I forgot that Katie was on almost every challenge between Gauntlet and Gauntlet 3.
Mike and Coral's relationship was everything. I loved how when Mike voted Coral in he genuinely felt terrible about it. He tried to play fair but ultimately his emotions got the best of him.
Now the real question is Coral or Veronica. Personally I would go with Veronica but I'd be fine with Coral.
Johnny should have Wes's spot & vice versa. I'm almost positive CT is #1 & Wes should've been right behind him. The Miz has the right placement.
The top 4 girls are beyond epic.
He is going to catch a lot of flack from this board if Bananas is #1.
It really wouldn't make sense to me if he is; CT has brought much more to the show than Johnny has. I don't really care for either one of them but CT deserves that spot more.
Johnny should have Wes's spot & vice versa. I'm almost positive CT is #1 & Wes should've been right behind him. The Miz has the right placement.
The top 4 girls are beyond epic.
He is going to catch a lot of flack from this board if Bananas is #1.
It really wouldn't make sense to me if he is; CT has brought much more to the show than Johnny has. I don't really care for either one of them but CT deserves that spot more.
I agree. CT not only is a better character but he has brought alot more to this show than Backpack ever has. It just wouldn't be right if Backpack is #1.
I PLAN to have the final updates posted tomorrow night, for the record. Sorry, work and life keeps getting in the way. Also, I type on a computer all day for work so if I'm being honest my hands start to hurt from writing so much when I do these so I have to give myself some time haha.
Thanks for the patience! And for the input! I hope you all know that while I'm posting the list and my opinion certainly comes into play, I am trying to be as objective as possible. I understand thinking Wes should be higher, and don't necessarily disagree, but I think the top 2 are the right 2. Believe me, if I was being biased the whole countdown would look way different.
The winner of the guys was pretty clear to me. But the top 2 women was difficult to pick a winner. I always knew the top 2 but it was kind of a toss up!
Personally I'd probably put Wes in the top 3 at least. I'd probably put him at 2 but that's me being biased lol. It's pretty close between him and Miz. They've both brought so much to this show and really helped make it better imo. They both have such a presence on this show and I think any season they were on was only better with them. Wes is pretty much the reason I started watching this show. I saw bits and pieces of G2 but FM1 got me hooked.
The Ruins, while it sucked is probably one of my favorite seasons. The first 5 episodes were pretty good and I enjoyed watching it.. The first and second episode might be among the best episodes ever too imo. Never has a season gone downhill so fast, and not just for me either, it shows in the ratings. Wes made that show.
No shame in being 4 instead of 3, you could just about make a case for anyone in this top 4 to be number 1.
"He was never THE best player (usually overshadowed by Theo or CT or someone else) but he always kicked *** in the challeges (except Sexes 2 of course) and he was always the leader or voice for his team..."
Guys, guys, guys! Don’t kill me that Johnny is this high!! Be happy he is not number 1 and believe he was NEVER going to be number 1 but there is absolutely no way to make a list of the most influential challenge cast members and not put this guy in the top 3. I mostly can’t stand Johnny (duh, I’m normal) but I recognize that this guy is essentially the face of the challenge and has been for quite some time. He has been on ELEVEN challenges, and he has won FIVE. That is more than any other competitor, and love him or hate him, that is damn impressive. You can dispute his winnings, but honestly Johnny is a master game player. He’s been a beast competitor for all but maybe his first 3 challenges. Johnny gets to the end a lot because of his mouth and manipulation, and because people are intimidated by him for some reason, but you can’t deny that he’s an ace physical competitor as well. Johnny is another castmate who became consumed by this game. Johnny has ALWAYS been loud, this is nothing new, but he started as a mostly likable, smart game player. I mean, he was on the Good Guys team on Inferno 3, could you imagine that now? And since Susie and Cara were more villains than he was then, you kind of rooted for him. And then on Gauntlet 3, he was the only one playing smart by trying to get rid of Big Easy and it ended up screwing him (and the Veterans) in the long run. So by the time Island came around, we were all ready for more Johnny (he had been screwed twice at this point) but the Johnny we got was…not what we wanted. He became the “Johnny Bananas” we know and loathe now. He spent the entire challenge berating the women, specifically Evelyn (and Kellyanne to a lesser extent) and then ultimately screwed over his BFF Paula to make a deal with Evelyn because he knew she his best chance of winning. It was as despicable a moment in the challenge could be, and EVERYONE turned on Johnny. Then, JEK “really” born on the Ruins, but Johnny was on the outskirts of that little group, since Kenny and Evan were butt buddies. Johnny came across as a huge baby and really wasn’t this elite player quite yet, so to watch him make it to the end again and win was frustrating (even though he did awesome in his Ruin with Dunbar). But watching Wes get in Johnny’s face and watching Ibis lash out at Johnny after the infamous vote was great to watch because Johnny was such a little shit. Of course this only continued in his next few challenges. Everybody hated Johnny so much that watching CT literally wear him as a backpack and demolish him in Cutthroat made that one of the most iconic challenge moments of all time. Watching Johnny get some sort of comeuppance was amazing and hilarious. If there’s not a meme out there about that moment, there really should be. Of course Johnny then won his next two challenges (Rivals and Exes) showing again that he was a competitor who meant business while still being the loudest person in the room. His treatment of women like Camila and Cara Maria continued, as well as his distaste for Wes (and CT). Johnny is basically a big child, which is why his exclusion from BOTSeasons and subsequent outburst was amazing to see unfold, because it was like a little kid crying over not getting his way. I want to say Johnny has mellowed in more recent seasons, but he really hasn’t. His game crumbled a bit on Exes 2 but sadly he was given a second chance, but he’s still the same loudmouth ******* he’s always been. But that’s the thing, like Wes and Beth, Johnny knows exactly what role he’s supposed to play. You can see signs of a genuine Johnny in certain challenge moments, and I do think genuinely a lot of people on the shows like him, although acknowledging the guy is an *******. I fear there will never be a day that Johnny is not on the challenge, because as Wes said, these are his life. But the guy wins and wins and wins. He’s making more money off the challenge than many people do in their real life job, so he’s doing something right. He loves the game and he can play the game, and honestly, I can’t knock him for that. I do miss when I used to like Johnny though.
