The Challenge: Ride or Dies has featured many familiar faces competing to win their share of big prize money, including Nany Gonzalez, Aneesa Ferreira, Johnny Bananas, and Nelson Thomas.
Nelson’s part of the show with one of his friends, Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat, but his Young Bucks pal, Cory Wharton, is noticeably absent from the Ride or Dies cast.
The 31-year-old four-time finalist said after his previous appearance on Spies, Lies & Allies that he would take some time away from the show.
Cory has still been watching the MTV competition show from afar, giving thoughts here or there and commenting on one of the competition show’s top newcomers.
As longtime fans of Cory know, he’s appeared in other shows besides The Challenge, including Real World: X-Plosion, Ex on the Beach, and Teen Mom OG.
He also recently revealed that he was nearly part of another reality competition series, The Traitors, which would’ve added yet another show to his resume.
The Challenge’s Cory Wharton says he was ready for The Traitors
Taking to his Twitter on Friday, Cory shared a “Side note” with fans about his near-involvement in Peacock’s upcoming reality show, The Traitors.
“I was three days away from leaving LA & going on the show Traitors on Peacock, but I guess God has different plans & he did,” Cory tweeted with a hands praying emoji.
Cory didn’t elaborate further in his tweet about why he didn’t head out to be part of the show. He’s recently appeared in a fun promotional video for the movie Violent Night, where he tested his skills as an action hero Santa, similar to the movie’s star, David Harbour.
Cory finished as a runner-up with Kam Williams on Season 36 of The Challenge, Double Agents, and then returned for Season 37, Spies, Lies & Allies, where he was eliminated in Episode 13 by rookie Logan Sampedro.
Based on Cory’s social media activity, he’s still a fan of MTV’s competition series and might be catching up on the latest season’s episodes ahead of his eventual return.
On a post that @thechallenge shared on Instagram from the recent Ride or Dies Episode 10 elimination, Cory proclaimed Horacio Gutierrez as his “Rookie of da year.”
What is Peacock’s The Traitors?
The Traitors is a reality competition series inspired by the Dutch show of the same name. Alan Cummings hosts the Peacock version.
Much like MTV’s The Challenge, The Traitors features cast members competing for a big money prize. Per TV Series Finale, this show features a cast of 20, including reality TV stars, celebrities, and other contestants.
Among them are The Real Houses of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville, Below Deck’s Kate Chastain, Big Brother’s Cody Calafiore and Rachel Reilly, and Olympian Ryan Lochte.
Based on the show’s synopsis, The Traitors involves 20 reality TV and celebrity contestants “who come together to complete a series of challenges.” Their main objective is to earn the cash prize “of up to $250,000.”
“The catch? Three of the contestants coined ‘the traitors’ will devise a plan to steal the prize from the other contestants, coined ‘the faithful,'” the show’s synopsis reads.
In addition, other contestants will join the game, which is “chock-full of alliances, deception, and even ‘murder.'” These include a yoga instructor, DMV Office Manager, Hair Stylist, and Political Analyst, among others.
The show will feature ten episodes, all of which will be available on January 12, 2023, on Peacock.
While Cory isn’t part of The Traitors, he’s been spending time with family and also appearing in other projects. They’ve included his participation in celebrity boxing and football events, as well as MTV’s Teen Mom OG. Based on reports, his girlfriend Taylor Selfridge, who has two kids with Cory, is also returning to the Teen Mom franchise.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV. The Traitors premieres on January 12, 2023, on Peacock.