The Treason For The Season w/ Chanelle & Josh

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey friends, I'm Devin Simone and.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm Tory Deal and this is MTV's official Challenge podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:06):
You guys, this is a very special episode of the
podcast because we have not won but two guests for
our interview today. But before we get into that, let's
do a quick breakdown of this episode, shall we?

Speaker 4 (00:17):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (00:18):
All right, So first we have the challenge burst your
bubble hot air Balloon rides by the Way ten out
of ten, love them, be smart about where you do them.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
We had the winners Mikayla and Chris.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
That was like wild one because michaela was terrified, terrified
of that, and then Chris because he's been the underdog
all season and this if there was ever a daily
to win, this was the one to win. I'm not
looking at you, Tori Elizabeth and saying that this was
the one to win, but I.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Am saying this is I try. I know there weren't daily.
This is the one to win.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
So that really puts It's also a double elimination, so
like that's a really huge deal because you have these
two people McKayla and Chris sort of in charge of
who's going down there, which is wild. Well, then we
have the voting, and of course Cassidy and Bessie are
the ones that are voted in, and the hopper selects
Chanel and Josh. I feel like this Cassidy and Chanell
thing has been brewing so kind of good to see

(01:13):
Bessie and Josh is heartbreaking because they're like bff besties.
I mean yeah, I mean it makes for good TV,
but it's always like disappointing. Interestingly, though, so Josh votes
for bananas, and bananas is hot.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
You vote for Josh and Josh is chill? What's some event?

Speaker 2 (01:32):
I think that there was a lot of pain involved
in like just emotional. It's not that he wasn't upset,
it was just that he wasn't angry.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
He was hurt. It was even worse. Yeah, it was
like when.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Your parents like I'm disappointed in you, Right, That's what
it was. And I think Josh had already felt so
bad because he was really in between a rock and
a hard place. When Fessie said, if you don't put
in bananas, then you know, how can we be friends
after this?

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Like FESSI kind of gave Josh and ultimately he did, yeah,
And I thought that was like.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Listen, I get it's a game, and you do have
to pick who you're working with, but like, that's not
an easy decision for Josh to make.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
It's not an easy but he made it harder for
himself by telling Bananas.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, right off the bat.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I would never put I'm never I put it on
my life, Like why why?

Speaker 4 (02:17):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (02:18):
This is what I think happens in the challengehouse, Like
you really do for a split second think that you
are probably gonna align with somebody, and then somebody else
getch in your ear, and then like fifteen minutes later,
you're looking at it from a different angle.

Speaker 5 (02:28):
And I think that if Josh wouldn't have said.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
I swear on my family's life, then I feel like
it would be easier to look at the situation and
see how much time while he was in.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
But it was like that one.

Speaker 5 (02:38):
Little phrase, it just pushes the whole thing over the end.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yes, it does total housewise behavior.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
So so then we have this epic competition and it's
the thing that we knew was coming or likely coming
all season. It is a hall brawl, but this time
it's a haul brawl with a twist. I'd say it's
it's my type Haull brawl. It's a hall roll, so
that means it's anyone's game, which makes it super interesting.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
So we have the hall brawl.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
The boys basically got rid of their pads instantly, and
then you're just like fighting the girls. I mean, Chanelle
basically drug Cassidy back. We have more tea on that,
by the way, in this interview that you're definitely gonna
want to hear. But our winners ultimately are Chanelle and Fessi,
which means we see Cassidy and Josh go home. It
is a lot going on. It means everyone left is

(03:25):
going to the final.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Wow. Yeah, absolutely Wow. What do you think is gonna
happen in the final?

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Now?

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Looking at the lineup? Ooh, you know, I've like, I've
thought about this. I prayed about it.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
No, I don't know, I kind of I actually I
kind of have a feeling, doctor Desi's gonna pull it
out that.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
This is my feeling.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
And by the way, I have for those who don't know, yes,
I work here, but I Tory has been committed, our
wonderful producer of Cole has been committed. I have no spoilers,
so I do not know who wins. I did not
want to know. So if I'm right, amazing. But if
I'm wrong, well then you'll know. So I feel like
Desi's gonna pull it and actually I kind of I
want Corey. I feel like I want Corey to pull
it out too, I really really do. I mean, everybody,

(04:09):
there's good toy. Obviously I love you, but you won
before I will adopt Desi and Corey I think are
my top two. I'm rooting for who are your gold star?

Speaker 1 (04:19):
In timeouts for this week?

Speaker 2 (04:21):
I gotta give my gold star to Chris because he
has like he was the only rookie boy left in
the entire game, and if he didn't win last week
or this week, then he was going right into elimination
both times, and so he kept himself safe. Not only
did he do that, but he really stirred the house
up when he put Fessian because it broke up a

(04:42):
bunch of friendships. So I think he when the pressure
really is on him, he knows how to perform, and
I think that he deserves.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
The gold star absolutely. I like that. Who do you
think well my gold star?

Speaker 3 (04:54):
It's a toss up between Mikayla because of the fear
that we saw in her and the way that she
just right it is wild. The other toss up, though,
are the rookie girls, because I have to say the
way they came in from the jump and organized and
like stayed united in a way, I call them Destney's Child.
You guys have heard me say before, Destney's Child has

(05:15):
made it. All right, maybe we can make a reunion
tour happen, but Depstey's Child has made it and I
am so proud. I think as rookies and being placed
against some of the most epic challenge vets of all time,
it's just really impressive. So I think it's between Mikayla,
who's a part of Destney Child, or Dastey Child, and
I'm gonna have to give it to Desney's Child as
my gold star who gets your time out for the week.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
I mean, it's tough because I don't know if I
would go back and change how I voted, But I
really want to give it to myself because Josh is
really such a close friend of mine and it was
just such a It's one of those things where you
look at it and you wonder if you if the
challenge has made you more calculated and has like almost
made you lose your heart in a way because you
try to play so strategically that you stop forgetting to

(06:02):
play with emotions. Like I almost wonder if I took
my emotions too much out of the game.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Listen to the.

Speaker 3 (06:07):
Soft side of Yeah, Elizabeth Ann, that's so sweet.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
That's so sweet. Oh, I love that. I'm not even
gonna give a time out. I'm just gonna let that
notes sit.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
I do want to leave a quick shout out though,
to Katie Para and Jackie Brinkley who DMed me and
said that they one of them. Katie loved TJ's nineties
button up in Carhart from weeks ago, and Jackie loved
TJ shirt as well. I appreciate you guys recognizing TJ's wardrobe.
I also want to give a big shout out to
my dear friend, an avid Challenge fan and watcherer Clinton

(06:42):
Kelly and his husband Damon.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
They're big Challenge fans.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
They listen to podcasts all the time, and so I
want to give them a shout out for always listening
and listening to the end, like, Hi, Glan, we won't
he has to come on one day, Maybe he can
do like a wardrobe breakdown of the whole episode.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
I feel like that'd be hilarious. You guys should do
that for me. I could use the hell all right,
you know that is true.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
I always look at your hair, though I don't always
look at your fashions because your hair is just popping
all the time, so it doesn't even I don't even.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Pay attention to the way you're learning on that.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Okay, you guys, this is going to be such an
epic episode you're not gonna want to miss it. We
have Chanelle and Josh here all right, sharing their sides
of the story. There are strategies in the game and
some inside scoop on what really went down that we
didn't see, including a crazy request that Chanelle had just
before the elimination.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
It is wild, y'all.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
You are not gonna want to miss this, So grab
a snack, do your thing, take us with you, and
come back to this amazing interview right after this.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
All right, guys, Well, it's our favorite part of the episode,
except this time we're double lucky.

Speaker 5 (07:57):
We're kind of playing on TJ's double elimination and we're.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Having a double guest podcast. I mean, listen, this episode.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Was wild, So who else better to have than Chanelle
Howell she played on Survivor forty two absolutely crushing it
this season. And also Josh Martinez, who I'm sure.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
Has a lot to say this episode.

