Challenge viewers love their veterans, so when they return after a hiatus, it’s usually cause for excitement. We’ve seen some competitors begin a new, better chapter of their Challenge career after a return. But in these cases, we mostly watched competitors fail to relaunch.
This list is not strictly based on performance in the competition, though it will be heavily factored into my assessment. The ranking also considers competitors’ ability to navigate the political landscape, reintegrate into the social dynamic, and produce compelling storylines.
10. Ashley Kelsey (Invasion of the Champion)
When four female champs entered the Invasion house, Ashley seemed like the wild card of the group. Yes, she won a season, but Battle of the Seasons was lacking most of the Challenge’s heavy-hitters. Invasion was Ashley’s chance to prove she was a tough competitor, but she didn’t really rise to the occasion. She didn’t perform poorly; she just wasn’t a threat to Camila, Cara Maria, or Laurel.
9. Rachel Robinson (Battle of the Exes)
It’s somewhat easy to forget Rachel appeared on Battle of the Exes following a three-year break after winning The Duel 2. That victory proved Rachel was a strong competitor, but she was placed on the only same-sex team on Battle of the Exes. It was an odd decision, and she ultimately went home midway through the competition, which was an uncharacteristically unremarkable performance for the champion.
8. Tony Raines (Battle of the Eras)
Tony nearly made the Final Reckoning final, but after that strong performance, he stepped away from The Challenge for over five years and properly returned for Battle of the Eras (I’m omitting her All Stars 4 performance here, because he needed to leave the game early). He sent Leroy home in the Eras Invitational, and he seemed to be in good shape, but his political game couldn’t have been worse. He forced a stalemate at the very first Arena, and he was sent home because of this silly move.
7. Abram Boise (Battle of the Bloodlines)
Abe has a reputation for being a little crazy, but when you put that energy into a competitive environment, it can be fun to watch. That’s not what we saw on Battle of the Bloodlines. When Abe entered the game as a replacement, we saw him try to salvage a relationship with Cara Maria. There were some glimpses of Abe’s wildcard gameplay, but for the most part, we had the uncomfortable story of Abe and Cara Maria’s breakup.
6. Marie Roda (Invasion of the Champions)
On Battle of the Seasons, Marie stood out as a fireball competitor who played a fierce game. She performed well with Robb, and she gave the St. Thomas team a fighting chance in the competition as a duo. Viewers asked for her to return to the show, and it took over four years for her to step onto another Challenge set. Then, she finished last in The Over Under challenge, which landed her in the first elimination. After nearly a half-decade of waiting, viewers were disappointed to see Marie return, only to be the first person booted.
5. Ibis Del Mar (The Ruins)
When Challenge producers assembled an all-champion team in 2009, viewers expected some surprise competitors because they were casting from a small pool. This allowed Ibis to make a return after four years away, but she didn’t seem like a valued member of her team. Her only notable story was being sent into The Ruins in a stalemate tie-breaker vote that Veronica sneakily forced. Ibis went home, and she hasn’t done another Challenge season since.
4. Rogan O’Connor (Vets & new Threats)
Rogan was the sole British winner on War of the Worlds 2, and he followed up that performance with a hard-fought appearance in the Total Madness final. He demonstrated he was a tough competitor, then he took five years away from the show. His return on Vets & New Threats seemed overdue, and his well-defined abs indicated he was still in great shape — but evidently, he had run out of fuel. He got exhausted during the first Arena and took the first flight home.
3. Rachel Robinson (The Island)
The first time Rachel took a long break from the Challenge, it was clear that production was eager to get her back on the show. When she finally agreed, she was placed on the Challenge season without any real challenges. This led to her being voted off The Island on the third episode without a proper elimination competition. Fortunately, she returned for the next season, The Duel 2, and won.
2. Alton Williams (Battle of the Seasons)
Alton won over viewers as a fearless leader on The Gauntlet 2, who helped his team win the season. This good guy reputation followed him onto The Inferno 3, but he followed that season by taking five years away from The Challenge. Then, he came back on Battle of the Seasons, boasting that “Alton 2.0” had arrived. This version seemed like a downgrade, and Alton seemed eager to go home. He lost his first elimination ever and took Nany home with him. He seemingly did this on purpose as an effort to quit without formally quitting.
1. Emily Schromm (Battle of the Eras)
Emily returned to Battle of the Eras after 11 years of fans asking for her to come back to the main series. She was still in great shape and was placed on the stacked Era 2 team. It seemed she was destined to skate through the beginning stages of the competition, but she wasn’t so lucky — mostly because Laurel wasn’t afraid to throw Challenges. Emily then lost an elimination for her first time ever to Tina; she barely made an impression on the competition and didn’t even see the season’s halfway point.
Stop Being Polite 