Battle of the Eras has a unique mix of competitors, but Era 4 may have had the hardest time assembling its team. A lot of people debuted during seasons 31-39 (never mind all the spinoffs), but there are a lot of competitors who are ignored by production or banned from the show.
Getting on this team may have been competitive, but three male winners debuted from seasons 31 to 39: Rogan, Turbo, and Emanuel. Somehow, all three are absent from the Era 4 team. So, what happened?
Turbo Camkiran
This absence is easy to explain: Turbo competed on the Turkish version of Survivor, where he made his reality TV debut. The show was having an “All Stars” season (Berna was there, too), and Turbo won two seasons of Survivor Turkey in the past. The show was filmed from January until June, and while Turbo didn’t last the whole time, he sustained injuries. So, it makes sense that he was unable to appear on Battle of the Eras.
Rogan O’Connor
Rogan’s absence is quite nuanced because he’s made it fairly clear that he didn’t elect to stop competing on The Challenge after Total Madness. He won War of the Worlds 2, then he was a finalist on Total Madness, and he was emerging as a central character on the franchise.
Rumor has it that he was banned following the Dee incident — but this has never been confirmed. While there are documented cases of Rogan using racially insensitive language before he debuted on Vendettas, it’s not like this is an isolated incident among Challenge cast members. Jordan and Emily S. committed very racially insensitive actions during prior Challenge appearances, and they’re competing on Season 40. Even Laurel posted racially insensitive lyrics to a song in the past, but she has returned.
Rogan has also been accused of using transphobic language, but again, he’s not alone. Theo liked transphobic tweets following his World Championship appearance, and he’s on the Season 40 cast.
It’s hard to know why Rogan would be singled out for his actions, but likely, his controversies have kept him off this season. While I’m not supporting any of Rogan’s scandalous tweets, it does feel like he’s being punished for them, while production has forgiven other people.
Emanuel Neagu
I’ve written at length about Emanuel’s absence, as it feels odd that he won Season 39 and wasn’t cast on Season 40.
While it’s not entirely clear why Emanuel isn’t on Battle of the Eras, likely, his storyline wouldn’t enhance the season. There are only 5 male spots on the Era 4 team, and Horacio and Kyland are the only two competitors from Battle for a New Champion to fill those positions. Likely, production saw more value in continuing their storylines than forcing Emanuel into the mix.
What About the Women?
Four Era 4 girls won Challenge seasons: Dee, Jenny, Amber B., and Kaycee. Two of them are on the cast, and it’s obvious why Dee isn’t there.
The only question mark is Amber. Rumor has it, she was told she didn’t “fit the theme.” But, if producers told her that, it’s a blatant lie. Any former Challenger could fit into a team on this season. Perhaps Amber didn’t want to commit to this season’s filming schedule, as she gave birth less than a year ago. She will be on All Stars 5, so at least The Challenge hasn’t fully neglected her.
Stop Being Polite 