Speaker 6 (08:15):
Welcome guys, Hi, guys, welcome all right, before getting to
have to say, Josh, you seem real nervous.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
I'm not doing so well on this, but I'm excited
to talk it out with you guys. But yeah, I'm not.
I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little I'm a little
uneasy right now. It's just tough having to relive all that.
So we'll get into all that now.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
Okay, Well it's a safe space.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, one that may have some side eye, only two
percent judgment, but it comes from a place of love.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, so like.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
A therapy session, but we're not licensed at all. We'd
be shut down if we were. And our theme here
is that we don't overthink it. We just over so
for both of you, Chanelle and Josh, feel free. We
want to know all the tea behind the scenes because
you know, Tory tails of some stuff, but she'd be
leaving out stuff, so we want to know all the

(09:10):
thoughts before we get into that though this was there
were two very different outcomes for the both of you
in this episode. How does it feel for each of you?
Sort of looking back on that now, now, why don't
we start with you?

Speaker 7 (09:21):
Yeah, well, thank you for the into Torri. This obviously
was like best case scenario coming into this game as
a rookie, Like there's a lot kind of writing on
your shoulders, wanting to make a name for yourself, wanting
to prove yourself, and then you know, just to make
it to a final. It feels really massive. So I'm
happy with the outcome of it. And the crazy thing is,

(09:42):
I know that I had to go into an elimination
to feel like I fully, fully like earned it, earned
my spot, deserved to be there. So yeah, I mean
it was a good outcome for me obviously.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
Josh, what about you, Yeah, I mean not the outcome
that I wanted. But to be honest with you, I, oh,
I don't know. It's hard. I you know, I've done
six seasons. I haven't had the success that I've wanted
on the show, and I think the end goal for
all of us is to win it, but also to
just make a final and put myself through that. So

(10:17):
it's really hard, it's really disappointing. But I think that
you know, as you see in the episode, I was
willing to do whatever, and I think I lost a
bit of myself this season. I was so locked in
on doing whatever it took to get to a final
that you know, I lost myself and lost a bit
of my like moral compass, if you want to say so.

(10:39):
In a way, I didn't feel like I earned it
or I deserved that spot because I didn't stay true
to who I am as a person. So I mean
it played out how I played out. It's definitely a learning,
growing pain, growing lesson. But yeah, it's tough, it's hard.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
I think that, Like I can totally agree with you,
And throughout this entire season we've seen Karmack responses, and
I think those Karmak responses will continue even through the final.
Probably this is just the name of the game when
it comes to the challenge, Like.

Speaker 5 (11:05):
There is this spirit that exists in the show.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
It's like you try to play it, but if you
play too hard or you think too much about something,
it may play you back.

Speaker 5 (11:13):
So I feel you on that, and I think it's
its own beast.

Speaker 1 (11:17):
But in the beginning of this episode, we really got
to watch both of you guys.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Share your personal stories, which was super, super beautiful and
I would love to hear more about that.

Speaker 1 (11:26):
And Shanel, let's start with you first.

Speaker 7 (11:29):
Yeah, I mean it's so interesting. Like I truly say
I manifested going on the challenge because I did not
think I was going to get a call. I maybe
like nine or so months before filming, I was like,
you know what, I think I'm going to go on
the Challenge and I literally just started training like crazy.
But I knew it was a long shot because I
was a pretty middling player on Survivor, Like there are

(11:50):
other contenders in my head that would get the call
before me. So like when they called me, I was like, wow,
like this this is like serendipit, this almost and like,
you know, I haven't shared this publicly, but I gave
up a lot to go on this show, Like I
you know, left my corporate job at Goldman Sachs to
play the challenge and so it was just like you

(12:12):
better fucking work like you better, like like really, Stevens.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
So sorry my face, I am still shocked.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
If you guys know the significance of that holy hell, girl, wow,
oh my god, all the things.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
Sorry continue, we'll get back to that.

Speaker 7 (12:31):
And so I just felt like I felt like I
just had to really do well because I gave up
so much to come and play this game. And so
it was a really like beautiful experience to like get
the opportunity to play. And I just felt like I
had just so much writing on it, so like an honor. Obviously, Yeah,

(12:54):
what exactly was your role at Goldman.

Speaker 1 (12:56):
I mean you have to give us super details, but
what exactly.

Speaker 7 (13:02):
I was working in strategy? But I mean, obviously it
was the challenge. It was a very calculated decision, like
I'm never gonna go into anything like full fledged, like
I'll playing by the seat of my pant.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
I don't think y'all know.

Speaker 3 (13:12):
I just look, I have some clients as a mastually
grab some clients get we know what our clients make,
and I have clients that are it's all sorts of roles, jobs,
job less teachers exact. I know what Goldman Sachs folks
generally can be raking in. So I understand the significance
of giving that up on a manifestation, Girl, you have

(13:33):
more faith than a mustard seed.

Speaker 1 (13:34):
That is for sure. Wow.

Speaker 7 (13:36):
I mean I said it at the end. I said, listen,
I'm always gonna bet on myself, and this is like
another one of those where I bet on myself. I
was like, I'm good. I just gonna put myself in
the best position to win. And I trained for this
call for nine months and if I get the call,
I'm gonna take it.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
So that was really is amazing.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
That is so that's why you that's why you thrived
at jumping on the trampoline doing the math?

Speaker 1 (13:58):
Is that what you're doing gold sacks? You jump on
terurbolines and do strategy.

Speaker 7 (14:03):
I feel like that's shade because I obviously flopped on that.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
Oh you were the first girl done in the mid Yeah,
in the math version.

Speaker 7 (14:11):
Yeah, it's not that's true.

Speaker 5 (14:13):
Okay, yeah, the math portion I'm genuinely talking about.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
Oh man, you know, why did you want to come
on the challenge so bad? Were you a fan of this? Like,
had you watched it before? Were you a fan of
the show.

Speaker 7 (14:23):
I started watching My actual first season of Real World
was cancuon and I was like, oh my god, I
love John A.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
And then I like just missed the really really good season.
It was about one season before that, but was that
your ENTI.

Speaker 7 (14:37):
Yeah, yeah, And then I dabbled in road Rules and
then maybe like five ish years ago, I got into
the Challenge and I was hooked. But I think, like
it's definitely a little bit of ego. I like lived
a dream going on Survivor and not performing the way
that I wanted. I feel like I like needed to
prove myself. I like had something left out there, and

(14:58):
so that was really what was driving. Honestly, very ego driven.
But I was like, I need to play a game
again that's gonna be in my wheelhouse right where I
can rely solely on my abilities Survivor, if enough people
don't like you, like you're gone, you're voted out. But
the Challenge, it's like I live and die by my
own hands, my own strength mind, and like I said,

(15:18):
I'm gonna bet on myself. So I really wanted to
play a game that was more so in my arena.
So that was really like what the what the goal was?

Speaker 3 (15:26):
Having watched the show where you a fan of like
before coming to that, what, Yeah, let's do a little quiz.
We did this with Mikayla and people seem to really
like it online. So really quick pop quiz. So since
you did watch the show a little bit before coming
in and you were a fan of the show, let's
talk some of your favorites or your thoughts on their strategies.

(15:47):
Let's start with tory strategy in past season, so excluding
this season, as you've seen her play, give me one
word to describe how you are giving one word to
describe Tory's gameplay.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
Messy, book, messy but safe, safe and messy sounds sexual?

Speaker 3 (16:11):
You would you would you've talked about this, you would, okay, messy,
but say, how do you think it's safe?

Speaker 1 (16:19):
What do you think she does it? Plays it safe,
she plays with.

Speaker 7 (16:21):
Her friends, which is a strategy, plays protected, which I
saw is a great strategy, but messy because she has entanglements,
you know, mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
Shout out to Will and Jada.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
What would you say about Corey's strategy politics?

Speaker 7 (16:40):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (16:41):
What about fetsies.

Speaker 7 (16:46):
Festsy I'd say, like, I mean, he just goes off
his strength, so like just pretty pretty like low key,
like one dimensional, very one.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Dimensional perform performance.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, okay, And what would you say about our dear
friend Josh's strategy previous seasons.

