The Challenge Fandom Podcast

The Challenge Fandom Podcast
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Aug 3, 2023 • 1h 42min

#125 Trash Talk Roundtable_ Top 3 Rookies We Want To See Back S19 - 35... You Know We Have To Make It Complicated

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challenge Trash Talk Roundtable with your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony, Josh and Cory! That's right, we have a full house on this one! Fair warning: We recorded this episode approximately 6 weeks ago. Since then one of the girls we talked about on this episode made some choices that have been very controversial amongst the fanbase so to avoid becoming involved in something we have nothing to do with, we have chosen to omit that person's name from this podcast. Other than that, we hope you all really enjoy this one as this will be our last Roundtable discussion episode of this long break before we get back to recapping as USA2 is about to start! But we're not here to talk about USA 2. Today we sat down to discuss which rookies we would want to see back. To give ourselves a Challenge, we decided to only look at players who appeared on 2 seasons or less, did not win a final and appeared somewhere between season 20 and season 35. But before we break into the Rookie talk, we break down some of our predictions for the next year, what we think is going to happen with the worlds/international versions of The Challenge and Cory tells us just how bad his road rage is (0:00 - 17:00). Then we talk about the girls first discussing a variety of people from Georgia Harrison, Da'Vonne Rogers, Devyn Simone, Briana LaCuesta, Heather Cooke, Alicia Wright, Faith Stowers, Bayleigh Dayton and more. We also break down our top 3 for the men and discuss Challengers such as ASAF, Isaac Stout, Ashley Cain, Mike Ross, Victor Arroyo, Marlon Williams, CJ Koegel, Brandon Swift and more (17:00 - 1:15:30). Last, we have a debate to figure out what the official top 3 girls and top 3 guys are going to be for The Challenge Fandom Podcast official Rookies We Want Back list! We've had such a great time with you all during this break and we hope we've kept you entertained and laughing during this long wait for more Challenge. The next time you hear from us, we will be breaking down the USA 2 cast and giving our predictions! If you haven't yet, make sure you enter our IG 5K Followers Cameo Giveaway on IG and if you know the answer to the question Rick asks around the intro to this podcast, you can message the answer to our IG page for an extra entry! We've also upped the amount to $250 so make sure you get in on the chance to win a multitude of Cameos from your favorite Challengers! Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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Jul 29, 2023 • 2h 58min

#124 Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit with Troy Cullen

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challengers Unplugged where your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh take you beyond the edit with some of your favorite Challengers and reality stars. This week we have a very special guest joining us all the way from Australia, Troy Cullen! Troy was such a joy to have on and learn more about his life and his approach to these games. We start out with the basics like where he was born and raised, what he wanted to be when he was younger, his passions as a child, history as a reality TV fan for shows like Ninja Warrior and The Challenge as well as how he got on Ninja Warrior. We dive deep into his two appearances on Ninja Warrior including the alliances he had, the bet he made for his second appearance and what he learned about himself overall. Troy shares his experience of crossing over onto The Challenge Australia including some behind the scenes info on the alliance breakdown, what really went down with him, Kiki and Emily, BBQ fight night, the infamous pole wrestle moving straight into the Australian final and what he did with his Australian winnings! Then we break into World Championship and discuss his time with Amber Borzatra, being the only one to know she was pregnant and having to keep it a secret for months, what he thinks about the Fandom's opinion on Kaycee's personality, what he would have changed about his game, which partners he wanted the most, who he would pick if he could go back and do it again, his Hall Brawl with Yes and then running the final with Kaycee. Troy shares so much behind the scenes moments and information including what was really going on with Kaycee during the World Championship final and a few unaired moments including a steamy hookup in the back of the bus which caused a GoPro to be put on all future bus rides plus so much more! Troy truly shared so much of his life, thoughts and opinions with us and we couldn't be more grateful to have had this chance to get to know Troy better. We hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed doing it. Make sure you're following Troy on his socials to keep up to date on everything he's doing and make sure you go enter our IG 5K Followers Celebration Giveaway where we are raffling off $200 for any Challenger(s) you want a Cameo from! All the details are on our IG page so make sure you go follow us and enter before 8/4/23. Troy Cullen IG: https://www.instagram.com/troy.cullenn/ Troy Cullen Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/troycullen Danny McCray Unplugged (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yiFhgstVPBFgLyXIhDpaG?si=IFzTO_wJSte3QbV1kMyu-g Danny McCray Unplugged (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/117-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000614642027 Ben Driebergen Unplugged (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RxvrjcOsvmjWRPyQtyBRs?si=opuVSkJzSf-W1WsdNlYF6A Ben Driebergen Unplugged (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/118-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000616534317 Jodi Weatherton Unplugged (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/5x0ZsCz7jcDqjms7Ak7cTC?si=QDI35vIqTTSIcX5L4fIkqg Jodi Weatherton Unplugged (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/122-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000621965164 Nelson Thomas Unplugged (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/1iL4t0bPI3y4UAokgUWQWt?si=Iu40V1NvQLCjVuJxdySJAg Nelson Thomas Unplugged (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/120-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000619913369 Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk
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Jul 25, 2023 • 2h 38min

