The Challenge: USA cast members from Love Island realize their team has weaknesses heading into the competition series, but will they be able to get on the same page?
In the latest promo video, stars from CBS’ romance reality show explain how some of their group’s issues could come into play. In particular, two pairs of former couples make up some of Love Island’s potential alliance on the spinoff, and those previous relationships might make things difficult.
Along with the social component of the game is the physical aspect. Based on what some cast members had to say, not everyone entered the show in shape and ready to compete.
Are Love Island stars ready for The Challenge?
Ahead of the premiere episode of CBS’ The Challenge: USA, promotional videos have been arriving which feature the cast members from Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race, and Love Island.
In a video focused on Love Islanders, viewers quickly learn about some of the issues this team could face as they try to compete in a high-stakes game completely different than exploring romance at a villa. Love Island stars featured in the video include Cinco Holland, Cashel Barnett, Justine Ndiba, Shannon St. Clair, and Kyra Green.
Early on, Big Brother star Angela Rummans comments about how it seems some of the Love Island men are former football stars and could be a threat in the competition. However, the women may not be seen as much as a threat, according to Javonny Vega.
“I’m not worried because we have big numbers,” he says in the promo video (below). “But us Love Islandians like the guys are cool. Like me, Cinco, Cashel, like we kind of in shape. We in shape, but the girls, man, they already talking about like ‘I ain’t in shape. I didn’t even run. I didn’t even work out for this.'”
That could definitely be an issue for a competitive show involving intense daily challenges and physically-brutal eliminations often described as “headbangers.” Will Love Island’s women be ready for something like a Pole Wrestle or Hall Brawl?
Previous relationships could hurt Love Islanders
Love can hurt, and sometimes some romances and showmances fall apart ahead of The Challenge. In the promo video above, viewers learn that two former couples are part of the Love Island group competing in CBS’ spinoff.
One of those former couples is Kyra Green and Cashel Barnett, who appeared on Love Island USA’s first season. Kyra entered the villa on the first day and, with the option to steal any guy there, chose Cashel, taking him from castmate Caro Viehweg.
Kyra and Cashel didn’t last, nor did Love Island USA 3’s Cashay Proudfoot and Cinco Holland. Based on Kyra’s comments in the video, all of the Love Island women are on the same page with team unity, but the guys might not be.
“All of us girls are on board. We are team Love Island, and we are all ride or dies like we fully trust each other and know that we are in this,” she says, adding, “But our boys- our boys are lacking, and I don’t know if that’s because Cashay and I are ex-girlfriends of the two of them.”
Cashel indicates in the video he still likes Kyra and is happy to see her again despite their relationship not working out beyond Love Island USA.
Justine Ndiba explains that their alliance primarily works together, with the possible exception of Cinco Holland. She says it’s hard to tell where his head is and if he’s playing his own game or aligned with the Love Islanders.
Viewers will soon see if these reality stars from the villa will be able to outwit and compete with the stars from Amazing Race, Big Brother, and Survivor, who all possess unique sets of skills along with strengths and weaknesses.
The Challenge: USA premieres on Wednesday, July 6, at 9:30/8:30c on CBS.