(obviously you know number 1 now, but I will post the update later)
What happened on the island wasn't because Johnny thought Evelyn was his best chance of winning. A boat of Derrick Kenny and Johnny would've beaten any other boat regardless of their fourth person. It was because if he hadn't made that deal Evelyn was going to send him home.
Guys, you have NO idea how hard it was to decide between Coral or V for first place, but ultimately this is how it shook out. But this doesn’t lessen Veronica’s impact, because MAN is she a challenge legend. Veronica probably played the game better than anyone. Her strategy was simple, perform well enough to not do poorly, pick a target that the team could dispose of, manipulate the team into getting rid of that person, and then when your *** is on the line perform your hardest and get that ******* lifesaver. Veronica wasn’t just good at the politics. She could perform too. But she only REALLY performed when she needed to. There’s a reason she didn’t see an elimination until her 7th challenge (okay 4 of her challenges didn’t have eliminations, but whatever) and that’s because she made sure she kept herself out of it. Veronica wasn’t the most intimidating physical athlete, but she was damn intimidating as a person. She was like 5 foot nothing but nobody could do a ***** stare quite like Veronica. And she knew how to pick her victims: Katie and Tonya specifically. The fact is that Veronica wasn’t WRONG that Katie was the weakest on her team, so it worked to her benefit. The problem was that her treatment of Katie was so terrible, but the whole team treated Katie terribly so Veronica almost got a p*** for much of the season. But man, those two Katie/Veronica fights from Inferno/Gauntlet are the stuff of legends. “You’re one of the******* who voted me out! I’m not dumb I know you are!” “Oh really really??” “YEAH, REALLY!!” and of course “You’re a short, scrawny, acne ridden, coke snorting, *******, **** *****!!” “What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do??” Did anybody besides me realize that Veronica’s argument strategy was to repeat the same phrase over and over? “REALLY? REALLY? REALLY?” “WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?” and when she fought with Tonya, she repeated: “Oh god, oh god, OH GODDDDD!!” She actually couldn’t argue for shit. But she could side-eye with the best of them and guys, Veronica was funny especially when she was being petty. “I’m voting in Katie because…I want to” or my personal favorite “I would love…love love love LOVE to send Emily home because she voted me out in Cabo!!” and even though the Katie/Veronica rivalry is truly iconic, I’d be remiss to not mention the Emily/Veronica rivalry. Guys, can we all thank Emily for a second because I’m telling you: she MADE Veronica the way she was. Veronica started as actually relatively nice (nice-ish) and wanting to play the game fair. But then she got screwed over on BOTSeasons and of course there’s BOTSexes. I literally tuned in every week during the middle of that season because I NEEDED to know what was gonna happen between those two. Would Emily be in the inner circle and get rid of Veronica or vice versa??? They actually had a few chances that they didn’t take and then of course Emily finally pulled the trigger. Veronica wasn’t exactly likable but at the time, Emily was the villain here. Watching Jamie try and save Veronica was one of my favorite moments and I was so bummed when Johnny Moseley wouldn’t allow it. Could you imagine how the rest of that season would’ve played out?? And to think, this was all became Veronica “helped James move”. I didn’t even mention her rivalry with Amaya, which ended with Amaya clotheslining Veronica. I didn’t even mention the Mean Girls! Who spent an entire season tearing Tonya down and probably ruining her for life! I didn’t even mention Rachel! The “are they/aren’t they *******?” was a genuine concern for us challenge fans back in the day. Like lol “where’s Rachel?” shirts why do you wanna know Veronica??? And they had a threesome with Abe!! And then they had a falling out but are friends now?? I don’t know but somebody please tell me. Of course when Veronica made her triumphant return, she wasn’t on top of her game the way she used to be. Her past taunting of Tonya came back to bite her in the *** when Tonya ***** slapped her and her showmance with Evan was actually kind of sad because of how desperate it was. The game had changed and she needed to adapt. It didn’t end up working for her, but she still managed a few good plays, like the whole Ibis voteoff debacle. Watching Veronica’s face slowly go from a grimace to a smirk ***he realized it was going in her favor was honestly glorious to watch. It was like seeing old school V back, and these days they don’t make em like her. Truly, a reality tv legend right here ladies and gentleman.
What happened on the island wasn't because Johnny thought Evelyn was his best chance of winning. A boat of Derrick Kenny and Johnny would've beaten any other boat regardless of their fourth person. It was because if he hadn't made that deal Evelyn was going to send him home.
Veronica is one of my favorite female cast members. She was so entertaining but was really awful at verbal arguments lol
It's interesting to know that Johnny Bananas and Veronica were both eliminated early at the start of their Challenge careers. They have really come a long way!
You forgot to mention her fight with Beth on The Inferno 2. Beth owned her and all she could say was "Your ugly face doesn't deserve this conversation!" and then walked off. That was pititful on Veronica's part.
But honestly her write up was spot on. Veronica is definelty one of the greats and despite me never really being a fan of hers I appreciate everything she did brought to the shows.