#123 Trash Talk Roundtable_MT Rushmore - The Most Entertaining with Special Guest Alex Brizard

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Trash Talk Roundtable with your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh! This week we are wrapping up our 3 part The Challenge MT Rushmore series with a very special guest - Alex Brizard of Netflix's The Circle and the successful podcast, Two Dudes Watch Cartoons. We kick the episode off by catching up with each other, discussing what it's like watching childhood movies as an adult, our thoughts on whether or not the majority of The Challenge fandom is made up on old school fans or new school fans and finally we discuss our format and criteria for this episode including what we think makes an entertaining cast member (0:00 - 21:17). Then we break into the episode by starting off with the women. We take trips down memory lane discussing some of the most entertaining moments and female cast members of all time including: Tori Deal, Da'Vonne Rogers, Coral Smith, Nicole Zanetta, Olivia Kaiser, Julie Stoffer, Aneesa Ferriera, Ayanna Mackins, Jasmine Reynaud, Kiki Morris, Beth Stolarczyk, Paula Beckert, Laurel Stucky, Cara Maria Sorbello, Kam Williams, Marie Roda, Katie Cooley, Amanda Garcia, Big T, Evelyn Smith, Ashley Mitchell, Kellyanne Judd, and Tina Bridges (21:17 - 1:38:40). Lastly, we dive into some of the most hilarious, memorable and entertaining men The Challenge has given us over the years such as: Kyle Christie, Turbo Camkiran, Josh Martinez, Tyler Duckworth, Paulie Calafiore, Devin Walker, Jay Starrett, Nelson Thomas, Wes Bergmann, Chris Tamburello, Cory Wharton, Johnny Bananas, Leroy Garrett, Shane Landrom, Darrell Taylor, Jordan Wiseley, Teck Holmes, Mike 'Miz' Mizanin, Theo Von, Theo Campbell, Mike Rios, Brad Fiorenza and Timmy Beggy (1:38:40 - END). We had such a great time with Alex going down memory lane with some of the most hilarious, entertaining, jaw dropping Challenge moments and players of all time. Can you guess who will end up on our final 4 official men and women MT Rushmore for The Most Entertaining cast members of all time on MTV's The Challenge? Don't forget to let us know your thoughts and if you think we missed anyone who should have been mentioned by messaging us on IG, Facebook or Twitter and while you're there make sure you follow us on IG and enter our IG 5K Followers Giveaway. Also, make sure you go check out Alex's newest episode on Two Dudes Watch Cartoons! IG 5K Followers Giveaway: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvFlNXDRbvp/?img_index=1 Alex Brizard IG: https://www.instagram.com/awildbriz/ Alex Brizard Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWildBriz Alex Brizard YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexBrizard Two Dudes Watch Cartoons IG: https://www.instagram.com/twodudeswatchcartoons/ Two Dudes Watch Cartoons Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoDudesWatch Two Dudes Watch Cartoons Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-dudes-watch-cartoons/id1279059389 Two Dudes Watch Cartoons Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lsvI7DbHMlvpXEpVMg4T7?si=6a7d06c10fb44e80 Two Dudes Watch Cartoons YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrpBn0b-Fp-I7yPs3MAYKA Two Dudes Watch Cartoons Snipfeed: https://snipfeed.co/twodudeswatchcartoons CFP MT Rushmore - GOATS (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pXJa91jTmnN1lDN3aPmyJ?si=rHUCsVYKTrulqRt0rxzBow CFP MT Rushmore - GOATS (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/119-trash-talk-roundtable-the-long-awaited-challenge/id1587568834?i=1000618142162 CFP MT Rushmore - Pillars (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/37DfuMv2scLzCVYav7TXR1?si=0lvFuC07SkO8STg76gFqjg CFP MT Rushmore - Pillars (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/121-trash-talk-roundtable-mt-rushmore-the-pillars/id1587568834?i=1000621257237 Jodi Weatherton Unplugged (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/5x0ZsCz7jcDqjms7Ak7cTC?si=NluHwAztSVS1yohu7iYRxw Jodi Weatherton Unplugged (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/122-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000621965164
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Jul 22, 2023 • 2h 14min

