The Zach Nichols podcast has spilled another interesting tidbit of information. Multi-season champion Susie Meister appeared on the show with her Brain Candy Podcast co-host Sarah Rice. Inevitably, conversations about Battle of the Eras arose, and Susie confessed that she did speak with production about doing the season.
Susie stated that she was contacted by someone on the casting team, but they weren’t familiar with her resume. So, Susie had to explain who she was and her history with the franchise. And on paper, her two Challenge wins and zero elimination losses should be impressive.
But, no luck. Susie wasn’t cast for Battle of the Eras. A few months ago, she even demonstrated her casting interest in a screenshot of a text message exchange with a casting director.
To make matters worse, Susie stated she received multiple calls. In one of them, she was asked if she was available for the entire filming window and if she would play to win. Susie confirmed she was there for the long haul… and the grand prize. Zach and his co-host speculated that there were people on the cast who would just show up for the appearance fee and didn’t want to be there for the whole season (a scenario Zach might have found himself in during War of the Worlds).
This is an upsetting loss for the season 40 cast. Yes, there are only five female spots on the Gen 1 team, but all of those competitors have done a challenge (main series or All Stars) in the past three years. Susie’s last appearance was The Ruins in 2009.
There really isn’t a good reason to not have Susie on this season, but there may be more factors that we’re unaware of.
In the past, Susie has discussed the pay structure of the show on her podcast. She was frustrated that her appearance fee was dependent on her number of prior seasons, but production only counted flagship shows. They didn’t include the Spring Break Challenge or Road Rules: Viewers Revenge — the latter required a long time commitment. Ultimately, these frustrations caused her to decline Free Agents, but she was on the verge of competing on that season.
Susie has not indicated that pay was a reason she didn’t get cast on Battle of the Eras. For all we know, the pay structure may have changed. But, production may not be pleased with how candidly she talks about the show on her podcast. Fans have learned many behind-the-scenes secrets from the Brain Candy Podcast, and while we love it, production likely isn’t as enthusiastic.
However, it’s great to see Susie still has some interest in the show. She has a stellar track record, and she has interesting storylines that haven’t been beaten to death. No doubt, she would have been an asset to the Gen 1 team, but it’s not too late to make her an asset on a future season.
Stop Being Polite 