Oh, CT. What is there really to say about CT? Honestly, it’s kind of shocking to think that CT is the biggest challenge male of all time. Back in the day, that title easily would’ve gone to somebody like Miz or Theo and then for awhile it was probably Derrick or Brad and then for awhile it seemed like it was probably JEK, but the one thing that CT has that those other guys don’t have is the fact that he has basically appeared in all eras of the challenge. Sure, he only had a couple appearances in the “golden era” but he made those appearances count. CT has always been the “bad boy” that everybody loved. He was an ******* on RW Paris but he was always so charming. On the Inferno, he kept mostly quiet for much of the game, but he absolutely dominated the challenges. He was the hot, young, new guy who gave everyone a run for their money. Plus, he showed loyalty by sending himself into the Inferno to save his friend David. But then he showed the opposite of loyalty by purposely trying to get his former castmate/reformed enemy Leah out of the game (and succeeded), and of course everybody remembers the pink speedo. He came back for Inferno 2, bald and with a nastier attitude, but that was mostly a lowkey challenge for him. The start of “challenge god” CT really started with the Duel. He came to compete that challenge, dominating each challenge once again (remember when they had to jump from platform to platform to collect flags and he totally landed on his feet each time wtf). He was a freak of nature, and he started trying to really play the game. But of course, the real reason this challenge is so important for CT is because it was the start of CT/Diem, arguably the most “influential” challenge couple of all time. It was a classic story: the “bad boy” falls for the “good girl” and tries to change himself and woo her. And this time, it worked. Even if you found the whole thing annoying, you were still rooting for those kids. Like when he encouraged her to take off her wig or when they kissed on the cliff. It was all very “Notebook” that it was enough to make you puke, but you couldn’t help but smile. Of course, the Diem/CT romance would follow him for the rest of his challenge career. They dated for a few years, but then broke up due to wanting different things in life. Of course, then CT’s brother died and that led to one of their major downturns in the challenge history: the apparent Shauvon hookup that upset Diem and got CT to beat the shit out of Adam (more on that later). After a few solo challenges for each player, they finally reunited on Battle of the Exes and had a sort of will they/won’t they going on. It was one of those things that even if you didn’t care about their relationship or were sick of it all, you really did want to know what was going to happen next. They had their ups and downs on that challenge (they got fake married!) but ****it if you didn’t want them to win that challenge. Would that not have been the perfect ending for their story? But alas, they did not win (due to superman CT not being so super anymore), and of course it wasn’t the end. They returned together on Rivals 2 and it was honestly a rough one for their relationship. CT seemed to be purposely pushing Diem away and allegedly hooked up with like 3 girls on this challenge, and Diem was not in her best state of mind. It was hard to watch if you were a fan of their relationship, and even if you weren’t it was hard. But they eventually reconciled and “secretly” started dating and reteamed for Battle of the Exes 2, which will sadly mark Diem’s final appearance due to her untimely death. They were in such a good place, and it was honestly heartbreaking how sweetly they interacted during this challenge and then to see them have to go home and knowing what came next. Of course, Diem spent her final days with CT by her side and while it’s all very sad, it’s nice to know that they got to spend their final days together and at such peace with each other. Look guys, I did not care about CT and Diem as a couple much, but you can’t deny that they had a very impactful storyline. They basically lived a Nicholas Sparks novel. But look, I can’t just go on and on about CT/Diem (okay I already have) without talking about the fact that CT was NOT always the best. Sure, he was usually his best with Diem but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he assaulted TWO people on the challenge. First, he punched Davis in the face for no reason and then of course, there was that time he tried to murder Adam. I mean, that was honestly SCARY. It’s amazing he was ever allowed back and for awhile it didn’t seem like he would be, because that was some intense shit. He took his head and smeared it against a rock wall!! But like CT/Diem, CT and Adam were eventually partnered together for Rivals and even though you knew Adam had every reason to hate CT, you really wanted them to patch things up and win that ******* challenge. Especially since they were against the likes of JEK but it did not go in their way. He FINALLY won with Wes on Rivals 2 (they were partners because CT screamed at Wes for 3 consecutive hours LOL). He was also an ******* to Katie and Coral (a former hookup!) during Gauntlet 3, and he had a few mini rampages on Rivals 2, so yeah CT wasn’t always a pleasure. But honestly, he was always so charming and he sort of had a weird sense of humor in his confessionals that you kind of couldn’t help but root for him. And just because it has to be said, he totally (allegedly) hooked up with Shane. So CT has basically done it all.
I was always back and forth with CT. There were times that I hated him so much then there were times that he wasn't so bad and wouldn't have minded that he won or went far. Him being #1 is perfect because he not only is entertaining but a good competitor and has had such a memorable run on these shows. Like the write up said he's done everything one could possibly do on these shows. CT is defenetly one of the greats and one of the most memorable faces of the challenges.