#122 Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit with Jodi Weatherton

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challenges Unplugged: Beyond The Edit where your hosts Rick, Corrina and Tony take you beyond the edit with some of your favorite (and least favorite) Challengers from MTV's The Challenge to get their side of the story. This week we have a very special guest returning for her second round with us, Jodi Weatherton. We start out by catching up together, venting about the downfall of internet and getting hyped up for Jodi PLUS she joins us a little early and we have a hilarious encounter trying to get everyone set up right (0:00 - 11:15). Then, we start breaking down MTV's The Challenge World Championship with Jodi including whether or not she knew the theme of the season, how her husband reacted to her getting the casting call, which MVP she would have picked had it been her decision, the real reason Tristan came in last on the qualifier and the current status of her and Benja's relationship. She talks to us about her approach for the two to three day period where they got to know each other before choosing partners, her personal reaction to Benja picking her (as well as TJ's reaction), who the most protected teams were on the season, which Challenger was playing the most hypocritical game, different voting strategies at the nomination table and how the her last elimination with Benja went completely wrong. We also talk to Jodi about how the language barrier effected her partnership, play style preferences, the strange reasoning behind Yes voting Jodi/Benja in after the first daily, her alliance with Jonna, Jodi's special barometer she used against Yes (BTS), which new friends were the most unexpected, how she recharges in the Challenge house and how she felt they got so screwed over in the Trivia challenge. Finally, she talks about the one thing she would change about her game, the crazy story of her trying to call her son for his birthday after being eliminated, her relationship with Theo, Kellyanne trying to get Jodi to vote with Bananas, seeing Wes after 17 years, which Challenger she'd love to play with again, ranking the GOATS that appeared on World Championship with her and so much more! Jodi was such an incredible guest with so much to say and she didn't hold back AT ALL! We hope you all enjoy this episode and all the piping hot tea Jodi spills just as much as we loved it! Don't forget to follow us on IG and watch for entry details into our IG 5K Giveaway celebrating over 5K followers on IG! Jodi Weatherton IG: https://www.instagram.com/jodi_mtv/ Jodi Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/jodi_mtv?qid=1690006303&aaQueryId=878e744a1aaed3a6e82d6eb84fdd8328 Nelson Thomas Unplugged Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1iL4t0bPI3y4UAokgUWQWt?si=0Oz-T2BNQbK3pwpEQm-R9A Nelson Thomas Unplugged Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/120-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000619913369 Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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Jul 15, 2023 • 3h 14min

