Wes Bergmann called it a wrap on The Challenge: USA 2 spinoff show, indicating he wouldn’t be back again for The Challenge.
While host TJ Lavin said that Wes could return anytime he wanted to, the 38-year-old maintains that he’s retiring from the competition series he’s been part of since 2006.
Viewers saw Wes ousted from CBS’ USA 2 spinoff by Survivor’s Chris Underwood in an elimination event earlier this week after votes were sent his way by three castmates, including his friend and ally, Josh Martinez.
As Monsters and Critics reported, after Wes’ aired elimination loss, he called out his castmate’s “pathetic” tears during the episode, as Josh was shown struggling with his decision to vote for Wes.
Following the episode, Wes has also spoken with several outlets about retiring from The Challenge.
He explained why it might be difficult for some fans to grasp his leaving due to the reasons he’s given for his retirement.
Wes calls it ‘too irresponsible’ for him to return to The Challenge
Several weeks ago, the first word of Wes retiring from The Challenge arrived during an episode of USA 2. In the episode, Wes faced potential elimination and got emotional when discussing how he’ll become a father very soon due to his wife expecting their first child.
He wasn’t eliminated during that episode, but Wes seemingly confirmed his retirement on social media after it aired, citing his family and businesses as part of his decision.
While talking to Pop Culture after his official elimination in USA 2, Episode 10, he said he was “very, very sad” to leave The Challenge. He further explained his decision and why fans might not understand it.
“I’m not sitting here saying, ‘I dislike it,’ or, ‘I am not good at it anymore,’ and I’m obviously in great shape and all this kind of stuff. So, it’s like none of the… There’s not any on-paper reasons to not do it. But, what they’re not seeing is just how hard it is for a business owner of my size to leave for two months,” Wes said.
He explained that many people rely on him outside of reality television, which is part of why he can’t keep leaving to be on any version of the show.
“There’s more people that depend on me for their livelihood than there are entire Challengers in the game. And there’s more money for me to lose than the entire prize pool combined every single season, so it’s too irresponsible,” he said.
Wes said he won’t hold back in opinions about castmates now
While speaking with Pop Culture, Wes also said there are “no repercussions” now for him to speak his mind about his castmates since he’s not part of The Challenge game. In the past, he may have bitten his tongue to keep himself safe with allies and castmates.
He was asked what set things off regarding the social media storm during the USA 2 season, as he said individuals were talking badly about him despite acting like his friends on the show.
Wes indicated that Desi Williams, whom he thinks is a “f***ing queen,” continued a cycle of doing something bad to him in the game and then apologizing for it. He said he repeated that several times, and then her confessional interview was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”
That particular confessional aired during the episode where Wes first mentioned retirement in USA 2 and went on to defeat Dusty in an elimination. During the episode, he got emotional about things, including his retirement and upcoming life as a dad.
However, several castmates called him out during and after the show. Desi claimed in her confessional that Wes was trying to gain sympathy from others with his retirement talk.
“That’s not true. I’m losing something that’s been a part of my life for 20 years,” Wes said, adding, “Part of the reason she’s here is because of my investment in the game because there wouldn’t be a game if not for some of the people that put 20 years towards this.”
One of the examples Wes gave of something that Desi did was telling him that their team was voting for Cassidy Clark rather than his MTV castmate, Amanda Garcia. That move made Wes look like he was going after Cassidy and created an enemy for him.
During his interview, he explained that none of the “bad” things Desi did to him on USA 2 was anything he’d consider higher than a one or two on a scale from one to 10. However, the accumulation of multiple things, including her confessional remarks, set things off.
Wes also suggested that the Survivor stars may have made the right move, as many are still competing for a chance to win the season. He’ll now watch the remainder of the season, likely rooting for his MTV castmates as he continues his journey beyond The Challenge.
The Challenge: USA 2 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS. The Challenge: Battle For a New Champion premieres Wednesday, October 25 at 8/7c on MTV.