Speaker 7 (17:06):
Mister congeniality, but in the worst way, the worst way,
because if you have too many friends, you've got too
many checks you can't cash.

Speaker 3 (17:18):
That's a good way to describe Josh b shopping out
of his budget, just regularly on the challenge, handing out
dollars and credit to people, and then then it's like, oh,
I don't I don't have any more money, but we will.

Speaker 1 (17:30):
We will get into that.

Speaker 3 (17:33):
Torri, what was it like watching this episode back for you?
And how nervous were you when michaela ultimately won the
daily that you'd be the primary target.

Speaker 2 (17:45):
So this day in itself was very difficult, and Josh
and Chanell can speak to this. We woke up at
like four o'clock in the morning. We had to be
at the hot Air balloons by seven am, and the
whole challenge was over by like nine because there was
like a wind issue and they wanted to make sure
we could do it. So we were so drained from
that morning from waking up so early, to the point

(18:06):
where after the adrenaline had already dropped from the challenge
being over. I remember just us laying down. We had
to wait two hours to go back to the house
to even go to lunch, so we all just laid Yeah,
we all just laid on the concrete and kind of
just sat there and bassed in the fact that this
is truly the last day, like we knew the.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
Final was like right there.

Speaker 5 (18:24):
And I remember I think I looked over at Chanel.

Speaker 2 (18:26):
I was like, I'm pretty sure I'm going in and
she was like, no, you're not, and I was like,
I don't know, I'm pretty sure. But I was kind
of at peace with it because it was the end
and like, there's only so much you can do. But
I think either it was you were DESI that had
a combo with Mikayla that kind of assured me that
that wasn't going to happen. And I had that secret
combo with Mikayla you see a little clip to it

(18:47):
mid episode, So I wasn't too stressed about that. What
I was I was more stressed about voting, and I'm
sure Josh can speak the same than I was about competing,
because there's this emotional like there's this emotional weight, this
emotional burden you carry when you do play with your friends,
which is my strategy in the game, until you get

(19:07):
to a point where now you have to vote one
of them in like it was truly our friends group
worst case scenario because Chris was safe and he would
have been the very easy vote, and so now it's
us against us, and it in a sense, it's a
good thing to be there because it means we all
made it here, but somebody's got to go. So it
was it was not easy, and I'm sure just like

(19:28):
it wasn't easy for me, you know, it wasn't easy
for Josh, And this whole episode was pretty much about that.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, Soanel, why did you and DESI have a conversation
with Mikayla in Tory's favor because in previous episodes we
sort of saw where there was a little you know,
you guys kind of made a pact and then it
got messy and then you know, it looked like there
was sort of amend's made. But just knowing Tory's history
in the game and knowing that she's, you know, an
accomplished player, why did you guys decide to maybe encourage

(19:56):
Mikayla to go towards Cassidy or whatever it is that
you did to intervene.

Speaker 7 (19:59):
I mean Tori as a main vote on a double
limb means that us are gonna go against her. And
at this point, it's not even about fear. It's just
about like just being dumb, right, Like as what nine
eight seasons under her belt? I don't know who was
gonna volunteer one round before a final to go against

(20:19):
a season vet and a champ, Like, it just doesn't
make sense, right, And so it's like at this point
in the game, you've already like major bed which is
we're gonna run against her, We're gonna run with and like,
let's just run the final together. Made the best woman win.

Speaker 3 (20:32):
There's that Goldman thinking right there, that is exactly Josh,
what was your like, what is your best case scenario
going into this elimination? So actually, before you know, obviously,
before we find out that it is going to be you,
what were you kind of hoping would play out?

Speaker 4 (20:52):
Honestly, I was hoping it's so crazy, this is gonna
sound so crazy. But I the guilt that I was
feeling all day from voting in Johnny. I was hoping
it was going to be me and not Johnny, Like
I like when we were down in the sand, I
was like I'd rather it be mean and if I win,
then I won and I could deal with that guilt.
But it was killing me knowing that I, you know,

(21:15):
backstabbed me and Johnny. We were close going in, but
we became really close that season, so I could I
don't know. It was just like Toy said, it was
a really long day. I probably slept like two three hours.
My mind wasn't right. But also just like I wasn't
in the right headspace. I was, like I said in
the episode, I was so desperate to make a final
that I crossed friendships. I completely lost a sense of

(21:38):
myself and I just was like kind of not checked out.
But I was like, all right this, I made my
bed and not lay in it kind of thing. So
I was like fuck. Like even when I heard my name,
I was like, okay, like you know, this is probably
what was supposed to happen anyway. So yeah, I don't
know if that I answered the question, but.

Speaker 5 (21:58):
No, no, yeah, what do you think that?

Speaker 2 (22:02):
Like, I mean, obviously this entire season we see you
and Johnny bond right, like you guys stayed in the
same room together, and what was it that brought you
guys so close together?

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Like tell us about your relationship and friendship.

Speaker 4 (22:16):
Honestly, I think it's way before the show. Of all,
Johnny has always been a VET since I started the
game that has always looked out for me. I don't
think it was ever highlighted because we weren't that close
in past seasons, but he was always good to me.
He's never really crossed me. He's always had my back
in dealing with the fans and you know, dealing with
the game inside the house. He's always been so helpful
to me. So in that game, like we came in

(22:40):
United and you and him were besides bes were like
my brother and sister. They're like, you guys were my people.
So I felt safe. I felt good, Like I felt
like I, no matter what, I would have somebody that
was in my corner. And that's what was hard in
taking a shot at him, was losing that. So like
in kind of crossing him, him trusting me and building

(23:01):
this really because Johnny doesn't let a lot of people
and he's super friendly. He gets along with everybody, but
to be part of his core, like you know, it's
a big deal for him. So for me to break that,
I think that's what was really hard. But I honestly
was in such a hard like it felt like I
was going to cross Betsy if I It wasn't really
in choosing Corey. It was like I had to choose

(23:22):
it between Johnny and Festi, whereas in Corey would have
been the easiest thing for me to do, and I
think Betsey down the line would have respected it. I
think it was just like, all right, I'm crossing one
of my friends. Either way, I'm going to put somebody off.
So it was really tough.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
But Jush, do you feel like you make things hard
for yourself?

Speaker 4 (23:41):
Yes? Okay, yeah, yeah, but that's who I am as
a person. I can't you know. I like, if you
know me personally, you know that I love Hardleck. If
I consider your friend, I will give you the last
dollar in my pocket to start off my back. And
that's just how I am. But I think at that point,
you know, I'm playing with oh my good friends. Like

(24:02):
we got to that point and it's like all right, fuck,
it's like.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
You go, but you go above because even if we
go back to the elimination, we saw where you voted
Wes right, and it was like and you we saw
the emotional turmoil there, and actually, let's go back there briefly.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
Which did it hit you harder?

Speaker 3 (24:23):
Was it the vote you had to do for Wes
in terms of emotionally and regret and that sort of thing,
or the vote that you ended up doing for Bananas Johnny.

Speaker 4 (24:32):
Johnny, if Wes played again, I wouldn't do it again, honestly,
because I stand by that. I stand by the fact
that Wes is I did not attack him in confessionals.
I never talked bad about him. I did a game move,
and I stand by that game move.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
And do you stand by it now because you've seen
his confessional and seen him talking a little bit of smack.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Did that change how you feel?

Speaker 4 (24:50):
No? Because for me personally, I'm always going to do
what's best for my game, even if it's hard. I'm
not going to say I'm not gonna get emotional. I'm
not going to say I'm not gonna cry, I'm not
gonna say that it's not gonna be hard on me.
But I'm gonna do what's best. I knew at that
point it was best. My options were Tyler, Johnny and
Corey and West. Out of those four, the person that
I was least closest with was West, but also we
had played it so like Chanelle said it best in

(25:11):
the house. I remember her saying it, you know, she
was like, oh, we made the merge. We had played
up to the merge like how they say Survivor. We
made it to the high poay point. That's it. It's
an individual game now, so it's fair game. Was it
really hard yet because we had a really good friendship.
But you know, he's one of the best type of
play and nobody could ever take that away from him.
So for me, strategically, especially with the options I had,

(25:33):
I thought it was the best move. And you know, yeah,
him talking, you know, Wes is a great dude, and
I'm not going to bash him, but he has the
biggest ego in the world, and you know, I think
that instead of him being like Dan, this guy screwed
me over and like, you know, I considered him a friend.
He went the different route and dogs and so so
I wouldn't make the move. I would do do the

(25:54):
move again. I don't care how much should I get
for it. It was a smart play and I made
it further. So yeah, would you do the move again?

