In the early days of The Challenge, people were cast on the show because of their reputation on The Real World or Road Rules. This made some cast members shoe-ins for the then-budding spin off, and David Burns seemed like one of those people.
David made his debut on the Seattle Real World season, and he and Nathan were the reason the intro said “seven people,” not seven strangers. They knew each other from military school, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they were cast on the first two Real World/ Road Rules Challenges. David was also well known for his contract-breaching romance with casting director Kira, his Boston accent, and his good looks — back in the 90s, he was compared to Joey McIntyre.
David Burns etched a place in Real World history, but his impact on The Challenge was less obvious. Still, he’s remembered by hardcore fans of the show.
Challenge 2000
If you’ve seen The Challenge 2000, you know how competitive that season wasn’t. Yes, the Real World was facing Road Rules, but it’s much more lighthearted than modern seasons. On the Real World team, David was viewed as one of the more competitive people. He did well during the Redneck Games, but he wasn’t as big an asset to his team as he was portrayed.
He tied with Yes during the Wheel of Wrestling mission, and he fell asleep while holding the ball during the Stir Crazy mission, which cost the Real World team $10,000. He cost his team another $6,000 by losing the tobacco-free initiative, though this wasn’t shown on the final edit. David did help his team at times. He scored 50 points in the final bullseye mission, but that wasn’t enough to earn his team a victory, and his Greek god costume helped the Real Worlders win the Homemade Swimsuit Costume mission.
The Inferno
David showed up on The Inferno after four years away from The Challenge, and he was one of six people selected to be on The Real World team who weren’t on the Paris season. This is a testament to his perceived value on the franchise, but Dave made it clear he was on The Inferno for a vacation. Once the season started going and Ace got sent home, Dave probably became the weakest man on his team.
Much like The Real World, he came onto this season with a preexisting friend: CT. Allegedly, they were cousins, but rumor has it they weren’t truly related; they grew up in the same housing projects in Boston, and they were like cousins because their mothers were close friends. Regardless, this friendship played a role in the game. David gave an abysmal performance in the Come Sale Away mission and was slated to go into the Don’t Toss Your Cookies Inferno, but CT voluntarily took his place using the Lifeshield.
Eventually, David would be handed a Lifeshield by his team so they could get Leah sent home. This plan worked, and somehow, Dave got naked when Leah and Kendal faced each other. Then, Coral used her Lifeshield to protect herself from the final Inferno. David was named as her replacement, and he was sent home by Katie right before the final race.
The Gauntlet 2
The Inferno showed us that David wasn’t super invested in the Challenge, so it was a little surprising to see him get cast on The Gauntlet 2. Perhaps this was because production had difficulties filling the cast, or maybe they still saw potential in David. He also had a brief romance with Katie between The Inferno and The Gauntlet 2. This wasn’t really mentioned on the season, and the exes didn’t seem to have a hard time working together.
From the looks of it, David was in better shape on The Gauntlet 2 than he was on The Inferno. He seemed to have a good friendship with Mark and Timmy, and this helped him reach the final mission. David was never a team captain, so he mostly flew under the radar and never went into a Gauntlet. In the final, he was part of the roti-eating group that was narrowly defeated by the rookies. This cost the Veteran team their victory, and David was partially to blame.
What’s David’s Challenge Legacy?
David is an early example of a Real World star who never met his Challenge potential. He was well-liked, had muscles, and could be charming, so he had an easy time navigating most of the competitions. Then, he fizzled on the field. He doesn’t have a lot of standout performances, and if he excels at any skill, it’s likely driving. He won the Lifeshield during the Saturn Valet Ballet mission (though it was handed to him), and he did well in the Demolition Derby mission on the Challenge 2000. In retrospect, the Veterans probably should have let him steer the stick shift during the Team Strength mission on The Gauntlet 2.
If you remember David on The Challenge, it’s probably not for his ability to compete. More likely, you remember his funny moments, like the time he slept during the Come Sale Away mission or his involvement in facilitating Julie and Coral’s proposed wrestling match. David seldom drove the story lines, but he often helped the narrative progress.
We probably won’t see David make a return, but he occasionally talks about his time on The Real World (here’s a semi-recent interview with him). He’s worked in media for over two decades, and he seems to be doing well for himself.
David’s a product of the early days of The Challenge, and he came back to the show because The Real World: Seattle was popular, and fans got caught up with him on The Challenge. As the show started moving away from that viewer/cast member reunion mentality, Dave became less important to the franchise. So he moved on, found a new path, and left us with reality TV memories — it just so happens most of them are from The Real World.
Stop Being Polite 