With MTV’s 38th season of its popular competition series, The Challenge, viewers will see many familiar faces and newcomers to the show.
Seven-time champion Johnny Bananas and three-time champs Jordan Wiseley and Veronica Portillo are amongst the veteran stars looking to add more wins to their resumes.
Among those making their debuts is Sam Bird on The Challenge: Ride or Dies, a rookie with strong ties to one of the show’s stars. He also has previous reality TV experience.
Sam’s ties to MTV’s show may offer vast experience and advantages in the game due to his partner being a seasoned veteran who has participated in several finals.
However, his partner could also make them targets for other competitors looking to eliminate tough opponents ahead of the final.
Here are more details about Sam, including his reality TV background, teammate situation, and where to find him on social media.
Who is Sam Bird on The Challenge: Ride or Dies?
Sam is a 29-year-old reality TV star, DJ, producer, and content creator from Norwich, England. In his Instagram bio, he lists himself as the Head of Music and Entertainment for Fanvue. He’ll debut on The Challenge Season 38, which has a Ride or Dies theme.
He’s previously appeared in several other reality TV shows, but of the dating variety. Sam initially debuted on Love Island UK Season 4 in 2018. He entered on Day 19 and got Dumped on Day 47 after coupling with Samira Mighty, Ellie Jones, and Georgia Steel.
One of Sam’s other castmates during that season was Idris Virgo, who appeared on MTV’s The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2.
Following his appearance on Love Island UK, Sam went on MTV’s Ex on the Beach Season 4, Peak of Love. The season took place in Queenstown, New Zealand. Sam was there due to his ex, Georgia, but received interest from other women on the show.
Other EOTB castmates included Challenge stars Nicole Zanatta and Laurel Stucky. In addition, Jakk Maddox was in the cast. When he partners with Laurel, he will be among the rookies in Season 38 of The Challenge.
Sam has a stronger tie to The Challenge, as he became close with Kailah Casillas. The duo began dating and then started living together in England. Their relationship blossomed over several years. Earlier this year, they became husband and wife after eloping.
They will compete as teammates in MTV’s Ride or Dies, with Kailah bringing a solid background from The Challenge. She was a finalist on her Vendettas season and during her more recent appearance in The Challenge: All Stars 3.
Now the couple will look to navigate the complexities of the new season on MTV, battling opponents that include former champs Bananas, Jordan, Laurel, Veronica, and others hungry for a win.
Where can you find Sam on social media?
Fans can follow Sam on his official Instagram, @samrobertbird, where he currently has 630,000 followers and 82 posts. He shared the big news about his Challenge debut, showing off his official Ride or Dies cast photo on September 15.
“Let’s give this a go then ?,” Sam wrote in his caption, providing the time and date to watch the season premiere on MTV.
Since Sam is married to his teammate, Kailah, it’s no surprise that she often appears in his IG posts too.
The couple often shares their travels and adventures on Instagram, including their experience at the Tomorrowland music festival earlier this year.
In addition to Instagram, Sam also has a Twitter, using the handle @SamRobertBird. He has over 74,000 followers, but as of this report, he hasn’t tweeted since November.
Fans can check out Sam’s YouTube channel, Sam Bird, featuring his music videos. Lastly, Sam and Kailah have a YouTube channel called The Bird House, where they share vlogs related to their relationship, hobbies, and recent home renovation (below).
The Challenge: Ride or Dies premieres Wednesday, October 12, at 8/7c on MTV.