#121 Trash Talk Roundtable_MT Rushmore - The Pillars with The Challenge Historian

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Trash Talk Roundtable with your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh. This week we have a very special topic so we had to bring a very special guest to help us break it all down and we could think of no one better for this topic than The Challenge Historian, Jacob Hollabaugh. We start off by discussing some important Challenge topics such as the advancement of The Challenge channel on Pluto TV, how the show would be different if they hadn't stopped doing live audiences, our ideas for how production could actually do a live airing season, what we hope to see as far as cast rotation with the recent show expansion and even break down which Challengers started the trend of making this show a career and trust us, it's not who you think (0:00 - 25:25). Next we break into the episode by discussing our format, specifications that helped us make our lists, and begin breaking down the most influential male Challengers who majorly impacted the show, gameplay and/or fans. We discuss a variety of players including people like Chris Tamburello, Alton Williams, Brad Fiorenza, Derrick Kosinski, Darrell Taylor, Syrus Yarborough, Ace Amerson, Dan Setzler, Eric Nies, Mark Long, Timmy Beggy, Miz Mizanin, Theo Von, Dan Renzi and more (25:30 - 2:00:00). Then we finish up the episode by analyzing the most impactful female Challengers from the early seasons where we discuss the likes of Jodi Weatherton, Katie Cooley, Sarah Greyson, Holly Shand, Jullie Stoffer, Susie Meister, Ayanna Mackins, Aneesa Ferriera, Tina Bridges, Rachel Robinson, Veronica Portillo, Coral Smith and many more (2:00:00 - END). We had such an AMAZING time taking a trip down the MTV Real World VS Road Rules: The Challenge memory lane and highlighting some of the most influential and impactful players that made the game we all love today what it is. We hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. The Challenge Historian IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengehistorian/ The Challenge Historian YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLkUglwyzUPHq5he2aX5K9A The Challenge Historian Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0iZL5w39XJ6oXDXKGDHpVJ?si=c5c27ab5ae264d68 The Challenge Historian Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-challenge-historian/id1565459070 Nelson Thomas Unplugged Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1iL4t0bPI3y4UAokgUWQWt?si=0Oz-T2BNQbK3pwpEQm-R9A Nelson Thomas Unplugged Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/120-challengers-unplugged-beyond-the-edit-with/id1587568834?i=1000619913369 Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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Jul 7, 2023 • 4h 21min

#120 Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit with Nelson Thomas

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit. Your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh are joined this week by a very special guest and someone we have been dying to talk to - Nelson Thomas! We start out with a very short intro because Nelly is PROMPT (0:00 - 3:30). When Nelson joins us we start out by covering his early life such as where he was born/raised, what his childhood was like, what kinds of athletics he was involved with as a child, his struggles as a young kid in LA, moving to Texas, graduating high school and what his first reality show truly was! We cover everything from his AYTO audition to his history as a Challenge fan and how he found himself on this wild show we all love so much. We get Nelson's thoughts on things like the audience helping Challengers in an elimination, what it's like to try and start a career after being on TV, his favorite country he's been to, TMZ running the false story about him, the evolution of his and Cory Wharton's friendship and the start of TYB. Nelson walks us through living in the shelter on Invasions, losing the final by 2 minutes and 22 seconds, why his rivalries tend to end so quickly, what really happened with Fessy, how things went down with Cory and Shane on Invasions and how he feels finals have changed over the years. We also cover some beyond The Challenge moments such as him volunteering to go into elimination to save Cory on Total Madness, his moment with TJ Lavin in the Spies Lies and Allies final and how he feels about the major expansion of The Challenge. Nelson talks to us about what a rookie is on The Challenge, how he felt about Amber Borzotra's status in the game, why he chose Nurys as his ROD partner, how him and Ashley Mitchell ended up as a kind-of-sort-of thing on Spies Lies and Allies and even shares what was really going on during World Championship and how he felt about being called to be a Legend. Nelson also discusses random topics with us such as reuniting with Kailah after their previous encounter, "Nelsonisms", how social media ruins lives and of course we discuss his recovery from his recent car accident. Nelson shares so much of his story with us and allowed himself to be open and vulnerable with him. We could never properly thank him for that. We hope you all enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed it. If you'd like to show your love and support for Nelson throughout his recovery journey, you can reach out to him on social media platforms or through his po box at: P.O Box 82336 Austin TX, 78708 Nelson Thomas GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nelson-thomas-road-to-recovery?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined Nelson Thomas IG: https://www.instagram.com/_nelsonthomas/ Nelson Thomas TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mtv_nelson?_t=8dHVmOfVL7C&_r=1 Nelson Thomas Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/nelsonthomas? Baggage On The Road: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=baggage+on+the+road Ryan Holiday: https://ryanholiday.net/10-strategies-for-turning-obstacles-into-opportunities/ Make Your Bed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YNmNd2ncw0 Steve Harvey 100% Success Rate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Pt-oMmOkE Tori Dealing With Breaking Up With Alcohol: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3NGKTZ0DW3hNaNchJhsiQy?si=Pm7BwmxaSZWXHAeJAz5Eqw Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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Jun 23, 2023 • 2h 42min

