The Challenge OG Darrell Taylor is among the former champions viewers have seen arrive at The Arena for MTV’s Battle For a New Champion.
Darrell, a four-time champion, was featured in Episode 10, where he would take on either Kyland Young or James Lock.
James, who is in a showmance with Moriah Jadea, was spared from competing against Darrell, as he randomly chose Kyland in The Draw.
However, Darrell became the third cast member to bring up Moriah’s showmance and its potential effect on his friend and castmate Johnny Bananas, whom Moriah had a showmance with on MTV’s previous season, Ride or Dies, and dated after the show.
Previously, viewers saw Devin Walker mention Moriah’s showmance during his interview clip from The Arena, and Tori Deal called out Moriah before competing in her elimination.
In a recent interview, Darrell spoke more about discovering Moriah and James’s showmance and his thoughts on it affecting Bananas.
Darrell addresses Moriah and Bananas’ situation after his Season 39 appearance
Speaking with Mike Lewis earlier this week, Darrell talked about returning to The Challenge after 14 other seasons and his elimination appearance.
Mike asked Darrell how he learned about the Moriah and James showmance situation. Darrell didn’t give any specific names,, saying he “got wind of the word of it, of what was going on.”
“To me, man, that’s not a big deal. From what I knew, they were never together. They were just dating,” he shared.
“I guess she liked him and didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I get it, but out of sight, out of mind man. You get on these shows and not in a real relationship; it’s gonna happen,” Darrell said.
“He probably would’ve done the same thing, too, so I don’t even know why they’re making a big deal out of it.”
During the aired Challenge episode, Moriah commented about the various champs calling her out for her showmance and the situation off the show with Bananas.
“Darell, I take everything he says with a grain of salt, but it’s still annoying to have another vet come in and say something negative…it makes me feel really vulnerable,” she said in a confessional scene.
It’s unclear where Moriah and Bananas are now, but it’s believed they’re no longer on amicable terms or following each other on social media.
Bananas has appeared on House of Villains on E!, where he had flirty scenes with castmate Corinne Olympios. He’s also on Peacock’s yet-to-be-released The Traitors Season 2 alongside his former Challenge castmates CT Tamburello and Trishelle Canatella and other celebrities.
Darrell was ready to call out an unpopular cast member
For the Season 39 eliminations, competitors who entered The Arena had two nominated cast members they could face if they drew their name during The Draw.
However, a third weapon in The Draw was labeled “Chaos,” allowing the former champion to choose any available opponents who weren’t on the daily challenge’s winning team. Viewers saw Devin pull it during his appearance and call down Callum Izzard so he could eliminate him.
When asked who he would’ve chosen if he picked the Chaos weapon, Darrell had an immediate answer: Asaf Goren.
“I don’t know him personally, but it was just something from his [previous Challenge season] from the couple episodes he was on there was just something about him that I was not feeling,” Darrell said.
Asaf debuted on MTV’s Total Madness season and ended up as the first competitor eliminated by fellow rookie Jay Starrett. While Asaf wasn’t on the show for long, he had a brief showmance with Nany Gonzalez and got into it with Wes Bergmann.
“I don’t know if it’s because he talked a lot and made himself higher than what he really was…I mean I know you gotta hype yourself up, but I feel like he was hyping himself up way too hard, but yea Asaf was the one I really wanted. Didn’t know nothing about him, but that’s who I wanted,” Darrell said.
Ironically, Asaf has been involved in plenty of drama during the aired episodes and on social media, including him calling out Devin and feuding with castmates Melissa Reeves and Big T Fazakerley.
Instead of Asaf, Darrel battled Kyland in an event that wasn’t a head-to-head physical matchup.
Each competitor stood on a round hanging platform and had to use their body weight to swing the platform around and light off different spots at a flamethrower positioned nearby.
Kyland figured out a trick to do the event quicker. With that, he defeated Darrell to keep his spot in the game and preserve $10,000 of the cast’s prize purse.
Darrell was gracious in the loss and gave Kyland high praise, indicating he believes he has what it takes to become a champion.
The Challenge: Battle For a New Champion airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.