is actually true, she seems to play the same like she has something to prove, and this has been made clear on Spies, Lies and Allies and Ride or Dies.
While her time on Spies, Lies and Allies was fairly brief, she was quick to understand the veteran’s strategy of making veteran/rookie teams. She was also quick to get a spotlight when Michaela came under fire for making her hit list that targeted veterans.
When she returned for Ride or Dies, she tried to make moves with both veterans and rookies. This resulted in a divide in the house and it shook up the veteran alliance. Most notably, she put a target on Laurel’s back. Whether or not this was deserved, she really got under Laurel’s skin and got the champion competitor out of the game (indirectly).
As the show becomes more ingrained in CBS and Paramount+, Michele is a great bridge between the older generations (pre-Challenge USA) and the new direction of the show. As the show moves away from MTV, she’ll have roots in the past and its future.
Plus, she’s made herself a pretty interesting presence on the show. She won a few challenges with Jay on Ride or Dies, makes risky moves, and forms alliances in the game. However, she’s not overly loud or rude. In the old days, it wouldn’t be a bad thing, but now the show seems to be moving away from messy drama. Instead, they focused on strategic drama that requires many conversations. Michele learned this in Survivor, and we’ll see if she finds success on her forthcoming seasons.
I do expect Michele will continue to be a presence on the show and her storylines in future seasons. In fact, I think she’ll be the “face” of the show in the future (meaning the person who gets used in promo materials and is showcased on social media).
Stop Being Polite 