There are many odd happenings on early Challenge seasons that would never be permitted on a modern Challenge. Recently, Coral made a TikTok where she discussed the unusual inclusion of Belou’s baby on Battle of the Seasons.
The next season, Battle of the Sexes, we saw another baby-related oddity. Gladys appeared on the cast and she was visibly pregnant.
While we have seen a few (way too many, if you ask me) pregnant people on Challenge seasons, all of these women were very early in their pregnancies and they were likely unaware when they started filming. That was not the case for Gladys, she was five months and showing.
Clearly, this would prevent Gladys from fully engaging in the competition, and she knew it. Before the first mission, she even stated she’d be happy to leave when it was “her time.”
So why was she even on the show?
On the Mike Lewis Podcast, he spoke with Jisela, who was on Battle of the Sexes with Gladys. She said Piggy was originally part of that season’s cast, but she got into an argument with David E. before filming really started. After this, Piggy was off the cast, making space for an alternate to enter the game. It’s theorized that Gladys was that alternate.
While this is unconfirmed, it would make a lot of sense. Remember, in 2002 (when Sexes 1 filmed), balancing the cast was a priority. So, this would mean a Road Rules girl would need to replace Piggy. Producers would have used Gladys to simply complete the cast, even though they knew she wouldn’t be able to do every mission.
Gladys only competed in three missions, and the show’s doctors forbade her from participating in Dead Man’s Drop, the second competition. Because Battle of the Sexes had a score board, this would significantly impact Gladys’ progress in the game. However, she survived the second elimination because Ruthie gave her the Lifesaver (and likely, people probably just wanted Beth gone).
Gladys didn’t do too well in the Sargent Says and Tree House missions, so she was the third girl eliminated from the season. Her teammates feared being disqualified from a mission because they were paired with a pregnant girl. And the competitions did get more intense as the game progressed, so this was not an unrealistic scenario.
There’s no chance we’ll ever see another woman on the Challenge who knows she’s pregnant, but in the early days of the show, producers could probably rationalize the decision. Not only did they need a balanced cast, The Challenge was treated as a bit of a reunion show, and they saw value in letting Road Rules fans catch up with Gladys.
Gladys was also very different from Belou because she was aware her situation was a bit unique. Likely, she just wanted a free trip to Jamaica, and she took the opportunity that was presented to her. She seemed very excited about becoming a mother, and when she was eliminated, she left with grace.
It’s hard to fault Gladys for embracing this opportunity, especially when the series was so young. But it’s also odd to think that production ever let this woman on the show during her pregnancy, and likely, they learned the liability doesn’t make good TV.
Stop Being Polite 