Elimination rounds are designed to test competitors’ strength, strategy, and speed — but sometimes, they put a strain on friendships. We saw this on Battle of the Eras when Michele and Olivia competed against each other, but this is far from the first time friends have been put in this situation.
These are elimination rounds where the two (or three) competitors have longstanding friendships, usually ones that have established themselves as key plot lines. So, the elimination round is just as much about testing that relationship as it is about the competition itself. I’m focusing on eliminations where the relationship actually plays a role in competition, usually with an element of spiteful strategy involved, because it’s not uncommon for two competitors to be friendly, but not strategically aligned.
I’ve written about this topic before, but it was before Battle of the Seasons. So there might be some repetition, but the show has given us many more examples over the past 12 years.
10. Bananas (& Nany) vs. Leroy (& Nia) (Battle of the Exes 2)
It’s no secret that Bananas and Leroy have a close bond on The Challenge, so when Wes & Theresa became the Power Couple with Leroy & Nia in last place, Wes seized the opportunity to strike. He sent his then-foe Bananas into the Dome, meaning either Bananas or Leroy would go home — definitely weakening their alliance. Bananas was sent packing, but to Wes’ surprise, he only went to the Ex-ile house, where he’d eventually return to the game.
9. Sarah vs. Rachel (The Gauntlet)
The Road Rules team wasn’t shy about throwing Sarah into Gauntlets, even when she wasn’t doing poorly in the missions. When she was selected to compete after Laterrian knocked her out of the Rolling on a River game, Sarah received the news poorly. But insult was added to injury when Rachel B., one of her only friends on the season, ended up being her opponent. Gauntlet queen Sarah emerged victorious, but the sting of this nomination put a sour taste in her mouth.
8. Tony vs. Bruno (Invasion of the Champions)
Initially, this season was full of rookies, and the Real World: Skeletons cast should have had an advantage. There were four of them, and when Bruno finished the first challenge in last place, Tony should have had the numbers to avoid facing his roommate. But, the Real World: Skeletons cast also had an immediate target, and Sylvia saw the writing on the wall. She stabbed Tony in the back and made him face Bruno. At least she swapped her Skeletons alliance for the Lavender Ladies, an alliance the stood the test of time.
7. Bananas vs. Evan (The Gauntlet 3)
There was a time when the Johnny, Evan, and Kenny alliance dominated The Challenge, so it seems odd to look back and see the two veterans facing each other in the first male Gauntlet of the season. And to make matters worse, Evan essentially asked for Bananas as his opponent. While the two departed on good terms, it was surprising that Evan opted not to face someone like Big Easy or Danny instead of his sworn ally.
6. Michele vs. Olivia (Battle of the Eras)
There have been many alliances emerge throughout Battle of the Eras, but the Ladies of Leisure did a good job navigating the team portion of the competition together. As soon as the game became individual, the veterans targeted them (literally), meaning Michele would have to take out her friends. First, it was her new friend Nia, but it felt like she had a tighter bond with Olivia — especially after Bananas named Olivia “Devin’s pet snake” and Michele “Devin’s soon-to-be-ex girlfriend,” so their Arena match up felt like an attempt to make them pay for working with Devin.
5. Wes (& Casey) vs. Danny (& Evelyn) (Fresh Meat)
Fresh Meat had a very odd cast, because the “alumni” were comprised of eight seasoned Challenge vets and four rookies from Real World: Austin. These rookies were a bit over-confident, but no one was cockier than Wes. They quickly realized that the true veterans weren’t going to bow down to the Austin kids, and Wes had to eliminate his former roommates one-by-one in the first three Exiles, which started when he had to take out his BFF Danny. Years later, Wes and Danny would find themselves in an oddly familiar situation on Fresh Meat 2.
4. Tori vs. Aneesa (Double Agents)
The skull twist added an interesting element to Double Agents, but it was generally assumed the veterans would work together and make navigating this twist a bit easier. However, Big T connected more with the rookies, and didn’t think the veterans would take her to the end. So, she went on a bit of a power trip when she won a challenge with CT and ensured that one veteran would leave. This forced Tori to compete against her known BFF Aneesa, and in a surprising elimination, Tori was the girl who went home.
3. Nurys vs. Kyland vs. Horacio (Battle for a New Champion)
Toward the end of season 39, the alliances were clearly defined. Kyland and Horacio had already appeared on a Chaos elimination together, but that time they could both return (though their friend Zara was sent home). The second time, Nurys was added to the mix after Olivia betrayed her trust. Despite this, Nurys surprised everyone by taking the victory, but she sent home her close ally Kyland and her new boyfriend Horacio.
2. Jenna vs. Kailah (Dirty Thirty)
Season 30 was meant to be a dirty game, and no one got the memo more clearly than Jemmye. When she pulled the double cross knowing Kailah was already going into the Presidio, she sent Jenna in to compete against her BFF. Jemmye knew this would break up an alliance, and it did… momentarily. Jenna immediately returned with a vengeance after the first Redemption game.
1. Evelyn vs. Kellyanne (The Ruins)
The Champions orchestrated a Kellyanne vs. Evelyn elimination purely out of spite and to send a message to Wes. It was no secret that Wes had his own agenda this season, so making his then-girlfriend, Kellyanne, face Evelyn seemed like a death sentence. But, Kellyanne and Ev were BFFs, and Evelyn quit the Shadow Boxer elimination because she refused to partake in this form of punishment. In the end, the Champions still won this season without their perceived strongest girl, but at least Kellyanne made it to the end to claim her consolation prize.
Stop Being Polite 