Speaker 3 (26:01):
Then with the bananas thing? Because you did it for
your own I mean, no, you wouldn't.

Speaker 4 (26:06):
I would never. I would never. I wouldn't much rather,
I much rather go out get out of it, you know,
just because and me and Johnny talked about it. We've
made up since then, but I still know it's.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
Not Yes, it's not gonna forget He's I just.

Speaker 4 (26:21):
Know in the game. I know that, uh, you know
it's gonna come my way at some point. And granted
I deserve it, but you know, that's that's one friendship
that I really, I really respect, and you know, he's
a really he's really he's just a really good friend
to me. So I regret that one. That's definitely. You know,
with these games you live, you learn, and you can

(26:42):
only learn from your mistakes, and I definitely that's one
that I really do regret.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
Do you think you're hard on yourself too, though, because
look Tory, as as Chanelle says, Tory plays with friends, right, like,
that's kind of part of her game and strategy and
ultimately for anyone in the game, when you get down
to the final X, Y, and Z, yeah, you have
to start making game.

Speaker 1 (27:04):
It's an individual game.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yet when those moves are made and we've seen pretty
much everyone do it who's made it to a final.
There's a sense of respect to a degree, Like I
feel like there's there's sort of two ways to go
about it. There's you make the moves you have to make,
and you go, look, I love you, but we're here
at this game and there's no you know, like this
is kind of what the options are, or you sort

(27:26):
of make it a little more complicated by right before
voting for that person, go I promise I'll never vote
for you in my entire life, and then you go
and vote for them.

Speaker 1 (27:34):
Do you think it.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Would be easier if you know you know that this
the next time you're in the challenge, you know, when
you make it this far, because I believe you're going
to make it to a final, it's far, you're gonna
have to then vote against someone you love or care about.
That just letting them know that that that vote in
that moment is not you as a person and you
as a friend, instead of like promising the world, do
you think that might make it a little easier?

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Can I speak to I just want to speak to
this because as somebody who like, if you look at
the way Josh Bananas and I all voted. It's like
we were friends. I put my vote on Josh, Josh
puts his vote on Bananas. The reaction Josh gives me
for me telling him is so much differ than the
reaction Bananas gets gives to Bananas. And that's what I
was trying to explain to Josh, and like, this is

(28:18):
truly how I feel. It was an unfair reaction from Bananas.

Speaker 1 (28:22):
Like I totally believe that.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
Listen, we're at the end with our friends and Josh,
the way you're beating yourself up and the way that
you're of course you're upset with me, and like you know,
we've had conversations about it, but how you're not attacking
me and you're not making me feel like a shitty
piece of person, a shitty piece of person, a shitty
person like.

Speaker 1 (28:39):
Bananas is doing that to you. And that's not fair.
And I think that.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
I think that, like, you don't have to beat yourself
up multiple times about this thing, because it is just
a game. We all sign up for the exact same thing.
We sign up to play, and we pray that the
end people have our back, and if they don't, then
so be it. Now, I think The tricky part with
this whole vote is Bananas was afraid that he was
going to go against Fessi in a hall brawl, which
now becomes less of a fear of.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
Oh I'm gonna lose more I'm gonna go home in.

Speaker 5 (29:07):
A stretcher, which is what exactly he was saying. So
it's like genuinely afraid of being hurt.

Speaker 1 (29:11):
But like same thing with Josh.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
Like Josh, this was the last elimination right before the final,
so this is big for you as well in a
different way. So I think you could be you could
be handling it the same way Johnny is, and you're not,
And you deserve to be treated the way you're treating me,
That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (29:25):
I agree.

Speaker 3 (29:26):
I'd say the one difference though is unless they didn't show,
like we didn't get to see it and it's behind
the scenes, is the immediately I don't know how many
hours you guys are having some of these conversations before
the vote, right, but saying like if Tory, if you
had gone up to Josh right before the vote and
been like, I swear on my life, I swear on
my cat, I swear on whatever I'll never vote for
you and then did it. I do think that pours

(29:47):
a little salt in the wound. But I agree, Josh,
like you did what you had to do.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
It doesn't make you a terrible person.

Speaker 4 (29:52):
I think I get where Toy's coming from, and you know,
there's some truth to it, and that's just I don't
hold grudg So I, you know, did it sting a
little bit then you voted for me? I mean, yeah,
it fucking sucks. But at the end of the day,
I love you, and I love you like family, and
we're gonna get over it, and I know we're gonna
have other times and we'll play together, and I trust

(30:14):
that you won't do that again. But I'm with Johnny.
I agree with Devin. I think that you know, he
really did trust me at that point, and I crossed,
you know, I crossed. I crossed him and I went
back on my word. So I get where he's coming
from and I understand that, And you know, I think
that it's just so crazy. I I feel like I

(30:38):
payed such a good social game or whatever to that point,
and I saw, indeed, really a few hours my whole
game crumble, but then lose, like I lost myself and
I that was the hardest pill to swallow. I was like, oh,
I couldn't even sit with myself. I was like, I
completely lost myself to this game, Like I completely lost

(30:58):
myself to the show. And that's what was I was
struggling with internally. I was like, holy shit, who yeah,
what am I willing to do to make a final?
So now months later I'm able to look at that
and be like, I will never move like that again
because it it's not who I am at my core.
And that was the hardest total swallow, besides crossing my friends,

(31:19):
was losing myself in the process of trying to accomplish
this a huge goal that I had been trying to attain.
So I think that that was the biggest lesson for me,
just to like reflect on that.

Speaker 1 (31:29):
Guess that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (31:31):
Chanelle, you as a strategist, I mean you mentioned that
you prepared for you manifested being on the challenge. I
get a lot of dms of people asking how to
get on the challenge listen to Chanel and manifest also trying,
but we don't see a lot of you in the
lead up, which I actually think is sort of telling.
Usually because that means like, oh, they're the silent Killers, right,

(31:51):
Like they're gonna you're going to see more of them
as like the season so earlier in the season, we
don't see a ton of you. What was your strategy
and did you kind of have conversations or thoughts with
yourself about that going in because you said you physically trained,
but how did you prepare for this element that really
shapes the game.

Speaker 7 (32:11):
Yeah, that's a great question. I don't know if I
thought so much about strategy other than like get out
the vets. And also it's like the thing that I
had to like realize is that Survivor is so much
different than The Challenge, where on Survivor, you know your
your social game can kind of get you to the end,

(32:32):
and like backstabbing is like rewarded and being like Slimy
and Shady's rewarded, and the Challenge like you want to
be fiercely loyal to your people, right because I'm in
the game where you know you're going to need them
to help you get further. And so that's where we
see like in the beginning of the game, I'm like
fiercely loyal. I will die on this hill for you
Desi and michaela right to getting to be into the game,

(32:54):
where like these are people who protected me because of
that out the upfront kind of loyalty that I showed.
And so I mean it's interesting because we don't see
a lot of my social connections, but like I was
really embedded, like with Survivor, but also Big Brother and
the Vets, like once we got to the middle of
the game, I mean a really like I made pretty

(33:15):
like pretty important alliances with Bananas, with Wes, with Corey,
like those were my core men, and we don't see wow,
those relations Yeah, but like there's a reason why Bananas
went to the booth and didn't vote for me, right
at the end, Right, there's a reason why I put
my ball on Josh and not Bananas. Also Josh and
I had a vendetta.

Speaker 3 (33:33):
Oh okay, but I had really I.