Coral: The Ultimate Challenge Queen. As far as I’m concerned, Coral IS the challenge. And honestly, I didn’t always love Coral. She could be incredibly mean and her strategy was to basically bully the people around her, so when I was younger I remember thinking she was funny but mean. Now? I still think she was funny and while sure, she used bully tactics but wasn’t really a bully. She just couldn’t tolerate stupid people. In fact, on her first challenge she got along with everybody except two people: Stephen and Holly. And guess what, Holly and Stephen were both awful people who deserved to get shit-talked! Stephen decided he didn’t like Coral because she wasn’t spiritual and she was a bully or something, which is rich coming from the guy who SLAPPED a woman on national TV like two years prior. Plus, everyone hated Stephen. As for Holly, she refused to agree to split her winnings, so Coral was either gonna go home broke or with the most money. Of course, RW ended up winning so Coral won the most money and “witch hands” Holly went home with nothing. It was glorious. Coral’s other targets? Trishelle/Trashelle. That one is pretty self-explanatory. It started as kind of a jealousy thing since Coral’s BFF Mike was dating Trishelle and he stopped giving Coral attention, but then Trishelle became a full on ***** and at one point threatened to punch a bunch of cast members, so Coral’s justified with that one. Her next target? Julie/*** Face Julie Mulie. Again, pretty simple: Coral is BFF with Melissa. Melissa hates Julie. Therefore, Coral wears “Melissa Will Kill You” shirts and decides Julie is public enemy number 1. Sure, it’s kind of petty but let’s not forget that this is exactly the point in time that Julie became a CRAZY PERSON. She tried to KILL Veronica. AND she peed on Coral’s bed. AND she challenged Coral to a wrestling match. Which of course led to two of the best challenge quotes. “She wants to wrestle? I don’t wrestle. I ******* beat******* up.” And “I wear a 32DD bra. One **** alone would kick her ***!” Oh and how could I forget: “You know what’s gonna happen? She’s going out on a stretcher and I’m gonna go out in handcuffs!” And Coral had no filter. I mean, she had no qualms letting people know she didn’t like them and you had to respect that. And again, honestly Coral got along with most people. She just wasn’t fake. While most people may have kept to themselves, Coral wasn’t going to be like that. I mean, she hated Matt on the Gauntlet as well, but this is the guy that went around judging women with breast implants in a room full of women who had breast implants (okay, at least Tonya did). So Coral wasn’t just mean to people for no reason. She was mean to people who were obnoxious/stupid/offensive. And I know people on this board love Evelyn for some strange reason that I can’t comprehend, but watching Coral go IN on Evelyn during the Gauntlet 3 reunion is one of my most treasured challenge moments of all time. Evelyn took this game SO seriously in a way that was terrifying and she had the nerve to call out Coral as weak while praising Casey, CASEY, as a great team player. Of course, Gauntlet 3 was also Coral’s last challenge because the game had been completely ruined by the likes of Evelyn and the FM crew. Coral was no longer top dog, and she didn’t like that. I didn’t like it either. I was sick of Coral after her 4th challenge or so but man did I want her to put that whole Veteran team in their place. It was especially hard watching her deal with feeling betrayed by Evan, aka her Miz 2.0. They made such an excellent duo on Fresh Meat that to see him slowly turn his back on her was frustrating for her and for us viewers who had been watching Coral dominate for so long. Doesn’t matter anyways, their relationship has nothing on her relationship with the Miz. I’ve already talked about this in length but watching their friendship grow from their RW season was awesome and they were truly hilarious together, especially during their first season where it was mostly fun and games (Like the newlywed game!), so it was equally hard seeing Miz turn his back on her, albeit with way more remorse, on the Gauntlet. Still, they had one of the best friendships ever. Coral was never the best physical competitor but she was always solid and it’s crazy to think she only won one challenge, her first one. She made it to the end of her first 4 challenges but of course the infamous spider bite kept her from winning one. That was a huge moment because it was hard to decide whether she was faking it or not. Coral always talked a big game, so it was totally plausible to think she just g***ed out, was embarr***ed, and thought of an excuse. But of course, it ended up being the truth. Although Coral only won 1 out of 6 challenges, she was never technically eliminated. She made it to the finals 4 time, was injured once, and quit once. I still wish she had come back once more because I hate that she felt the need to quit. Thankfully she’s been back to host a few aftershows here and there. Still, Coral is the ultimate challenge cast member. She was hilarious, entertaining, and immensely quotable. The challenges truly haven’t been the same without her and nobody can even come close to her (don’t even try, Jasmine or Nia. Tina tried it and it failed.)
Thanks to everybody for reading! Hope you enjoyed it (even if you didn't always agree!) I think I'm gonna figure out some of the ranking statistics and post them sometime this weekend.
Coral is pretty much the very reason i'm even on this site now. Her face caught my eye when The Gauntlet was airing & I've been watching ever since. When you have the legend Whitney Houston saying your quotes your status as "legendary boss" can't even be argued.
Coral the ultimate Queen of challenges. I have dreams that one day her and Nia will team up on Rivals 3 and destroy the other girls.
I really want them to make amends & get along. They're both too great to be beefing over nothing. If only they knew how thoroughly they could run shit in the Challenge house together...
Coral is everything as far as this show goes. She really deserves her placement at the top and I'm glad she's there.
You know it's really nice to see that a challenge cast member ranking actually got FINISHED. People on other sites tried to do a ranking but they never finished.
Oh and MPH I wished you'd seen Road Rules All-Stars and Challenge 99. Just watched them recently and I would've liked to see how Rachel(San Francisco), Jason(Boston), Niel, Kefla, and Janet ended up in the ranking(they all would probably be low on the list but still would've loved to see them in the ranking).
Oh and one question: Will you rank the new castmembers coming in on the next challenge and maybe do a projected placement thing after the season ends?
NOOOOO Why does Wes have to be #4?
I forgot that Katie was on almost every challenge between Gauntlet and Gauntlet 3.
Mike and Coral's relationship was everything. I loved how when Mike voted Coral in he genuinely felt terrible about it. He tried to play fair but ultimately his emotions got the best of him.
Now the real question is Coral or Veronica. Personally I would go with Veronica but I'd be fine with Coral.
Correction: People who do these shows nowadays.
Johnny should have Wes's spot & vice versa. I'm almost positive CT is #1 & Wes should've been right behind him. The Miz has the right placement.
