Tori Deal is coming off a huge season of MTV’s The Challenge, having won Ride or Dies with her castmate and friend, Devin Walker.
The duo defeated Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez in the Season 38 final, collecting a prize of $1 million which was then also shared generously with castmates, giving $38,000 apiece to six other finalists.
Following that win, Tori was right back into the completion, this time appearing on the Paramount Plus spinoff, The Challenge: World Championship.
She’s partnering with another American competitor as she looks to collect a second-straight Challenge championship.
However, Tori continuous appearances may have worn the reality TV star down a bit, as she recently revealed her intentions to take a break.
This report may contain minor spoilers from The Challenge: World Championship through the second episode and trailer.
Tori Deal wants to take “big, big break” from The Challenge
Following her win on Ride or Dies, Tori appeared as a guest on Johnny Bananas’ podcast, Death, Taxes and Bananas. During the episode, she spoke about how the win felt but also revealed her intentions to take some time away.
“It was a happy ending,” Tori said during the podcast episode, adding, “I’m thankful to be a part of it. I can’t believe I f***ing won. I’m so f***ing happy. I can’t wait to take a break from this s***. A few more little things, and then a break. A big, big break.”
Tori didn’t specify how long of a break she was planning to take. Monsters and Critics previously reported about speculation for Season 39 with availability calls going out to cast members.
Based on Tori’s comments, she is unlikely to appear in the upcoming season, coming off her MTV and Paramount Plus Challenge appearances. As of this report, there are no confirmed cast members or a potential premiere date for Season 39.
The 30-year-old Tori originally appeared in MTV’s Are You The One? 4 in 2017. She’s gone on to appear in seven seasons of The Challenge on MTV, as well as both Champs vs. Stars spinoff shows. Her most recent MTV season finally got her that elusive win she’d been seeking.
Tori discussed her mental health struggles and inspiration for others
One of the storylines presented to viewers during The Challenge: Ride or Dies season was Tori’s struggles with her mental health, which she addressed after her breakup with Jordan Wiseley and other things spiraling out of control for her.
She told Bananas during the podcast that she got a call for Season 38 asking if anything interesting had been going on in her life. At first, she’d said, “not really,” but then “nonchalantly” revealed she had started taking antidepressants.
“I only started taking them because I saw somebody who I follow on social media post about it. So, I was inspired by somebody who I never even met in person, just looked up to, loved their work, and then for me to talk about it, it’s like I know how I feel inside,” Tori shared.
She also said her main goal in sharing about her mental health and taking antidepressants was to possibly help others.
“You’ve seen dark days of me and you’ve seen Good days of me. I think you can attest to the fact that I’m definitely a better version of myself now,” Tori shared.
“And so I just hope that, you know, people who listen, like, if they feel like they can relate to it in any way,” she said.
While Tori seems unlikely to return for Season 39 of MTMTV’sompetition series, fans can currently watch her on The Challenge: World Championship, where she’s teamed up with USA MVP Danny McCray and also has castmates there, including Jordan.
The Challenge: World Championship episodes arrive Wednesdays on Paramount Plus.