Speaker 7 (33:38):
Had really strong relationships with the Vets, which we we
don't see, the Vet men which we don't see. And
so really I just knew that it was going to
come to a certain point where they could not protect
me and I was just gonna have to fight for myself.
And so really I was just like be loyal to
my girlies as far as long as I can, you know,
set up a strong line of like men that I
wanted to work with, and then when it comes down

(33:59):
to it, just by fight your way into the final
Can you speak to what was the dynamic between you
and Josh in the house, because we don't see a
ton of interaction between the two of you. Give us
a little behind the scenes. Josh was convinced and he
was right that me and Kit were running for him.
Mikayla and I wanted him out.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
So why so bad?

Speaker 7 (34:17):
Because Josh, very similar to like Michelle, was embedded really
well with both sides, right and the rookies, and Josh
like I saw right through the whole. Hey buddy, hey brother,
I love you, but I'm like Josh, like, I see
what you're doing right off.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (34:36):
And the thing is I knew Josh had so many
people to protect and I was at the bottom of
his list, right, So I was like, Josh's Josh is
someone that I'm expendable to, So he's expendable to me.
And so that's why for a really long time I
wanted Josh out. But eventually we had to put the
knife down, call it truce, and make it further because
there was a certain period of times I was getting

(34:56):
balls every single week, like over and over. So that
was kind of what my like what my approach was
to the social game, to the strategic game.

Speaker 4 (35:06):
Can I just say yeah, Can I just say real quick,
Chanelle played one of the best as a rookie coming in.
She and it's disappointing that it's not highlighted. She played
one of the best social games that I've seen any
rookie play in that house. Mikayla did too, but Mikayla
was kind of cold. Like Mikayla was like either she
rocked with you or she didn't, and there was no

(35:27):
getting it. Chanelle really brought in that group and then Daisy,
for I want to say the first half kept kind
of to herself, like it was really hard to read her.
But Chanelle was like that one that pulled them in
and she played such a good social game, and like
she said, she was connected with a lot of people.
I right off the rip, we were in the team together,
so I saw her as an ascid but quickly I

(35:48):
realized the threat that she was because I was like,
this girl's good. So she became kind of like I
was like, all right, if I want to advance myself
orre advance the people I'm working with, she's got to go.
But as the game went on, I was like, dude,
she's such a strong competitor and she really the dailies
you can only see so much. Chanell really competed so good.
So I'm listen, I'm proud of the turnout that you

(36:09):
had this season, Shaney, and yeah, you played a great
game that people got to put respect on.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
So there was a lot of chatter around Chanelle's I
met Chanelle at Marie's baby shower and people had great
things to say, and there was just a lot of chatter.
And I think, Eve, when I talk to you Tory
about like, oh I met Chanelle, there was just a
lot of like respect for so I knew great things
were going to come for you, Chanell, which is what
I was like, we've got to get you on the podcast.

(36:35):
You've got to get you on the podcast and how
you play. But now knowing about Goldman, like obviously she's
a strategist.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
Of course, she had really good strategy. She was making
good money to buys and other people.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
Of course, of course she was really good at strategy.

Speaker 1 (36:48):
All right, we have to take a quick break, but
we'll be right back after this.

Speaker 3 (37:00):
When you said, Chanel that you and Josh sort of
put your knives down right like eventually like called a truce.
Did you have a blatant conversation around that or was
it just kind of an understanding like hey, all right,
let's stop going after each other.

Speaker 7 (37:15):
No, we we had a blatant conversation around that, And
so I think it was around the merge quote unquote
where we started to see a shift where basically every
guy in the house wanted to work with Tory, Chanell, Dosie, Michaela.
Like every guy was like, you guys are my final four.
Y'all are my final four. And I think joshla was like,
all right, like you got to be my final court too,

(37:37):
And so that was when the conversation happened where the
four of us became a commodity in the house, whereas
before but teams, it was like very like you couldn't
really make you couldn't really make like strategy off of
us being in teams.

Speaker 1 (37:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, it was an interesting shift in the game, and
I think that it was all about surviving to get
to that point. And then we all kind of was like,
all right, we'll we have to work together now. And
with obviously the only of Josh, it like worked because.

Speaker 4 (38:03):
With the exception, but everybody made it.

Speaker 1 (38:06):
And not that I not that I didn't want Josh
to be there.

Speaker 2 (38:08):
I really like what I mean, I feel bad saying
that because I'm like, I voted for him, so it's like, yeah,
it's like, how can I say that, but I did.
I was actually praying to God that his ball was
not picked.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yeah, it was tough. The minute Chris one. I feel
like the minute Chris.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
And Michayla won, I was inking at you guys sort
of being like, Okay, what's gonna you know, I mean
happy for them. And also yeah, because a victor, Chris
is faced adversity, you know, good or bad getting there.
So to make it and have that like peace of
mind that he's going to the final is just wow
and good on Chris. And and then Mikayla having that
fear at that chat, I feel like maybe she's maybe

(38:45):
that's the ultimate strategy and she's just psyching folks out
because this is the second time you see Michaela pretend no,
because remember she was like we've seen her get real
scared at heights and then she like comes out on top.
So like I don't I don't know how it works,
but she's brilliant.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
She's motivated by fear. Man, there's nothing that could have taken.
I thought the ladder was going to burst into flames.
I'm like, this bitch is fucking.

Speaker 5 (39:09):
Incinerating this thing. Yes, she was amazing, amazing, like she
was crushing it.

Speaker 4 (39:14):
I remember before the challenge, we walk up and if
you see mikaela dead silent, you know she shook, So
I knew she was terrified. But that's exactly like you said,
Like she's so driven by fear that it's so it's
so awesome to see in person. Like yeah, on the shows,
but like when you see that and you see somebody
so shaken and off and she's like like at the

(39:36):
ViRGE of a panic attack and she just performs that,
shits so amiable, so powerful. I was really I was
so happy. Like while for my game, I wish we
could have targeted Chris obviously, Like I was genuinely so
happy when I heard both of them make it into
the final because they had a journey, especially Chris his
Papa was not easy, so they definitely deserved the spot.
So I'm happy for those two.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
Yeah, speaking of someone else who had a journey, and
we we noticed, like I mean she earlier, Chanelle was
pretty like chill. We don't see a ton of her
up until this point in the game, but when we
do see her, oftentimes she is making a facial reaction,
whether it be a side eye or grimace or eye
roll at Cassidy.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
So can you speak a little bit, Chanel? I wish
we could do a montage like I do. I wish
moments like this.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
That this podcast was visual, so we could just do
a montage of those moments with Chanelle's standing their hands
in pockets, head tilted to the side, which is like
classic Chanelle, I feel like, and her just making a
face while Cassidy's like giving a speech or comsbody out
or whatever, and she just rolled her eyes right now
in the video, you guys exactly. So Chanell, can you
speak a little bit about your thoughts about you know,

(40:43):
what you like about her strategy and gameplay, maybe what
you didn't like, and then ultimately how you feel when
you find.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
Out you're going into an elimination against her. Yeah, I
mean from.

Speaker 7 (40:53):
The beginning of a game, Cassidy wasn't really protecting me.
I think it was a case of Chanel's already protected,
so I'm gonna just take credit for protecting her, right
Like the Red Team. Yeah, the Red Team went into
a like an agreement with the Blue Team that they
weren't going to target us, and so Cassidy never at
any point actually stuck her neck out on the line
for me. And I think that there was assume survivor alliance, Like,

(41:16):
there was no real survivor alliance. I didn't trust Chris
Sebastian had his head in the clouds. Cassidy was chaosity
in the game, so really, and then Michelle I was
close to, and then obviously Dosi and Mikayla, and so
there wasn't a real survivor alliance. And I think once
we got to the individual portion, like I got to

(41:36):
really experience Cassidy's game, and I think she played a
very like lack of self aware, Like she played with
the lack of self awareness. There are times in the
game where I was like going like guns blazing towards
the vets, and I realized I might be by myself
in this fight, and I had to pivot and shift
my strategy. Cassidy never shifted her strategy. She didn't play

(41:58):
a dynamic game at all, and so it was really
hard to play with her. And then I think the
part that kind of made me roll my eyes at
her was when she would like puff up her chest
about her elimination wins and I'm like, baby, like, you
didn't really go against formidable opponents, you know, like, I'm.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
Not discrediting everybody she went against.

