The Challenge has seen plenty of star competitors over the years, many of whom recently returned to compete in Paramount Plus’ All Stars spinoff.
Among the returning OGs from MTV’s Real World was former Challenge winner MJ Garrett, who also went on to win the second season of All Stars.
That was due to having a fantastic teammate for the season’s final, as MJ teamed up with Jonna Mannion, who had improved vastly in her abilities and gameplay since her earlier years on The Challenge.
Both cast members returned for All Stars 3. MJ was eliminated ahead of the final. Jonna went on to win her second All Stars in a situation where competitors had different teammates throughout the final checkpoints.
It’s unknown if MJ is returning for a rumored All Stars 4 season. However, he recently gave an interesting reply to a fan question regarding who he’d choose as a teammate if he returned.
During an Instagram Q&A session, the 42-year-old MJ got asked by a fan which Challenge star he’d pick as his teammate for the show.
MJ reveals his pick as Challenge teammate
In a video clip, MJ revealed that his answer was solely based on who he’d partner with for The Challenge final. Based on that, he shared a clear choice for a teammate to run the final with.
“Without a doubt, it’s gonna be Rachel Robinson,” MJ said in his video reply, adding, “In a perfect world, if she were to come out of retirement and I were to do another show, and somehow we were together, that is who I would want to be my partner.”
MJ praised her as a “proven winner” and “one of the biggest bad a**es” he’s ever met, mentioning he reconnected with her several months ago at the MTV VMAs.
MJ picked up a win on Paramount Plus’ All Stars 2 alongside Jonna, giving them $500,000 in prize money. However, their return for Season 3 included cheating rumors. Since MJ and Jonna became close and Jonna is married, castmate Beth Stolarczyk tried to use the rumor as a strategy during her time on the show.
As of this writing, there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood or issues between MJ and Jonna. It’s possible his answer was based on changing things up and selecting an OG yet to appear on All Stars.
Is Rachel Robinson retired from The Challenge?
While MJ mentioned Rachel, 39, had retired in his video above, the former Road Rules star has recently returned to reconnect with MTV’s The Challenge and some of its cast members.
Rachel, who won during The Gauntlet and The Duel II seasons, was among The Challenge stars attending the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this year. According to MTV, other cast members included Yes Duffy, Nany Gonzalez, Kaycee Clark, Tina Barta, and Mark Long. MJ and Jonna were also both at the event.
Before that appearance, Rachel filmed a series of Challenge workout videos for MTV’s The Challenge YouTube channel. Each workout features a cast member and focuses on a specific body part. Among the individuals Rachel worked with were Tori Deal, Mark, Nelson Thomas, and Devyn Simone.
It’s unknown if all that reconnecting, fans wanting to see her return, and MJ wanting her as his teammate, will be enough to bring her out of retirement, though.
While appearing on Mike Lewis Podcast in 2021, Rachel admitted she couldn’t get away from her family, including her young kids, for the time one has to commit to filming The Challenge.
However, she also used the “never say never” phrase and indicated she tells The Challenge she’s “always open” when they call her about it. So that leaves a chance for a Rachel and MJ pairing in a future installment of the competition series or its spinoff.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV. The Challenge: All Stars episodes are available on Paramount Plus.