The top 4 girls are beyond epic.
It really wouldn't make sense to me if he is; CT has brought much more to the show than Johnny has. I don't really care for either one of them but CT deserves that spot more.
Wes is way too low! He's top 2 IMHO. Beth and Katie are definitely top 5, they both are great. Veronica and Coral perfect top 2.
I agree. CT not only is a better character but he has brought alot more to this show than Backpack ever has. It just wouldn't be right if Backpack is #1.
Also I do think Wes should've been top 3 though.
Enojyed reading this and love that you're taking time to write out paragraphs..
Gotta remember that this is ur list tho lol I almost screamed when I saw that Wes was #4..
The female side is falling into place perfectly tho.
I PLAN to have the final updates posted tomorrow night, for the record. Sorry, work and life keeps getting in the way. Also, I type on a computer all day for work so if I'm being honest my hands start to hurt from writing so much when I do these so I have to give myself some time haha.
Thanks for the patience! And for the input! I hope you all know that while I'm posting the list and my opinion certainly comes into play, I am trying to be as objective as possible. I understand thinking Wes should be higher, and don't necessarily disagree, but I think the top 2 are the right 2. Believe me, if I was being biased the whole countdown would look way different.
The winner of the guys was pretty clear to me. But the top 2 women was difficult to pick a winner. I always knew the top 2 but it was kind of a toss up!
Personally I'd probably put Wes in the top 3 at least. I'd probably put him at 2 but that's me being biased lol. It's pretty close between him and Miz. They've both brought so much to this show and really helped make it better imo. They both have such a presence on this show and I think any season they were on was only better with them. Wes is pretty much the reason I started watching this show. I saw bits and pieces of G2 but FM1 got me hooked.
The Ruins, while it sucked is probably one of my favorite seasons. The first 5 episodes were pretty good and I enjoyed watching it.. The first and second episode might be among the best episodes ever too imo. Never has a season gone downhill so fast, and not just for me either, it shows in the ratings. Wes made that show.
No shame in being 4 instead of 3, you could just about make a case for anyone in this top 4 to be number 1.
"He was never THE best player (usually overshadowed by Theo or CT or someone else) but he always kicked *** in the challeges (except Sexes 2 of course) and he was always the leader or voice for his team..."
Miz didn't kick any *** on the Inferno 1 either.
I am going to post the next four updates individually. They will all come at some point tonight.
2. Johnny Bananas (Duel, Inferno 3, Gauntlet 3, Island, Ruins, Cutthroat, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2, Free Agents, Battle of the Exes 2)
Bananas.png
Guys, guys, guys! Don’t kill me that Johnny is this high!! Be happy he is not number 1 and believe he was NEVER going to be number 1 but there is absolutely no way to make a list of the most influential challenge cast members and not put this guy in the top 3. I mostly can’t stand Johnny (duh, I’m normal) but I recognize that this guy is essentially the face of the challenge and has been for quite some time. He has been on ELEVEN challenges, and he has won FIVE. That is more than any other competitor, and love him or hate him, that is damn impressive. You can dispute his winnings, but honestly Johnny is a master game player. He’s been a beast competitor for all but maybe his first 3 challenges. Johnny gets to the end a lot because of his mouth and manipulation, and because people are intimidated by him for some reason, but you can’t deny that he’s an ace physical competitor as well. Johnny is another castmate who became consumed by this game. Johnny has ALWAYS been loud, this is nothing new, but he started as a mostly likable, smart game player. I mean, he was on the Good Guys team on Inferno 3, could you imagine that now? And since Susie and Cara were more villains than he was then, you kind of rooted for him. And then on Gauntlet 3, he was the only one playing smart by trying to get rid of Big Easy and it ended up screwing him (and the Veterans) in the long run. So by the time Island came around, we were all ready for more Johnny (he had been screwed twice at this point) but the Johnny we got was…not what we wanted. He became the “Johnny Bananas” we know and loathe now. He spent the entire challenge berating the women, specifically Evelyn (and Kellyanne to a lesser extent) and then ultimately screwed over his BFF Paula to make a deal with Evelyn because he knew she his best chance of winning. It was as despicable a moment in the challenge could be, and EVERYONE turned on Johnny. Then, JEK “really” born on the Ruins, but Johnny was on the outskirts of that little group, since Kenny and Evan were butt buddies. Johnny came across as a huge baby and really wasn’t this elite player quite yet, so to watch him make it to the end again and win was frustrating (even though he did awesome in his Ruin with Dunbar). But watching Wes get in Johnny’s face and watching Ibis lash out at Johnny after the infamous vote was great to watch because Johnny was such a little shit. Of course this only continued in his next few challenges. Everybody hated Johnny so much that watching CT literally wear him as a backpack and demolish him in Cutthroat made that one of the most iconic challenge moments of all time. Watching Johnny get some sort of comeuppance was amazing and hilarious. If there’s not a meme out there about that moment, there really should be. Of course Johnny then won his next two challenges (Rivals and Exes) showing again that he was a competitor who meant business while still being the loudest person in the room. His treatment of women like Camila and Cara Maria continued, as well as his distaste for Wes (and CT). Johnny is basically a big child, which is why his exclusion from BOTSeasons and subsequent outburst was amazing to see unfold, because it was like a little kid crying over not getting his way. I want to say Johnny has mellowed in more recent seasons, but he really hasn’t. His game crumbled a bit on Exes 2 but sadly he was given a second chance, but he’s still the same loudmouth ******* he’s always been. But that’s the thing, like Wes and Beth, Johnny knows exactly what role he’s supposed to play. You can see signs of a genuine Johnny in certain challenge moments, and I do think genuinely a lot of people on the shows like him, although acknowledging the guy is an *******. I fear there will never be a day that Johnny is not on the challenge, because as Wes said, these are his life. But the guy wins and wins and wins. He’s making more money off the challenge than many people do in their real life job, so he’s doing something right. He loves the game and he can play the game, and honestly, I can’t knock him for that. I do miss when I used to like Johnny though.