Speaker 7 (42:19):
I'm just being real, like if you kinda go on
the sand, beat your chest and call someone out, like
I mean, you gotta have like a real win under
your belt.

Speaker 3 (42:27):
And so that was really but she's had several you
can't take away I mean, she had several elimination win. Yeah,
you can't take away multiple An elimination win is an
elimination win.

Speaker 2 (42:39):
But also think about the emotional stress you have to
go through for potentially going in every single time.

Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yeah, she's not even.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
Just battling an opponents, She's literally battling the house.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
Everybody wants her out of the game, you know, Like.

Speaker 7 (42:53):
Yes, I get that, I get that. And maybe the
layup comment was a little bit harsh.

Speaker 3 (42:58):
But I guess you're so you're so referring to her
as a layup when she's no, it was harsh.

Speaker 7 (43:04):
It was harsh. It was hard, Yes, harsh. I will
I will walk that back a little bit. It was
definitely harsh. I guess what I was really just trying
to say was like I just wasn't impressed, right, I Like,
I wasn't impressed.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
But even by multiple damn, you're hard to impress.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
We gotta look, we got it roll because Cassidy has
been getting it and and she you know, like if
roles were reversed, you don't think even after one elimination win,
but certainly after multiple Now, granted her strategy did seem
chaosity seemed very apropos as a name, because yes, her
strategy all the things, it was a little interesting, but

(43:38):
after even one elimination win regardless, because anything can happen.
I mean, we've seen great to go out right, like
any anything can happen in elimination, and she's also a rookie,
and so to go in and come back even once
I feel like you would swagger in there and be like,
you know, you you'd have a little little extra height,

(44:00):
uh in your stance there, but then to see her
do it three times, she she obliterated the Alysses. We
can just just the Alysses. We'll just call it she
got the Alysses out Michelle as well. I mean, we
gotta put some respect on Cassidy's name.

Speaker 1 (44:16):
I'm gonna put this point.

Speaker 7 (44:17):
I'm gonna put some respect on Cassidy's name. For sure.
I wouldn't say she obliterated the Alysses. I think she
just beat them. But I'm gonna put respect. It was
a close game both times. I'm gonna put some respect
on Cassidy's name there. It's gotta be. I mean, I
know I was isolated in my season of Survivor. There
is a huge mental toll that it takes on you
and to be able to fight through that and to
still win and to show up like I will absolutely

(44:41):
give her respect. I just didn't appreciate being called out
like people will. Chanelle's a strong girl. She's not a
strong girl. Whatever. You know, Like, whatever your opinion is fine,
but don't call out like a really strong competitor when
like you have won off of like you know, maybe
not as great competitors in the and they say.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
Wait, I have a question for you. How big of
your win in this elimination? How would you categorize that win?
I mean, I think a hall brawl is hard, but like, listen,
if I went in a hall brawl against Tory and
I want, I'd be like, all right, yeah, like I'm
that great. If I went in against you know, like
Alyssa Snyder or I'm sorry, actually I shouldn't call anyone out.

Speaker 6 (45:21):
If I don't think me smaller than me, right, I'd
be like, yeah, like I would expect that outcome, right,
But if I went against someone that, I'm like, man,
I'm really proud that I beat them.

Speaker 7 (45:31):
I'm gonna feel like, you know.

Speaker 3 (45:33):
Ser you downplaying your win in the elimination? Is the
question a little bit? Or is it fair for people
to downplay your win also because it wasn't just a
hall brawl, and it wasn't like a best two of three,
which I think at that point, if we're gonna, if
we're gonna I'm just playing the other side, if we're
gonna hold you to that, when there's hall brawls that
are best two out of three, that's crazy physically intense, right,

(45:54):
because you're doing it solely off strength, and you're getting
battered every time. When you're doing a hall borl that
altimate at leads determined by a puzzle where y'all get
relatively close in shouting out those numbers. I mean, is
it fair to say then that should really rocked a
hall brawl or did y'all just pass in the hallway
and solve a puzzle. I'm just saying, if we're gonna
hold Cassidy to a certain standard, is it only fair?

Speaker 7 (46:19):
Fair point? Fair point? Listen. I will say Cassidy is
a competitor, she is not a layup at all. I
just was not like blown away by her elimination wins.
That's all I will say. Was my elimination win like
a huge win? Honestly it was. It was, It was reasonable,
But like I would feel much better if I went

(46:40):
into the like arena and beat someone like a Tory
or a Michael or does it. I'd be like, wow,
like I'm really really proud of myself, you know.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
And I think those those moments come from like when
you don't expect yourself to win, like you hope you do,
but like you don't. And I think, like maybe walking
into this, you had confidence that you could. You know,
I definitely feel you because the eliminations most proud of
are the ones where I thought I was going to
get obliterated and somehow didn't. So I think it's like
when we surprise ourselves. And Cassidy knew she was good

(47:08):
at eliminations. You know, she was good at challenges on Survivor.
She had mentioned that or competitions whatever they're called, and
you know, so to see her, to see her go
in like this and also to put in your ball
like I mean, she didn't have many many options, you know,
but I give her credit for for at least, you know,
putting her ball on you and then seeing it through.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
Yeah, Josh, what's your take on all of this?

Speaker 3 (47:29):
What are your thoughts on like Cassidy's elimination wins and
just how.

Speaker 1 (47:34):
She moved in the game.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
No, I think listen, you win three eliminations. That is
super impressive. And like Tory said, I mean, we all
know the energy when you enter the elimination arena and
all that stuff and being down in the sand, that
in itself it's something that you know, you know, it's tough,
and for her to come out on top all the time,
come back into the house, be out numbered, targeted week

(47:58):
after week. You know, I know that's really tough. So
I am proud of her. I'm not gonna take that
away from her. I think Chanelle and Cassidy off ripped
in and rock with each other. That's just my take
on it. You know, I thought the tension off the
bat like they just weren't close. That's just the reality.
They weren't close. I think towards the end they started,
you know, getting along or whatever. But I felt like
that competitive you want to say, that competitive energy where

(48:20):
you know, Chanel would tell me things, Cassidy would tell
me stuff. So I was like, all right, they really
they're not in each other's corner, but they stuck together
because of survivor. I think that's the only holding, like
the glue that they had, right. But you know, I
gotta and like Chanelle, I give Shanelle credit beating Cassidy.
She's been down in the same three times. You won
your way to finally, you can't knock that either. You're

(48:41):
a badass, yeah, and you're a tough ass competitor. You know,
if they highlighted or not, we lived, We we I
swam with you next week, next to you in the water,
never gave up. I competed side by side with you
in challenges. So I know what each of these girls have.
And you know, I'm not gonna knock either of them
because I think that both of them are really competitors
and they're two rookies that I think they're going to
become staples.

Speaker 5 (49:01):
I think that's I think that's such a good point.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
Like you know, I think the energy or across the board, like, yeah,
you should look at what you just did as a
massive victory because it's the.

Speaker 1 (49:09):
Elimination right before the final. And yes it's a hall brawl.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
There was a physical aspect, but there was also after
you get your brain can cussed by the other person,
you have to then go to a puzzle.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
So it's like, don't you have got her brain?

Speaker 3 (49:22):
Because because we don't see her carry she basically carried
Cassidy back to the engy, she did.

Speaker 2 (49:28):
All I'm saying is all I'm saying is after impact,
you then have to slow down your brain and think
you know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (49:34):
But yes, can we talk about how she we're getting
the rules from production? There she goes she's like, can
I drag her to my poll? No?

Speaker 1 (49:46):
You did not, Chanel.

Speaker 4 (49:47):
I did her down.

Speaker 8 (49:48):
On the sad and then drag her. They arguing like,
do you really think you can drag me?

Speaker 3 (49:59):
She's like, yeah, oh my gosh, oh we need you
to on a rival season.

Speaker 1 (50:05):
We need arrival season.

Speaker 4 (50:09):
Can I drag her through this sand and just pin
her down next to my board? I was like, she's nuts.

