The Challenge Season 37 has featured more than a few showmances, some of which have actually made it to the screen in the Spies, Lies & Allies episodes so far.
They included Nelson Thomas’ love triangle, Fessy Shafaat’s interactions with Amanda Mitchell, and Nany Gonzalez getting together with Kaycee Clark.
Episodes revealed a few rookies getting to know each other as Survivor winner Michele Fitzgerald and Survivor Romania’s Emanuel Neagu enjoyed their time together.
Their showmance was short-lived on Spies, Lies & Allies, though, due to the circumstances that arrived in Episode 4. However, Michele gave a recent update on where she stands with Emanuel following the season.
Michele Fitzgerald and Emanuel Neagu had Season 37 showmance
The first few episodes of Spies, Lies & Allies showed some brief footage of Emanuel Neagu and Michele Fitzgerald getting to know one another and enjoying each other’s company. A few kiss scenes made it into the trailers and an episode or two.
Their situation got a bit more air time in Season 37, Episode 4, as Michele was thrown into an elimination for the second time in her rookie season, only this time she didn’t end up on the winning side.
Following the loss, and the dramatic blowup between rookies Corey Lay and Hughie Maughan, Emanuel rushed down to the ground level to hug and kiss Michele goodbye. As she was exiting The Lair to leave the show, he yelled “I love you” from the spectator stands.
Michele flashed a heart symbol with her hands back towards him, seeming to show they had a strong connection. In her confessional, she was seen breaking down in tears, joking that she was glad someone was concerned over her not being able to win a million dollars.
The Challenge rookie gives update on situation with Emanuel
While castmates might have a showmance and bond during their seasons on The Challenge, they don’t always end up dating after filming. With the case of several Spies, Lies & Allies showmances, some of those competitors are thousands of miles apart on the globe due to the international theme.
As far as she and Emanuel go post-filming, Michele said she learned that Emanuel is currently dating someone and that she was “a little hurt” and “upset” by that.
“Well, Emanuel is dating somebody else right now. I have to say, when I found out about it, I was a little hurt. I was upset. We didn’t have much opportunity to really say goodbye. It’s complicated because we were out there for 30-something days, living with each other, so you obviously catch feelings,” Michele shared in an EW interview.
She went on to say it may have been a “blessing in disguise” for her, though, and she’s not really sure they would’ve ended up working out as a couple.
“So I would have liked to have heard about the relationship that he’s now in, upfront. It happens, that’s life. And at the end of the day, I’m not sure we would have worked out, him in Romania, me at home. And I don’t know if I’d bring him home to Dad. This is what we call a blessing in disguise,” Michele added.
Is Emanuel dating another Challenge castmate?
It’s unclear who Emanuel is currently dating as he hasn’t shared much on his social media with regards to that recently.
After Season 37 filming concluded, there were rumors about Emanuel and Tori Deal possibly exploring a relationship beyond Spies, Lies & Allies, as she was on a trip with other castmates, including Emanuel, to Ibiza.
This past week, Challenge super fan and insider account @jaychallenge._ on Instagram shared rumors that Tori visited Emanuel in Romania, where she also hung out with castmate Emy Alupei.
Neither Tori nor Emanuel has given any updates about their dating. Footage from at least one Season 37 trailer showed the two dancing close together at the club, but nothing has been shown in any episodes up through Episode 4.
Emanuel did an Instagram Live chat with Emy after the Spies, Lies & Allies’ first trailer and cast details were revealed in mid-July. During that IG Live, Emy asked Emanuel where his “girlfriend” was, and he said she went home, seeming to confirm he was dating Tori.
Quite possibly, another showmance will be featured in the Season 37 episodes involving Tori and Emanuel. However, it seems recent Challenge seasons haven’t shown all of the hookups going on, so they may keep this one unaired too.
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.