While The Challenge brings some tough physical elements, it can also take a toll on competitors mentally. That’s due to the strategy involved with competitors having to work with alliances and deal with the politics, lies, sabotage, and manipulation that can take place in the game.
During Season 36, several cast members left the show due to feeling it was in their best interest to do so, and according to Aneesa Ferreira, another was close to doing so in Episode 15.
Aneesa recently shared details during The Challenge: Double Agents Aftermath show, indicating her friend and castmate was preparing to go home, but chose to stay in the game.
Aneesa was top target for Episode 15 elimination
In Double Agents Episode 15, all of the remaining competitors had their gold skulls, except for Tula “Big T” Fazakerley. Due to her strong connections with others in the house, she needed to get herself to become the house vote to go into elimination. However, she needed an opponent, and it became clear quite quickly that Aneesa would be that opponent.
Since Kaycee Clark and Leroy Garrett had won the daily mission Spy Dive, they were able to choose who Big T would face. Kaycee was safe as was Amber Borzotra due to being a Rogue Agent. That left Nany Gonzalez, Kam Williams, and Aneesa.
Since Nany was Leroy’s former castmate and friend for years and Kam was his girlfriend, that left Aneesa as the main option. She was sent in to face Big T and ended up losing to her in Fire Escape.
It was Big T’s first official elimination win on The Challenge and another season cut short for Aneesa ahead of the final. However, it could have gone a different way based on comments Aneesa made following the episode.
Aneesa says Double Agents castmate wanted to go home
According to Aneesa during The Challenge: Double Agents Aftermath show (below), Nany Gonzalez was actually packing up her things and wanted to leave the day before elimination. It may have been due to the political nature of how the voting goes inside the house or due to her partnership. In the episode, Nany mentioned that she wasn’t sure partnering with Fessy Shafaat was the best move. She brought up that he wasn’t a great teammate because of the type of “energy” he had.
“Nany said a day before, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to go home. I wish I had the b***s to vote myself in’,” Aneesa shared about her castmate and friend.
Typically, competitors who might get voted into elimination, pack their items in case they are eliminated and have to leave. However, Nany was pretty safe in the game at that point.
“I was like ‘Please do it then, why are you gonna let me go?’” Aneesa added. If Nany had gone through with her intentions, it would’ve allowed Aneesa to stay safe as the competitors got even closer to TJ Lavin’s final.
Kyle Christie, who was also part of the Aftermath show, added to the discussion about Nany.
“Nany obviously changed her mind Aneesa, that’s what she does. You click your fingers and Nany just changes her mind about everything,” Kyle said.
Aneesa said “Nany was packing all her s**t” but decided against leaving. So, unfortunately, that meant Aneesa ended up being the female who had to defend her gold skull in elimination.
It meant that Nany would continue in the game, despite what she said about leaving. It also brought Aneesa’s time to an end on Double Agents. However, she’ll be appearing soon as The Challenge: All Stars spinoff arrives on Paramount Plus.
The Challenge: Double Agents airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.