#119 Trash Talk Roundtable_The Long Awaited Challenge Fandom Podcast Mount Rushmore... Spoiler Dunbar Isn't On It

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challenge Trash Talk Roundtable with your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony, Josh and Cory! Yup, that's right we've got a full house tonight and it was for a very special reason! We all got together to finalize an official Challenge Fandom Podcast Mount Rushmore list for men and women! We kick off the episode by catching up as Rick tells us his heroic story. Then we break into what our plans are for formatting this episode, how we are missing out on Hogwarts Legacy and whether or not we'd ever pay for our IG to be verified (0:00 - 16:35). Then we break into the women's Mount Rushmore first. We decided to present a list of 12 names and then debate them down until we have a final 4 at which point we will number them and finalize our team's Mount Rushmore. For the women we discuss the following people: Susie Meister, Emily Schromm, Jodi Weatherton, Jonna Mannion, Tori Deal, Paula Meronek, Veronica Portillo, Ashley Mitchell, Sarah Rice, Evelyn Smith, Laurel Stucky and Cara Maria Sorbello (16:35 - 1:46:00). Finally we break into the Men's Mount Rushmore which seemed to be much easier to agree on but still provided a lot of interesting debates and is sure to upset some of the fans (sorry). The men that we discussed are: Tyler Duckworth, Brad Fiorenza, Turbo Camkiran, Mark Long, Derrick Kosinski, Landon Leuck, Darrell Taylor, Wes Bergmann, Jordan Wiseley, Johnny 'Bananas' Devenanzio, and Chris 'CT' Tamburello (1:46:00 - END). We really hope you all enjoy this debate and remember, if you'd like to discuss your thoughts on our final list our IG inbox is always open! However, if you're upset and want a fight, make sure you message the host that upset you the most directly LOL! Ben Driebergen Unplugged: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/kXJytOehSAb Danny McCray Unplugged: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/FtNcMYjhSAb Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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Jun 11, 2023 • 3h 6min

