While there are many different reality TV competition shows, Johnny Bananas feels MTV’s The Challenge “doesn’t get the respect it deserves.”
The seven-time winner of MTV’s show was among the cast members for The Traitors 2, which just wrapped up its finale on Peacock.
Appearing with him was familiar castmate Chris “CT” Tamburello, who was one of two winners of The Traitors 2.
In a surprising finish, CT shared the prize of over $200,000 with another star from MTV’s Real World and The Challenge, Trishelle Cannatella.
The MTV stars outlasted a starstudded group that included former cast members from Big Brother, Real Housewives, The Bachelor, and Survivor, among others.
Bananas recently had Trishelle on his Death, Taxes & Bananas podcast to discuss the finale and her exciting win, which he was extremely happy to see.
Bananas said The Challenge should get more respect now
While on Bananas’ podcast, Trishelle said she and CT “brought home” the win for The Challenge fans. She also admitted it was “unheard of” to her that two people from the same reality TV show won The Traitors 2.
“I honestly think this should settle the debate of, oh, who are, you know, which is the greatest franchise or the greatest players,” Bananas said.
He and Trishelle spoke about how other players on Traitors 2 contemplated which people to bring into their alliances or circles. The people they tended to bring into their alliances or circles were individuals from Survivor or Big Brother, with little to no mention of The Challenge.
Bananas said that seemed to continue to be a non-topic at the reunion show but said it didn’t matter because The Challenge showed everyone by winning The Traitors 2.
“Now the whole country and the whole world is going to know what the challenge is, what we’re all about, and why we’ve done it better, harder, longer, faster, with more intensity than anyone,” Bananas said.
Trishelle asked how many times Bananas and CT had won The Challenge. He reminded her and listeners that he had won seven times, and CT had won five times.
Bananas also joked that Trishelle is a “four, five [or] six-time spring break survivor.”
The Challenge: All Stars Season 1 competitor added that she “liked being underestimated” because that was her “biggest strength in the game” for The Traitors.
Bananas called out Big Brother star’s move against him during the reunion
During The Traitors 2 reunion, Bananas was asked what it was like to get murdered so early in the game after his extensive history of winning shows like The Challenge.
“I’m used to competing against people who want to compete. Not people who lack the ego and self-esteem to actually go head-to-head with people,” Bananas said at the reunion.
“Bananas, you were too quick, too sharp, too resourceful, and too dangerous for Dan [Gheesling], and for that reason, you were murdered,” his castmate John Bercow told him.
Dan added his thoughts about the situation, saying he felt Bananas was too “dangerous” and he had to choose between him and CT to get rid of since they were “best friends.”
Bananas scoffed at the idea that he and CT are “best friends,” as he said they never trust one another during The Challenge. Despite Dan saying he hoped Bananas took the early murder as a respectful move against a reality TV icon, Bananas said he didn’t.
Bananas said his Challenge castmates’ win was the ‘greatest news’ to him
While CT and Trishelle survived to win The Traitors 2, Bananas was an early exit from the game, disappointing for one of the all-time greatest Challenge competitors.
He said he wasn’t asked much at the reunion due to his limited participation in the game, but admitted he’d wanted to win with his Challenge friends whom he referred to as “The Three Musketeers” or “Three Amigos.”
“Once I was out of the game, you two were the only ones I wanted to see win because I almost felt like I was winning vicariously through the two of you,” he told Trishelle.
“Because again, I feel like for me, I look at The Challenge, and I look at the cast members I’ve done The Challenge with like family,” Bananas said during the podcast.
He indicated that he’d heard a bit about what happened at the finale from castmate CT.
“To find out that the Faithfuls won and to find out that the two of you were the only ones left standing was like the f**king greatest news,” Bananas said.
The Challenge: All Stars 4 premieres Wednesday, April 10 on Paramount+. The Traitors 2 episodes are available on Peacock.
This first time I completely agree with Bananas. I’m shocked. lol. Long live The Challenge.