(obviously you know number 1 now, but I will post the update later)
Welp. Veronica is number two and CT/Coral are number 1. Yippe.
Like why this creepy, buzzing boor is #1?
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What happened on the island wasn't because Johnny thought Evelyn was his best chance of winning. A boat of Derrick Kenny and Johnny would've beaten any other boat regardless of their fourth person. It was because if he hadn't made that deal Evelyn was going to send him home.
2. Veronica (Challenge 2000, Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes, Gauntlet, Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, Inferno 2, Ruins)
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Guys, you have NO idea how hard it was to decide between Coral or V for first place, but ultimately this is how it shook out. But this doesn’t lessen Veronica’s impact, because MAN is she a challenge legend. Veronica probably played the game better than anyone. Her strategy was simple, perform well enough to not do poorly, pick a target that the team could dispose of, manipulate the team into getting rid of that person, and then when your *** is on the line perform your hardest and get that ******* lifesaver. Veronica wasn’t just good at the politics. She could perform too. But she only REALLY performed when she needed to. There’s a reason she didn’t see an elimination until her 7th challenge (okay 4 of her challenges didn’t have eliminations, but whatever) and that’s because she made sure she kept herself out of it. Veronica wasn’t the most intimidating physical athlete, but she was damn intimidating as a person. She was like 5 foot nothing but nobody could do a ***** stare quite like Veronica. And she knew how to pick her victims: Katie and Tonya specifically. The fact is that Veronica wasn’t WRONG that Katie was the weakest on her team, so it worked to her benefit. The problem was that her treatment of Katie was so terrible, but the whole team treated Katie terribly so Veronica almost got a p*** for much of the season. But man, those two Katie/Veronica fights from Inferno/Gauntlet are the stuff of legends. “You’re one of the******* who voted me out! I’m not dumb I know you are!” “Oh really really??” “YEAH, REALLY!!” and of course “You’re a short, scrawny, acne ridden, coke snorting, *******, **** *****!!” “What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do??” Did anybody besides me realize that Veronica’s argument strategy was to repeat the same phrase over and over? “REALLY? REALLY? REALLY?” “WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?” and when she fought with Tonya, she repeated: “Oh god, oh god, OH GODDDDD!!” She actually couldn’t argue for shit. But she could side-eye with the best of them and guys, Veronica was funny especially when she was being petty. “I’m voting in Katie because…I want to” or my personal favorite “I would love…love love love LOVE to send Emily home because she voted me out in Cabo!!” and even though the Katie/Veronica rivalry is truly iconic, I’d be remiss to not mention the Emily/Veronica rivalry. Guys, can we all thank Emily for a second because I’m telling you: she MADE Veronica the way she was. Veronica started as actually relatively nice (nice-ish) and wanting to play the game fair. But then she got screwed over on BOTSeasons and of course there’s BOTSexes. I literally tuned in every week during the middle of that season because I NEEDED to know what was gonna happen between those two. Would Emily be in the inner circle and get rid of Veronica or vice versa??? They actually had a few chances that they didn’t take and then of course Emily finally pulled the trigger. Veronica wasn’t exactly likable but at the time, Emily was the villain here. Watching Jamie try and save Veronica was one of my favorite moments and I was so bummed when Johnny Moseley wouldn’t allow it. Could you imagine how the rest of that season would’ve played out?? And to think, this was all became Veronica “helped James move”. I didn’t even mention her rivalry with Amaya, which ended with Amaya clotheslining Veronica. I didn’t even mention the Mean Girls! Who spent an entire season tearing Tonya down and probably ruining her for life! I didn’t even mention Rachel! The “are they/aren’t they *******?” was a genuine concern for us challenge fans back in the day. Like lol “where’s Rachel?” shirts why do you wanna know Veronica??? And they had a threesome with Abe!! And then they had a falling out but are friends now?? I don’t know but somebody please tell me. Of course when Veronica made her triumphant return, she wasn’t on top of her game the way she used to be. Her past taunting of Tonya came back to bite her in the *** when Tonya ***** slapped her and her showmance with Evan was actually kind of sad because of how desperate it was. The game had changed and she needed to adapt. It didn’t end up working for her, but she still managed a few good plays, like the whole Ibis voteoff debacle. Watching Veronica’s face slowly go from a grimace to a smirk ***he realized it was going in her favor was honestly glorious to watch. It was like seeing old school V back, and these days they don’t make em like her. Truly, a reality tv legend right here ladies and gentleman.
Oh whoops. Either way, he's a shithead.
Veronica is one of my favorite female cast members. She was so entertaining but was really awful at verbal arguments lol
It's interesting to know that Johnny Bananas and Veronica were both eliminated early at the start of their Challenge careers. They have really come a long way!
You forgot to mention her fight with Beth on The Inferno 2. Beth owned her and all she could say was "Your ugly face doesn't deserve this conversation!" and then walked off. That was pititful on Veronica's part.
But honestly her write up was spot on. Veronica is definelty one of the greats and despite me never really being a fan of hers I appreciate everything she did brought to the shows.
THANK GOD Backpack isn't number 1.
Veronica is my #1 but I can't hate on Coral. I agree with you that Emily made Veronica into the type of player she became. Thank you Emily B!