Speaker 1 (50:16):
Okay, so y'all really didn't get along. This is bigger
personal level.

Speaker 7 (50:22):
On a personal level, I think Cassie is a great
person from a game perspective.

Speaker 3 (50:27):
Now saying all that after you just tried to disqualify
her three elimination wins and preemptively ask if you could
drag her ass back to your side of the thing,
talk about.

Speaker 1 (50:35):
On a personal level, she's a good person to get
out of here with that.

Speaker 7 (50:40):
On a personal level, I think she's nice and great.
But from a game perspective, we just play very different games, right.
I'm very logical. I like to think a strategy. I'm
very like emotionally intelligent in my relationships and in my moves,
where Cassie is just I'm very emotionally driven, very all
over the place, very much static in her game play,
and because of that, we just didn't really mesh that

(51:02):
well in the game.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
And so am I and Josh didn't mesh that well
in the beginning that too.

Speaker 4 (51:11):
That's it.

Speaker 7 (51:12):
And I think also for me, right, I just hold
a very high bar for myself, and so sometimes right
that bar comes out being projected on other people. Out
hold a very bar for everyone else. And so when
someone's not at that bar, I'm like, ooh, are you
really that you know, yeah, it's not fair. That's not fair,
because I will say that Cassidy I got I remember
the one round where I got like four balls on

(51:33):
my name and I like walked to the side of
the tent just started crying to myself. And so like,
I cannot discount the emotional toll and wait that Cassidy
had to carry throughout the game, because I'm sure that
that would break even the strongest of us.

Speaker 3 (51:48):
Yes, yeah, can we talk strategy about this elimination so
we see it's Haulborough, right, and we know that that
is you know, a very physical I've always said if
I walked into the arena and it was hallbro, I
probably just turn around and walk away, Like that would
be even probably.

Speaker 1 (52:04):
Even if it was pillow puzzle bral.

Speaker 3 (52:07):
I mean actually so, so this would be the one
time I might turn around and walk away and then
turn back and be like fine. But for any of
the other hall brawls, like it's just I've always been
like I would probably walk away. I say that, but
I'm also stubborn, so who knows. But they're just scary,
they're hard. But with this one, because it wasn't just

(52:28):
determined by who got to the other end first, right,
which they usually are.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
It's usually who gets to the other end and that's it.
So you have every.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
Incentive to do what it sounds like Sanel really wanted
to do, which is drag Cassidy all the way back
to her side or you know, take the other person here.
The incentive is like even if you do all that,
you then still got to solve this puzzle.

Speaker 1 (52:46):
So I was curious about why it seems.

Speaker 3 (52:49):
Like both of you spent a decent like like whether
there were rules that were told to you, r what,
But you spent a decent amount of energy fighting one
another in the hall, and ultimately you're kind of risking
your physical health going into the final Like if you
make it out because you know you might be bruising,
battered up or whatever, which is gonna hurt you in
the final, but also when you you may win the

(53:10):
hall part. But because I think we even see it,
Like didn't Cassidy went and reported in an answer first
that was wrong, but like she thought she had solved
the puzzle at one point. So yeah, did you guys
ever think maybe we don't fight that hard in the
hall and we just I or not we, but just
you know your own personal strategy, Like I don't fight

(53:30):
that hard in the hall, I just gun it to
that puzzle so I can solve it and win.

Speaker 7 (53:35):
I mean, I think you guys know my strategy. I
wanted to drave Cassie all the way to my pupleow
my strategy honestly squared againess that was my strategy. I
was just gonna be my puzzle and hold her down
until I think.

Speaker 3 (53:48):
I feel like this is becoming a Watch What Happens
Live episode with Andy Cohne, and every time you say
the word Cassidy drink or whatever you know, and.

Speaker 1 (53:56):
Like, I feel like that's what's happening.

Speaker 7 (53:57):
No, my strategy though, but it's so funny for the
I don't know why I spent so much time in
the hall, but I just wanted I knew I wanted
to get to my puzzle first, but I was really
disappointed when I saw the puzzle at the end of
the hall braw like, puzzles are not my forte. I'm
not really good. I honestly was like thinking Cassidy might
win this because of the puzzle itself, and so I

(54:20):
guess I just wanted to get to my puzzle as
quickly as possible, have any kind of moments that, like,
any additional time that I could could have to try
and solve it. But I didn't really have that much
of a strategy going into it.

Speaker 4 (54:31):
What about you, Josh, I think best. I think Fest
was like, listen, we don't really best kind of put
that out there, but I'm like, dude, we're gonna be
First of all, there's nowhere to run. We have two Yeah,
you guys, we had to you know, there was no
way but to go through each other. So I think
Fest through that out there, but at that point it
was like, listen, I'm just gonna do what I can
to get across. But to be honest with you, I

(54:54):
wish it would have been a regular hall braw, like
even going against Bessy at least I would have been like,
all right, I take my out gladly this fuck. This
dude ran me over three rounds, but I gave him
a good fight. Like that one just felt a little
I don't know, and it being one like one round,
one shot just sucked.

Speaker 1 (55:10):
But yeah, one round, one shot. I thought it would
have been nice to see it.

Speaker 4 (55:14):
It came down to the puzzle.

Speaker 3 (55:15):
It came down what do you guys think about Betsy's
strategy to not even really do the puzzle, but just
to keep going back and guessing numbers.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
What do you guys think about that?

Speaker 7 (55:26):
Smarter, not harder. It's it's so interesting because I remember,
right right after Josh put a ball on me that
probably sent me in, He's like, Chanelle, so how do
you solve this? How do you solve this puzzle? What's
your strategy? And I was like, listen, the strategy is
if you guess the number, your number is probably just
one or two off from the actual, like right answer.

(55:46):
So I was like, when you go back, I was like,
just keep guessing one above or one below, Like that's
typically how the puzzle kind of breaks down, and so
we saw FESSI just going one more, one more, and
then he finally hit it.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
Yeah, so Josh did Chane'll give you this bit of
infol prior to you going into.

Speaker 4 (56:02):
The right before Yeah, right before we were putting on
our souldier pads and she was talking like she had said, Oh,
I've done this puzzle before, like kind of you know,
like that was feeling herself. So I was like, oh, bet,
give me the poortus because I had never done a
puzzle like that. I feel good with puzzles, but I
have never seen one like that, at least all of
the seasons I've done. So she was right. She was right,

(56:25):
and it worked out, profess, But I was it felt
so fast too. That was the one thing if like
split like you play this game for so long and
in seconds, it felt like not even forty five seconds
the game was over. I was like, what so it
just happened. It all happened so quick. But I'm proud
of fast Man and he you know, he deserved his spot.

(56:46):
So it is what it is.

Speaker 3 (56:48):
Does it feel good a little bit knowing at least
one of your dearest friends is in the final.

Speaker 4 (56:54):
Yeah, und I mean, yeah, of course, but even looking
up at everybody that was left, I was bawling my
eyes out. But I was so happy for every single
person because we truly every single person that was left
at that point in the game, be it you were
done in the sand three times of Cassidy and Chris
or you know, we all played such a good game
socially and connected and looked out for each other. So

(57:16):
I was really just happy to see the group that
made it. They were also deserving to be there.

Speaker 1 (57:19):
So this has been an amazing season. You guys are
all amazing.

Speaker 3 (57:23):
And I have to give props to the VET guys
and the rookie girls because there are there's only sorry
touring Wow, because look at how many rookie girls. There's
only one VET girl left. There's only one VET girl left.
And these rookie girls came in and executed and stayed
focused and made it happen and are arguable threats to

(57:46):
win this this season. And I made it a point
not to have spoilers this season for myself because I
want to just like watch as a fan, and I
really anyone could take it home. It's anyone's game. And
then to the rookie guy or sorry to the vet
guys because there's only one rookie guy left you guys.

Speaker 4 (58:04):
Now.

