The Challenge stars Wes Bergmann and Theresa Jones are two MTV OGs many fans would love to see return for another installment of the competition series.
Based on recent remarks, they are doubling down on their retirement talk and turning down opportunities to appear on MTV’s show.
Viewers last saw Theresa in the Double Agents season as she teamed up with Jay Starrett.
Wes last appeared on The Challenge: USA 2 as one of the six MTV stars competing against CBS reality TV icons.
With Wes set to appear in the House of Villains 2 cast soon, some fans may have wondered if that had anything to do with his retirement from The Challenge.
With Season 40 filming underway, he set the record straight, suggesting that he has no further intention of appearing on MTV’s version of the show. However, he left the door open for something related to The Challenge.
Wes addresses his ‘retirement’ from The Challenge
In a lengthy message he shared on Twitter, Wes stated that he “didn’t retire from The Challenge” but instead that he “simply can’t do it anymore” due to the responsibilities involved with his outside businesses becoming “too immense.”
He also indicated that his “retirement” wasn’t so he could appear on E!’s House of Villains 2. Wes said it typically takes three to nine months of commitment to appear on MTV’s show, depending on how long one stays around. For comparison, he said it’s only three weeks of filming for HOV.
Wes appeared in CBS’ The Challenge: USA 2 spin-off and announced his retirement from The Challenge after getting blindsided by castmate Josh Martinez and then defeated in an elimination event by Survivor’s Chris Underwood.
He didn’t completely rule out a return to the competition, as he mentioned how fans could eventually see him.
“I am The Challenge’s greatest ambassador and hype man. I will sincerely miss it. And if they ever give sixth months notice, I will 100% be on an All Stars,” he wrote.
He closed his remarks by indicating that HOV is “the comedic spin on the entire genre” of reality TV. He added that even though both are “must-see television,” they are mostly “incomparable.”
Theresa says she’s ‘never’ returning to MTV’s competition show
A recent tweet from the known spoiler account @GamerVev on Twitter informed people to “quit mentioning” Theresa Jones for the show as she “won’t do any version of The Challenge.”
That even includes All Stars. An individual replied to the original tweet suggesting “Never say Never” and explained why they felt “All Stars would be better for her.”
“Never. & I know this from a very reliable source. And I mean it,” Theresa replied.
Following her elimination from Double Agents, Theresa appeared in an emotional post-elimination interview.
“I more than likely will not be back, so this will probably be my last one,” she said as she choked back tears.
“It has to be. I can’t do this anymore,” Theresa revealed.
During her interview, she said she loved her life too much and couldn’t wait to be home with her family.
In recent tweets, Theresa revealed that she’d undergone multiple surgeries following her appearances on The Challenge, including a C7 fusion neck surgery.
In another tweet, she replied to a fan, indicating that she’d also had hip surgery.
Theresa, who debuted in MTV’s The Challenge: Fresh Meat II, went on to compete in six more seasons. Her Battle of the Exes II season was her best, with an appearance in the final as Leroy Garrett’s teammate.
Theresa has three children and is married to football player T.J. Jones.
Based on her remarks, being on the show takes a physical and emotional toll that she’s no longer willing to endure, and she’d prefer being around her family as her children grow up.
The Challenge: All Stars 4 premieres Wednesday, April 10 on Paramount+.