Honestly Coral & Veronica share the top spot. It's damn near impossible to choose lmao but they are both Reality royalty.
EDIT: After thinking about it, yeah Coral would be my personal #1 but Veronica's epicness can't be denied.
1. CT (Inferno, Inferno 2, Duel, Inferno 3, Gauntlet 3, Duel 2, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2, Free Agents, Battle of the Exes 2)
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Oh, CT. What is there really to say about CT? Honestly, it’s kind of shocking to think that CT is the biggest challenge male of all time. Back in the day, that title easily would’ve gone to somebody like Miz or Theo and then for awhile it was probably Derrick or Brad and then for awhile it seemed like it was probably JEK, but the one thing that CT has that those other guys don’t have is the fact that he has basically appeared in all eras of the challenge. Sure, he only had a couple appearances in the “golden era” but he made those appearances count. CT has always been the “bad boy” that everybody loved. He was an ******* on RW Paris but he was always so charming. On the Inferno, he kept mostly quiet for much of the game, but he absolutely dominated the challenges. He was the hot, young, new guy who gave everyone a run for their money. Plus, he showed loyalty by sending himself into the Inferno to save his friend David. But then he showed the opposite of loyalty by purposely trying to get his former castmate/reformed enemy Leah out of the game (and succeeded), and of course everybody remembers the pink speedo. He came back for Inferno 2, bald and with a nastier attitude, but that was mostly a lowkey challenge for him. The start of “challenge god” CT really started with the Duel. He came to compete that challenge, dominating each challenge once again (remember when they had to jump from platform to platform to collect flags and he totally landed on his feet each time wtf). He was a freak of nature, and he started trying to really play the game. But of course, the real reason this challenge is so important for CT is because it was the start of CT/Diem, arguably the most “influential” challenge couple of all time. It was a classic story: the “bad boy” falls for the “good girl” and tries to change himself and woo her. And this time, it worked. Even if you found the whole thing annoying, you were still rooting for those kids. Like when he encouraged her to take off her wig or when they kissed on the cliff. It was all very “Notebook” that it was enough to make you puke, but you couldn’t help but smile. Of course, the Diem/CT romance would follow him for the rest of his challenge career. They dated for a few years, but then broke up due to wanting different things in life. Of course, then CT’s brother died and that led to one of their major downturns in the challenge history: the apparent Shauvon hookup that upset Diem and got CT to beat the shit out of Adam (more on that later). After a few solo challenges for each player, they finally reunited on Battle of the Exes and had a sort of will they/won’t they going on. It was one of those things that even if you didn’t care about their relationship or were sick of it all, you really did want to know what was going to happen next. They had their ups and downs on that challenge (they got fake married!) but ****it if you didn’t want them to win that challenge. Would that not have been the perfect ending for their story? But alas, they did not win (due to superman CT not being so super anymore), and of course it wasn’t the end. They returned together on Rivals 2 and it was honestly a rough one for their relationship. CT seemed to be purposely pushing Diem away and allegedly hooked up with like 3 girls on this challenge, and Diem was not in her best state of mind. It was hard to watch if you were a fan of their relationship, and even if you weren’t it was hard. But they eventually reconciled and “secretly” started dating and reteamed for Battle of the Exes 2, which will sadly mark Diem’s final appearance due to her untimely death. They were in such a good place, and it was honestly heartbreaking how sweetly they interacted during this challenge and then to see them have to go home and knowing what came next. Of course, Diem spent her final days with CT by her side and while it’s all very sad, it’s nice to know that they got to spend their final days together and at such peace with each other. Look guys, I did not care about CT and Diem as a couple much, but you can’t deny that they had a very impactful storyline. They basically lived a Nicholas Sparks novel. But look, I can’t just go on and on about CT/Diem (okay I already have) without talking about the fact that CT was NOT always the best. Sure, he was usually his best with Diem but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he assaulted TWO people on the challenge. First, he punched Davis in the face for no reason and then of course, there was that time he tried to murder Adam. I mean, that was honestly SCARY. It’s amazing he was ever allowed back and for awhile it didn’t seem like he would be, because that was some intense shit. He took his head and smeared it against a rock wall!! But like CT/Diem, CT and Adam were eventually partnered together for Rivals and even though you knew Adam had every reason to hate CT, you really wanted them to patch things up and win that ******* challenge. Especially since they were against the likes of JEK but it did not go in their way. He FINALLY won with Wes on Rivals 2 (they were partners because CT screamed at Wes for 3 consecutive hours LOL). He was also an ******* to Katie and Coral (a former hookup!) during Gauntlet 3, and he had a few mini rampages on Rivals 2, so yeah CT wasn’t always a pleasure. But honestly, he was always so charming and he sort of had a weird sense of humor in his confessionals that you kind of couldn’t help but root for him. And just because it has to be said, he totally (allegedly) hooked up with Shane. So CT has basically done it all.
Love me some CT!
I was always back and forth with CT. There were times that I hated him so much then there were times that he wasn't so bad and wouldn't have minded that he won or went far. Him being #1 is perfect because he not only is entertaining but a good competitor and has had such a memorable run on these shows. Like the write up said he's done everything one could possibly do on these shows. CT is defenetly one of the greats and one of the most memorable faces of the challenges.
