There are many ways to play the Challenge, but some competitors have to play on hard mode. Usually, this is a result of questionable choices and bad alliances. During a partner-based season, another person will have to deal with the shit storm caused by these decisions.
These 10 people fought an uphill battle because of choices and rivalries made by their partners. Some of them overcame the struggle, but in other cases, the drama resulted in the team’s downfall.
This list only features people who were able to fight through issues caused by their partners. So, competitors sent home because a partner quit or was DQed will not be considered.
Adrienne (Vets & New Threats)
On episode 1, Adrienne hurt her foot in Mud Ball Madness, sending Rogan into the Arena. By the time she got her permanent partner, she had proven she was much better than her first performance, but she was stuck with another problem: Theo. His relationship with Olivia made him a fast target, but he only made it bigger with his bold, abrasive strategies. This landed Theo & Adrienne in three Arena (fulfilling Theo’s psychic’s prophecy), but the duo landed in their fourth Arena because Theo got disqualified for violating simple rules during Dirty Drifter.
Tamara (Ride or Dies)
You may not remember Turbo’s partner on Ride or Dies, but that’s because he sealed her fate. The duo was sent into the second elimination (by Nany, mind you) because Turbo’s stubbornness made him a house enemy. Then, the audience at the Zone helped Horacio & Olivia win Memory Lane because they wanted Turbo gone, and Tamara was just a casualty of this strategy.
Renan (Spies, Lies and Allies)
You probably don’t remember Renan, and that’s because he was the first man eliminated on Spies, Lies and Allies. He really did nothing wrong, but his downfall resulted from being part of a rookie/rookie team. More specifically, he was paired with Michaela, who tried to plot against the veterans in the game. Emy leaked this strategy, Michaela was voted into the first Lair, and Renan’s time on The Challenge was over before he could meet Amber.
Tori (Double Agents)
On Double Agents, partners could easily switch. That was Tori’s downfall, because Devin picked her as a partner with the intention of messing up her game. At first, it seemed like Devin wasn’t actually trying to sabotage Tori because they won a challenge together — but that just kept Devin out of the Crater. On the next episode, Tori found herself competing against her BFF Aneesa and losing the elimination. But was this actually Devin’s fault? It’s hard to say, but he was building a relationship with Big T, the winner who selected Tori to go into elimination.
Chase (War of the Worlds)
Coming into War of the Worlds, many people were skeptical of Ashley, who had just won Final Reckoning and walked away with the full $1 million prize pot. That didn’t stop Chase from picking her as a partner, and Ashley never betrayed him. Instead, Chase was stuck dealing with Hunter’s revenge plot. Ashley and Hunter competed against each other in the first elimination of the season, but Chase faced Hunter’s full wrath during Drone Ball Drop. Ashley & Chase nearly won, but in the end, Georgia solidified the win in this game.
Amanda (Final Reckoning)
Zach & Amanda would have been serious contenders to win Final Reckoning if they didn’t foolishly force a stalemate before the infamous Shake It Off elimination. While this was a dumb move, you can’t fully blame Zach, because he was only trying to protect one team while Amanda had three core teams to protect. However, I label Amanda the victim here because Zach kept talking over her and working with Amanda’s alliance would have given the team much more protection in the game. Plus, Zach sustained an injury in the elimination which prevented the team from a chance at returning through a Redemption game.
Averey (Battle of the Exes 2)
Out of all the teams on Exes 2, Johnny & Averey likely had the most unresolved tension. This meant they didn’t talk much in the house, and Johnny was working with Bananas’ alliance while Avery was team Wes. Turns out, Exes 2 was a season where Wes would prevail, and Averey picked the right side. If Johnny followed her lead, they would have had much more protection in the game. Instead, the team’s division got them sent into the Dome and made it difficult for them to communicate or work effectively together.
Mandi (Battle of the Exes)
You could argue that Mandi struggled on Fresh Meat 2 because of Wes, but she was also working with him that season (though some intel was withheld from her). On Battle of the Exes, the two were working closely together, but Wes also had his own agenda. He was vocal about targeting Bananas, and this made him a target on day 1. Even Bananas thought this was too early to start taking shots, but Wes made it clear that he’d be Bananas’ enemy, and that was a losing spot to be on this season.
Nehemiah (Rivals)
Coming into this season, it was clear Evan wasn’t in his best shape, but even an out-of-shape Evan was a decent competitor — especially because he had so many allies. Nehemiah could have been sitting pretty with this group, but instead, Evan’s alliance came up with a wild plan to try to get CT eliminated. This resulted in Evan throwing the Catch & Release challenge (unbeknownst to Nehemiah) so his team would face CT & Adam in Rail Slide. This was an embarrassing loss for Evan, who dangled and couldn’t support his own weight, and he took Nehemiah home with him.
Piggy (Battle of the Seasons)
The Road Rules team had a dog-eat-dog Inner Circle on Battle of the Seasons. On the first episode, they decided to eliminate their biggest threat: fourth place team Yes & Veronica. The intention was to preserve the three teams that made up the first Inner Circle, which included married couple Holly and Chadwick. After the second challenge, Chadwick & Piggy fell to the fourth place position. To stay consistent, the Road Rulers chopped the fourth place team again. This separated Holly and Chadwick, but Piggy was a casualty of this vindictive strategy, one she never supported to begin with.
Stop Being Polite 