#118 Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit with Ben Driebergen

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challengers Unplugged where your hosts Rick, Corrina and Tony take you beyond the edit with a Challenger from MTV's The Challenge. This week we are joined by Ben Driebergen from Survivor 35, Survivor 40, The Challenge USA and Challenge World Championship all airing on CBS and Paramount Plus. We start off by catching up with Ben about "Benzo", Cinco dancing to W.A.P., building choppers in Reno and Marijuana legalization plus it's benefits (0:00 - 14:10). We then jump into Ben's early life with what it was like growing up in Boise, his father coming out as gay man plus the evolution of their relationship to get to where they are now, plus what his dreams were as a kid and what made him want to join the military. Next, Ben breaks down some of his active military training and active duty stories including his very first fire fight and a time where he was put in a position to make a decision on a life he knew nothing about. We also talk about how he met his wife, his history as a reality TV fan, other shows he applied to be on and finally his breakthrough into Survivor. Our co-host Tony takes us on a journey with Ben through both of his Survivor seasons including his surprising win on Heroes VS Healers VS Hustlers and then returning for one of the most anticipated themed seasons of Survivor - Winners At War. Ben gives us details on the alliance workings on his first season and going to fire that ultimately led to his win. He also goes into depth on what happened on Winners At War between him and Sarah and how that effected his game moving forward on The Challenge USA and The Challenge World Championship (14:10 - 1:33:00). Ben talks about why he thinks it's important to make friends in The Challenge house, the difference between a Survivor social game and a Challenge social game plus what his top partner picks were on World Championship, how The Misfits alliance came to be, what happened with "Survivor Strong" on Challenge USA and World Championship, getting another physical DQ on the show, why he felt Sarah was disingenuous on World Championship and finally we finish it off with some MT Rushmore lists as well as some Survivors Ben would like to see do The Challenge and vice versa. We had such an incredible time with Ben and he was so open, honest, vulnerable and respectful. We honestly couldn't have asked for more from Ben and we hope you all enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Ben Driebergen IG: https://www.instagram.com/bendriebergen/ Ben Driebergen Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/bdriebergen?utm_campaign=profile_share Ben Bombs (Clothing Line): https://www.benbomb.com/ Stay Loco (Jay Starrett Clothing Line): https://www.jaystarrett.com/ Fat Tony "Neon Moon" Remix: https://open.spotify.com/track/6nhTMYmnDaOmz7KgH4C27q?si=56db9559769b43e2 David Bloomberg Rules of Survivor Poster: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rules-of-Survivor-Poster-Rules-by-David-Bloomberg-Designed-by-Dabu-Doodles/202900330176?hash=item2f3dcd56c0%3Ag%3AIf0AAOSwcrdcp4zG&fbclid=IwAR3uv3AyCBGUw_-wZpQ6HXYjE7vCnSdJMARViJN1tdvjBY06n85JsEIE9aA Danny McCray Unplugged: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/gt8e1Vv3xAb Horacio Gutierrez, JR Unplugged: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/BqBpmXv3xAb Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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May 26, 2023 • 3h 3min