1.Coral (Battle of the Seasons, Gauntlet, Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, Fresh Meat, Gauntlet 3)
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Coral: The Ultimate Challenge Queen. As far as I’m concerned, Coral IS the challenge. And honestly, I didn’t always love Coral. She could be incredibly mean and her strategy was to basically bully the people around her, so when I was younger I remember thinking she was funny but mean. Now? I still think she was funny and while sure, she used bully tactics but wasn’t really a bully. She just couldn’t tolerate stupid people. In fact, on her first challenge she got along with everybody except two people: Stephen and Holly. And guess what, Holly and Stephen were both awful people who deserved to get shit-talked! Stephen decided he didn’t like Coral because she wasn’t spiritual and she was a bully or something, which is rich coming from the guy who SLAPPED a woman on national TV like two years prior. Plus, everyone hated Stephen. As for Holly, she refused to agree to split her winnings, so Coral was either gonna go home broke or with the most money. Of course, RW ended up winning so Coral won the most money and “witch hands” Holly went home with nothing. It was glorious. Coral’s other targets? Trishelle/Trashelle. That one is pretty self-explanatory. It started as kind of a jealousy thing since Coral’s BFF Mike was dating Trishelle and he stopped giving Coral attention, but then Trishelle became a full on ***** and at one point threatened to punch a bunch of cast members, so Coral’s justified with that one. Her next target? Julie/*** Face Julie Mulie. Again, pretty simple: Coral is BFF with Melissa. Melissa hates Julie. Therefore, Coral wears “Melissa Will Kill You” shirts and decides Julie is public enemy number 1. Sure, it’s kind of petty but let’s not forget that this is exactly the point in time that Julie became a CRAZY PERSON. She tried to KILL Veronica. AND she peed on Coral’s bed. AND she challenged Coral to a wrestling match. Which of course led to two of the best challenge quotes. “She wants to wrestle? I don’t wrestle. I ******* beat******* up.” And “I wear a 32DD bra. One **** alone would kick her ***!” Oh and how could I forget: “You know what’s gonna happen? She’s going out on a stretcher and I’m gonna go out in handcuffs!” And Coral had no filter. I mean, she had no qualms letting people know she didn’t like them and you had to respect that. And again, honestly Coral got along with most people. She just wasn’t fake. While most people may have kept to themselves, Coral wasn’t going to be like that. I mean, she hated Matt on the Gauntlet as well, but this is the guy that went around judging women with breast implants in a room full of women who had breast implants (okay, at least Tonya did). So Coral wasn’t just mean to people for no reason. She was mean to people who were obnoxious/stupid/offensive. And I know people on this board love Evelyn for some strange reason that I can’t comprehend, but watching Coral go IN on Evelyn during the Gauntlet 3 reunion is one of my most treasured challenge moments of all time. Evelyn took this game SO seriously in a way that was terrifying and she had the nerve to call out Coral as weak while praising Casey, CASEY, as a great team player. Of course, Gauntlet 3 was also Coral’s last challenge because the game had been completely ruined by the likes of Evelyn and the FM crew. Coral was no longer top dog, and she didn’t like that. I didn’t like it either. I was sick of Coral after her 4th challenge or so but man did I want her to put that whole Veteran team in their place. It was especially hard watching her deal with feeling betrayed by Evan, aka her Miz 2.0. They made such an excellent duo on Fresh Meat that to see him slowly turn his back on her was frustrating for her and for us viewers who had been watching Coral dominate for so long. Doesn’t matter anyways, their relationship has nothing on her relationship with the Miz. I’ve already talked about this in length but watching their friendship grow from their RW season was awesome and they were truly hilarious together, especially during their first season where it was mostly fun and games (Like the newlywed game!), so it was equally hard seeing Miz turn his back on her, albeit with way more remorse, on the Gauntlet. Still, they had one of the best friendships ever. Coral was never the best physical competitor but she was always solid and it’s crazy to think she only won one challenge, her first one. She made it to the end of her first 4 challenges but of course the infamous spider bite kept her from winning one. That was a huge moment because it was hard to decide whether she was faking it or not. Coral always talked a big game, so it was totally plausible to think she just g***ed out, was embarr***ed, and thought of an excuse. But of course, it ended up being the truth. Although Coral only won 1 out of 6 challenges, she was never technically eliminated. She made it to the finals 4 time, was injured once, and quit once. I still wish she had come back once more because I hate that she felt the need to quit. Thankfully she’s been back to host a few aftershows here and there. Still, Coral is the ultimate challenge cast member. She was hilarious, entertaining, and immensely quotable. The challenges truly haven’t been the same without her and nobody can even come close to her (don’t even try, Jasmine or Nia. Tina tried it and it failed.)
Thanks to everybody for reading! Hope you enjoyed it (even if you didn't always agree!) I think I'm gonna figure out some of the ranking statistics and post them sometime this weekend.
Coral the ultimate Queen of challenges. I have dreams that one day her and Nia will team up on Rivals 3 and destroy the other girls.
Coral is pretty much the very reason i'm even on this site now. Her face caught my eye when The Gauntlet was airing & I've been watching ever since. When you have the legend Whitney Houston saying your quotes your status as "legendary boss" can't even be argued.
I really want them to make amends & get along. They're both too great to be beefing over nothing. If only they knew how thoroughly they could run shit in the Challenge house together...
Veronica <33333 never been a Coral fan, but can acknowledge and respect her legacy.
Coral is everything as far as this show goes. She really deserves her placement at the top and I'm glad she's there.
You know it's really nice to see that a challenge cast member ranking actually got FINISHED. People on other sites tried to do a ranking but they never finished.
Oh and MPH I wished you'd seen Road Rules All-Stars and Challenge 99. Just watched them recently and I would've liked to see how Rachel(San Francisco), Jason(Boston), Niel, Kefla, and Janet ended up in the ranking(they all would probably be low on the list but still would've loved to see them in the ranking).
Oh and one question: Will you rank the new castmembers coming in on the next challenge and maybe do a projected placement thing after the season ends?
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