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The Challenge 500: All Stars 2, Season 37 cast members recall how they got on reality TV

the challenge tori deal in 500th episode promo video
Spies, Lies & Allies star Tori Deal recalls getting her first call to appear on The Challenge. Pic credit: @challengemtv/Instagram

Sometimes it takes recording a crazy or silly audition tape. Other times, people get spots on reality TV after weeks of interviews and stacks of paperwork to fill out.

Ahead of The Challenge’s 500th episode, a new promotional video has arrived. This time, cast members from Spies, Lies & Allies, and the upcoming All Stars 2 spinoff share how they landed on reality TV, or details of getting that big call.

Among them are four-time winner Derrick Kosinski, two-time winner Jodi Weatherton, Cory Wharton, Tori Deal, and Big Brother star Josh Martinez.

The Challenge stars share stories of getting on reality TV

With The Challenge: All Stars 2 on the way, most cast members originally appeared on various seasons of MTV’s The Real World or Road Rules. Back then, they were sending in recorded audition videos for casting and production staff to review.

That included Nehemiah Clark, who mentions that he played the role of four characters in his video, a spoof of a Real World episode.

In addition to being himself, his other characters included fellow reality TV stars Teck “Money” Holmes (RW: Hawaii) and David Broom (RW: New Orleans), and boxer Mike Tyson.

“I was 21 years old and just a very free and wild spirit,” Melinda Collins shared about auditioning for MTV’s The Real World.

“In my audition tape, I was kinda showing that what my life was like in Wisconsin, and it was pretty drab and pretty boring, and then I decided to run topless on Lake Michigan beach,” she revealed.

Melinda ended up among cast members on The Real World: Austin, along with Nehemiah, Wes Bergmann, and other roommates, before heading to The Challenge.

Tori Deal shared how she had wanted to be on The Challenge when she appeared on her original show, Are You The One? and shared about her excitement of finally getting that call.

Each cast member has a unique story and it’s interesting to hear how things have changed over the years. Check out other stars as they recall getting onto reality TV, including Ayanna Mackins, Derrick Kosinski, Jodi Weatherton, Devin Walker, and Cory Wharton.

The new promotional video arrives as MTV prepares to air its 500th episode of The Challenge, which coincides with Spies, Lies & Allies Episode 12 on Wednesday, October 27.

The Challenge casting has changed drastically

Those previous days of bringing on The Real World or Road Rules stars seem to have passed for MTV’s main The Challenge show.

The most recent seasons have a diverse cast featuring WWE stars, Olympic athletes, and people from reality TV shows that may not be as familiar to most viewers.

For example, Spies, Lies & Allies includes cast members from The Circle on Netflix, 12 Dates of Christmas on HBO, or international versions of Survivor, Big Brother, and other shows.

Some fans have criticized the recent move with casting, although with The Real World and Road Rules now long gone from MTV, it paved the way for All Stars. With the spinoff, fans can see OGs return from the older shows and compete again, some near or past the age of 50.

With Spies, Lies & Allies, the oldest cast members included 41-year-old Chris “CT” Tamburello and 40-year-old Aneesa Ferreira, who got their starts on The Real World. Aneesa has also appeared on the All Stars spinoff, showing the crossover potential for long-term MTV stars.

Nany Gonzalez is also a former Real Worlder along with Cory Wharton and Ashley Mitchell. However, most US stars after that come from Big Brother, Survivor, Love Island, and Are You The One? shows. Beyond that, MTV appears to have moved towards gaining global audiences with international stars.

However, there may be potential revivals of those old-school MTV shows that could bring new rookies to The Challenge. Based on a previous report, a Road Rules reboot may arrive on Paramount+.

In addition, the recent Real World: Homecoming series on the platform could lead the way for a rebirth of The Real World. If that happens, fans will have to hope that the rebooted versions of these shows prove successful, or they may continue to see more international stars arriving in future Challenge seasons.

The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV. The Challenge: All Stars 2 premieres Thursday, November 11, on Paramount Plus.

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