There are plenty of familiar faces on The Challenge: Double Agents, with veterans like Wes, CT, Aneesa, and Nany, but there’s also longtime show host TJ Lavin.
He has become a fixture of MTV’s reality competition series over the years, with each season taking his badassery and cool factor up a notch.
In a recent interview, The Challenge host revealed what keeps bringing him back for more, as well as some of the biggest challenges involved with putting together the Double Agents season.
TJ comments on continuing to host The Challenge
This past week, LX News’ Tabitha Lipkin spoke with The Challenge host TJ Lavin via video call about the new Double Agents season of MTV’s series. He spoke of the gameplay for the season, which involves knowing who to trust, but also doing what you can to manipulate things in your favor.
“At the end of the day, you really have to pay attention, and you really have to know your relationship is super solid to trust anybody,” he said regarding Season 36.
During the interview, Tabitha also brought up that TJ has been hosting the show for 15 years, and he keeps coming back. She asked him how long he thinks he’ll continue being to host.
“I mean, I figure we could do another 20 or 25 years, and that’s it. I’m not gonna do any longer than that,” the 44-year-old Lavin joked.
As far as why he keeps coming back to do more seasons, TJ said it’s due to the atmosphere and vibe.
“It’s like a high school reunion every time we get back to the show. Everybody’s so tight. It’s a tight group, and everybody is all one unit trying to create one product,” he said about continuing to host.
“It’s like all for one and one for all. I love it. It’s a really cool team vibe,” TJ said regarding the show.
Biggest challenges in filming Double Agents
As fans of the show know, the competitors often go through grueling events for the challenges and eliminations. TJ mentioned that the Double Agents filming location provided some cold weather and frigid water that also presented difficulties for competitors.
“Some of the things they were going through that added a super hard element was the weather and the cold. If you add that to anything, it’ll be really difficult, but if you add that to swimming, now it’s even more difficult,” Lavin said.
Viewers probably noticed a few scenes in that Double Agents Super Trailer or the trailer for what’s ahead in which competitors were swimming in water. TJ also hinted at a trivia challenge taking place in water during a separate interview he did.
As far as other filming challenges, TJ indicated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it meant quarantining and staying extra safe. He talked about being separated and spaced apart at all times, even during meals. However, TJ said it wasn’t all that bad due to being in such a beautiful country through all of that.
“It was very hard at times, but it wasn’t too bad, man. Like, you’re in Iceland. They have you set up and you’re doing your thing, and you’re working. Everybody’s working and happy to be working and happy to be doing something productive,” he said.
Based on previous comments from a Challenge showrunner, it seems likely TJ may be working again soon, as Season 37 was said to be in the works and will most likely arrive sometime in 2021.
The Challenge: Double Agents airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.