#117 Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit with Danny McCray

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challengers Unplugged: Beyond The Edit. This week your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh come together and sit down with former Dallas Cowboy's player and reigning Challenge USA Champion Danny McCray to break down the entire season of The Challenge World Championship. We kick off the episode by discussion why we are so excited to talk to Danny, some burning questions we have and some things we heard on other interviews/Instagram story AMAs (0:00 - 14:16). Then, we break into the season with Danny by first going over what the MVP's originally thought when the legends entered the game, what the conversations on the first night were like, who Danny's top 3 girls were (and why) and the highly controversial Gates of Hell daily. We also break down Danny's relationship with Jordan and Tori, how the relationships were misrepresented in the edit, and the truth behind Kellyanne's master move. Danny also breaks down how the alliances fell through the season including the White Board Alliance, why/when he decided to stop targeting Jordan, what really went down with Ben Driebergen, a suspected twist that didn't end up happening but caused a lot of issues amongst partners, whether or not Danny would have ever thrown in Sarah/Theo or Emily/Yes and why he wanted Tori to pick a number one SO bad. We also have Danny break down the nomination process and whether or not he was ever truly worried about Sarah putting him in (14:16 - 1:31:00). Lastly, we finish up the Unplugged with Danny's thoughts on the final elimination, which three teams Danny truly wanted in the final, how much weight he lost throughout the season and a beautiful section of praise for Jordan as a person and competitor. Danny then proceeds to break down the entire final from start to finish including points of the final the fans didn't even get to see, Danny/Tori's biggest day one mistake, the truth behind the Insomnia overnight Challenge, Danny's biggest mistake from the overnight portion, and finally, his frustrations with Tori's decisions during the final. We close out the episode by discussion various things such as Danny's thoughts on Troy, the truth behind Banatman's cape in the club outfit, who has the bigger personality out of Wes and Tyson, changes to Danny's MT Rushmore, who from Survivor he would love to see on a Battle of the Shows format, thoughts on Horacio and his Balls In elimination against Jordan on season 38 and finally, Danny gives us a pep talk about our attack on Sarah Lacina this season and puts us in our place (as needed) (1:31:00 - END)! This is by far the most in-depth Unplugged session we have done after a season and we truly hope that between us and Danny, your questions and concerns about the season are put to rest. Make sure you're following Danny and if you have a little one in Texas who loves football, check out the Dallas Cowboys Youth Training program where Danny trains youth for flag football! Danny McCray IG: https://www.instagram.com/dannymccray40/ Danny McCray Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannydmac44 Danny McCray Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/dannymccray40?qid=1685126472&aaQueryId=f05caa4b75b5b1f604f8ec5f08db87ec Dallas Cowboys Youth Camp: https://www.dallascowboys.com/youth-camps/2023/ Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans
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May 21, 2023 • 1h 45min

#116 Trash Talk Roundtable_Challenge World Championship EP12: World Domination... We Were This Close To Greatness!

Hey Fandom! Welcome back for another episode of Challenge Trash Talk Roundtable with your hosts Rick, Corrina, Tony and Josh! This week we kept it OG to close out this season of The Challenge World Championship. We kick off with Rick giving us some voice acting while we talk about Challengers we love now but it didn't start out that way. Then, Rick and Corrina tell a story about Rick's riskiest moment before breaking into things we've seen online about the Fandom's reaction to the final (0:00 - 14:16). Next, we break into The Fear Express and I guess, sleeping? Also, a missing waterfall climb along with multiple missing puzzles? They really didn't want us to see this whole final did they?! I digress. We break down Loops of Hell challenge including Theo's injury, the highly debated code breaker puzzle, which team had the best approach on the loops, whether or not eating challenges are necessary, overnight IV's and the dirtiest player in the game (14:16 - 1:00:16). Next up we talk about how hard it is riding a bike, what we think the cameramen are missing, and what is with all these keys?! Did the producers of The Challenge rob a janitor in their sleep?! Next up we finish up the end of this *absolutely grueling* final with a discussion on the winners VS our original predictions, whether or not this win for Jordan moves him up our list on MT Rushmore, overarching thoughts on the season as a whole, our plans moving forward with the upcoming break and finally, Tony gives us an AMAZING update on his fundraiser for The Walk For Alzheimer's he has coming up at the end of this month (1:00:16 - END)! If you're able, make sure you check out the link below and donate to Tony's cause and help him reach 5K! Tony's Fundraiser: https://support.alzheimer.ca/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app20001b?px=1067980&fr_id=4313&pg=personal&NONCE_TOKEN=849B2CF9AFD2F95E52A4600433775D63&fbclid=IwAR18ryrgbcuzqQ4DVFfWwqCsC1H0sHP3fT4dmcSaX9pS9y0i1s7S5Exh67M Jordan Wiseley on EW: https://ew.com/tv/the-challenge-world-championship-jordan-wiseley-talks-winning-again/ Challenge Fandom Podcast is on TIKTOK now!: https://www.tiktok.com/@challengefandompod Challenge Fandom Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/challengefandompodcast/ The Official Challenge Fandom FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thechallengefandom Challenge Trash Talk FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetrashtalk CT-The Challenge FB Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ctthechallenge TJ Lavin Fans FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tjlavinfans The Official Tori Deal Fan Group FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toridealfans

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