Seemingly out of the blue, Theresa made a Challenge-related post. She broke down some statistics about the main series of the show, noting the overwhelming number of white winners on the main series.
Most importantly, she stated that only eight championships have gone to people of color since The Duel. Likely, she drew the line at this season because Darrell won the preceding season, and the season before that were large team Challenges with many winners.
This is only 9% of the victories since The Duel. These victories went to seven people: Janelle (Inferno 3), Nehemiah (Gauntlet 3), Johanna (Gauntlet 3), Camila (Battle of the Exes and Dirty Thirty), Dee (War of the Worlds 2), Amber B. (Double Agents), and Kaycee (Spies, Lies and Allies).
Theresa is absolutely not wrong — there has been a shockingly low number of people of color who have won the main series. However, that statistic looks different when we look at spinoff winners. Yes, Jonna, Kaz, Danny M., Chris U., and Desi are all people of color.
She also states that she’s taken a few seasons off, but she’s “not that far off” from winning. She was the runner-up on Battle of the Exes 2, and she’s often a wild card in the game. She’s also a wildcard off of the show. She claims she’s retired from the show, but this isn’t her first time saying that.
While Theresa made a surprising return on Double Agents, she only made it midway through the season. It does feel like her legacy on the show is unfinished, and Theresa is definitely someone who has the potential to make the big moves that could win the game.
In recent years, The Challenge has seen increased diversity in its rookie classes, particularly starting with Total Madness. However, the show has treated many of these newcomers as disposable, and most recent victories have gone to seasoned players (omitting Battle for a New Champion). Perhaps the number of POC winners would increase if production actually cast players for more than one season.
Stop Being Polite 