Now that we’re done with season 39 of The Challenge, we’ve had a lot of time to get to know the all-rookie cast. Some of them emerged as new fan-favorites, others became a new class of villains, while others just got a free vacation.
Based on what we saw, I’m going to rank the cast based on whether or not they should come back to the show. While I’m not the authority here, I do believe the people higher on my list will be more likely to make a come back.
The Challenge Isn’t For You
24. Jujuy Jiménez: We saw very little of her this season, and language became a huge barrier in this game. I’m not going to say that non-English speakers shouldn’t be on the show, nor do I think international competitors should be unwelcome. However, if you’re going to produce an English television show, it’s critical that the competitors can understand what’s going on — and production didn’t care to bring Jujuy up to speed.
23. Hughie Maughan: While Hughie does bring a sense of humor to the game, he doesn’t bring a sense of competition. He allowed himself to go into elimination, and unsurprisingly, it was a death sentence.
22. Ed Eason: I was one of the few people who wanted Ed to make a return, and he left me disappointed. When he could have made the game interesting, he made it boring, then he got purged.
We Probably Don’t Need You
21. Ciarran Stott: There’s no denying Ciarran did well in his elimination against Jordan, but once he was gone, he was quickly forgotten about. While he has potential to be interesting, I doubt producers will use that potential.
20. Colleen Schneider: It’s quite alarming to see how far Colleen got into the game without making many moves. She was under appreciated by Jay’s alliance, but still, she stuck by their side until the end. She flew under the radar all season, and she’s $30,000 richer because of it.
19. Callum Izzard: While Callum did have a messy hook up with Michele, he’s the type of person that makes good TV on other shows. On The Challenge, he’s a middle-of-the-pack player who’s bound to go home before the final.
18. Berna Canbeldek: This season, Berna had a very confusing storyline. While there is some potential for drama with her, her performance this season wasn’t overly impressive. But, fans of the show really didn’t connect with her and she wasn’t super well liked.
Only Under Specific Conditions
17. Jessica Brody: Production wrote Jessica’s drama and romance with Devin out of the season, but if this comes into play for an exes format, she could return. Other than that, she serves no purpose on a future season that I can see.
16. Zara Zoffany: This cast seemed to feel Zara was one of the best girls, but that really wasn’t apparent when watching the show. But, she’s dating AJ, who was a finalist on The Challenge: UK. If those two appear on a season it could be interesting.
15. Chauncey Palmer: Chauncey showed a lot of potential on Ride or Dies, but he left early this season after playing a messy game. In his defense, his daughter was born just before he left to film the show — but really, he should only come back if it involves bringing Amber along.
14. James Lock: I’m shocked James is this high on the list, given that he was a first boot on The Challenge: UK. While his story mostly revolved around Moriah, we know we haven’t seen the end of the Johnny/ Moriah love story, and he could be brought back to continue that narrative.
13. Emanuel Neagu: Despite winning the crown, Emanuel flew under the radar for most of the season. He’s not a strong political player, and he’s only decent at the competitions, but he is a champion now. If MTV does another champion-centered format, he deserves an invite (but Jenny West does too, and she hasn’t been on TV since she won… just saying).
They’re Likely to Come Back
12. Asaf Goren: While Asaf may not have played the most popular game, he did have a “secret agent” storyline that production seems to like. He also caused drama with Melissa and Kyland, and likely, he’ll be back to hang out with his “brother” Jay.
11. Ravyn Rochelle: After taking out two people in The Arena, including Laurel, Ravyn was definitely someone who was a fighter this season. She earned respect on a competitive level, and she proved she’s willing to go against the grain.
10: Moriah Jadea: If Bananas is back in the game, there’s no doubt production will want Moriah back to continue their semi-romance. Even if Bananas doesn’t come back, Moriah has proven she’s a tough competitor with a high potential for a romance storyline.
9. Corey Lay: This season, Corey proved he’s a tough competitor and that he can play a sloppy game. He seems to be “in” with the big alliance, but he’s also empathetic toward the people who fight through the competition. Plus, he had an ongoing feud with Big T and Melissa, so there’s potential for that to continue.
8. Tula “Big T” Fazakerley: This was a huge season for Big T because she won two eliminations and she came out of the closet. While she was a staple of the show for a while, taking a season off made fans appreciate her return. The love for Big T continues to grow, but if she takes more time off, it’s likely because she’s working on her culinary career.
Likely to Be Wanted Next Season
7. Melissa Reeves: After a three-season hiatus, Melissa came back like a ball of fire. She was the biggest source of drama this season and wanted to shake up the direction of the game. That never happened, but she made the show a lot of fun while trying to take out the frontrunners.
6. Kyland Young: While he didn’t make it to the end, Kyland was the Arena King this season. He won three regular eliminations plus one conquest elimination at the end. He was also an opposing force against the majority alliance in the game, and he almost flipped the votes at one point, which would have been exciting.
5. Jay Starrett: While most viewers weren’t rooting for his alliance, there’s no doubt Jay controlled the social aspect of the game this season. He coasted to the final, though he did earn a target toward the end of the season, and the only bad thing that happened was earning a villain reputation. Despite the near-perfect social game, he did get taken out in the final, ending his chance of becoming a Challenge champion.
4. Michele Fitzgerald: While Michele may not be the strongest competitor on the show, she plays an interesting and dramatic social game every time we see her. This season it resulted in many fights and outbursts, no one was trying to vote her into elimination (other than Cara Maria). While this is enough to get her cast on a future season, we can’t overlook the fact that MTV just really, really seems to like Michele.
3. Horacio Gutiérrez: Prior to this season, people said Horacio was going to be boring. While he may have been at times, he’s also the rookie that most players, including the vets, fear. He’s really good at the competitions and handles drama logically. This made him a major force opposing Jay’s alliance, plus, we haven’t seen the end of his relationship with Nurys.
2. Olivia Kaiser: At the start of this season, Olivia wasn’t getting much camera time. But on The Challenge, how you end the season is much more important. Olivia betrayed Nurys and has started a feud that was heavily discussed at the reunion. Now she had enemies in the game, and while she may not be the most popular person on the cast, production sees a lot of value in continuing this drama.
The New Challenge Star
1. Nurys Mateo: When we look back at Battle for a New Champion, Nurys will come to mind. She played a central role, starting with her involvement in Jay’s alliance and the “Fantastic Four” at the start of the show. This dynamic changed when she started a relationship with Horacio, and by the end of the season, she was opposing the alliance she started with. Despite arguments and betrayals, she fought her way to the end and eliminated five people from the competition. She was the full package this season: strong, romantic, and dramatic. If that doesn’t get you cast on another season, I don’t know what will.
Stop Being Polite 