Speaker 3 (58:04):
Granted, some of the rookie guys this season were interesting,
but as a whole meaning that I felt like the
women came in laser focus. I felt like the women,
the rookie women, came in sort of running the house
from the jump, whereas for the rookie guys, I felt
like some of them just were like, you know, sort

(58:26):
of the vibe. But like, props to the rookie girls
and even the rookie guys in the beginning for having
the vets on the back foot for so long, because
for a while it looked like it was definitely an
uphill battle for them. But it makes this final really interesting. Josh,
what will you do differently? Like one thing that you'll
do differently when you come back next time, And what's

(58:49):
one thing that you feel like works really well for
you this season that you're definitely gonna incorporate into your
strategy again.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
I mean, this whole season, I didn't have the outcome
that I but I'm you know, I think with every
single season, you learn from your mistakes, and I think
that definitely crossing one of my really good friends in
the game, being Johnny. I think that that was for
me personally. That was even after we filmed. I was

(59:17):
struggling with that so bad. We all traveled and we
like for a week, went and did our thing, and
I was still struggling with that internally, but I kept
it to myself. I think that I would never cross
what am I good. I'd rather cross myself, if I'm
being honest, I'd rather like put myself down in the sand.
That was a learning lesson. But I think also, don't

(59:37):
make too many promises you can't keep. And I think
that I made way too many promises that I couldn't
cash and I'm the first one to admit that, and
that's all I can do. But also I think that
I'm While I'm disappointed how my game ended, I'm proud
of the game that I played because it play a
really good social game, if you want to say. And

(59:59):
you know, I I was so laser focused on getting
to the end that I lost sight at the end.
But I still made it to top ten and I'm
proud of that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:06):
And your hair looked great, Josh, by the way, and
some of those interviews you were serving.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
Looks like you had a.

Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Leather jack know one point, like I was like, okay,
josh Like really I'd say this is one of your
best seasons when it comes to that. So like you
were serving, sir, and you did play a good game.
You kept your cool even early on, and at the end,
everyone can't go to the final right, so like, you know,
it is what it is, but it's not even like
I actually personally don't even think it was necessarily a

(01:00:32):
karmic thing as much for I think we see it
play out in the show sometimes, but I don't feel
like personally it was that. I just think it wasn't
It just wasn't your day.

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
It wasn't your moment.

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
But you did a really good and you didn't get
booted out josh So like or you know, get that
hot headed to wur you got mad and then throwing
things or anything like that.

Speaker 1 (01:00:53):
So that's progress. Yeah, Joshua was so proud of yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:00:57):
Janelle, what's one thing you would do differently without giving spoilers,
we don't know how it ends, but just in general
from where we are now, Like, what's one thing that
didn't work for you or that you're like, Okay, next season,
I'd probably switch this up. And then what's something that
you feel like, Oh no, I feel really good about
how I utilize this, and I'm going to definitely do
it again when I come back.

Speaker 7 (01:01:18):
I would say, from from a game perspective, I'm not
sure if there's that much that I would change. I
think like I was a little bit gullible, Like there
were a few times where my really close allies like
Michelle would just like kind of screw me over and
I'd be like, Wow, why did I not see this coming,
you know, And so I would just say, like just
keeping my head on a swivel more. And I think

(01:01:38):
from a just like perspective of being like bringing more
of myself always to the season, I think that like
sometimes it's hard to break out of like my very
like logical and like laser focused shell. And so I
would just say, like bringing more myself to the season.
I think that I did it, you know, pretty well
or much better than I did at Survivor, but we

(01:01:59):
don't don't see it as much come across, and so
I would just say like being you know, having more
fun with it. Really, like I was really into the game,
and I just want to have more fun with it
next time. Also, Josh our fearless leader, I just have
to give you props. You put together the most chaotic
team ever.

Speaker 4 (01:02:18):
That a squad. Say, listen, I before we came into this,
I had no ideation I was going to be on.
But I saw her training we met prior to the season,
and I was like, dude, this girl's badass. So as
soon as I saw her there, I was like, Oh,
I want her on my squad, and she's a great competitor.
But I think that you saying that, Shane. I think
as the season went on towards the end, we definitely
saw you come out of your show. And I don't know,

(01:02:41):
I just like, I'm so listen this the ending was
a shit show for me. It was probably the worst outcome,
but I'm just so happy and so thankful with God
that one I continue to come back with the group
that we were with, Like, I truly fucking I have
so much love for these people and I'm so happy
to see them continue in the game. And I'm just
I feel so lucky that I was part of this.
Like the season two of USA, it was such a

(01:03:02):
good group of people and I feel like we're going
to be stuck together moving forward in the future seas
so yeah, even though means to know how to Rocky start.

Speaker 1 (01:03:12):
I think I think both of you guys had incredible seasons.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
And Chanelle, I just want to say, like my first season,
I walked away feeling like I wish I would have
done more or whatever. And I was a rookie who
kind of stayed quiet through the entire game, just tried
to win play politically, but like was very low key.
Made it to a final and like that was massive
in the challenge fandom eyes, Like what felt small to

(01:03:35):
me because I felt like I could have given more.
It's like I actually didn't give myself enough credit. Like,
and I think that you maybe be in the same boat,
because it's like you deserve to look at this entire
thing and be like, holy crap. I made it all
the way through this insane game, went to a hall
at the very end, and made it into a finale.

Speaker 3 (01:03:52):
There's a lot the damn Final kid, absolutely like no,
that's epic and legendary in and of itself, and you
don't have to be in like I would just ask
for more of your side eye and looks in future
seasons because I live for it, Like it's always funny
because the caramon would just like cut up to Chanelle
like they something you're going on, and it would just
like quickly cut to Shanell making a face and then.

Speaker 1 (01:04:12):
It would like cut back. I live for that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
It was so like fun and I feel like we
would get to see a little bit of oh, that's
what she's thinking, or like ooh, Chanelle's not happy about that,
which is fun. But yeah, like the ones sometimes who
are the loudest or make a big show maybe too
much of their personality, you're the ones that get sent
home early sometimes. So you know, what you've been doing
has definitely worked as long as you feel like you're
getting the most out of the experience.

Speaker 1 (01:04:33):
Both of you, guys, it's been so fun to watch.

Speaker 3 (01:04:36):
I do think this is one of the best Challenge
seasons in Challenge history. Yeah, I think it's Yeah, I do,
I do. I think it's been so good. I tell everyone.
I was telling people in the airport yesterday. They're like,
get away from me with this, but I'm like no, no, no,
Like I was telling my doorman because he's a Challenge
I was like, no, this season, Like, really, it's just
it's got all the things. So many of you guys

(01:04:57):
are great, and you kind of root for everyone in
their own way for different reasons, Like it's just you guys.
It's been a chef's kiss of a season.

Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Is there any parting world?

Speaker 3 (01:05:10):
So I get a lot of dms of people who's
dream is to be on the Challenge. What's like one
sentence to anyone listening who feels like one day I
want to do that.

Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
I want to manifest being on the Challenge.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
What's like one the one piece of advice or the
one thing that you would want to give to them
or want them to know.

Speaker 7 (01:05:28):
I would say, like, just always believe you're the exception.
I always believe that, and like that's going to help
you manifest whatever you want. I'm like, why not me?

Speaker 1 (01:05:36):
So just be delusional in your believing self. Girl.

Speaker 3 (01:05:39):
I am happily deluded. I think, yeah, I'm delusion all
the time, but it.

Speaker 1 (01:05:43):
Works half the time. So like, be delusional in yourself. Josh,
what about you, what's the one thing that you would
want to share?

Speaker 4 (01:05:50):
I think, first of all, fucking stay true or you
would love the hell out of yourself because getting in
this space and belond you got to be very very
confident and love yourself, be happy in your own skin,
because if not, people will destroy you. One day you're
a favorite, the next day you're hated. Luckily, for me,

(01:06:12):
I've been hated. It gives me the freedom to not
give a shit. But I think that you know, there's
so much negativity that comes with it, but then it's
also such a blessing and I I'm just so thankful.
Now I'm going to go on a remp, but I'm
just so grateful that this has turned into my life,
and I take the positive and it's just like, if
this is what you want to do, then go for it.

(01:06:34):
I never saw myself. I've been in this game for
six years and I truly never thought it would end
up on reality TV. So I feel very lucky. But
if it's your dream, just block everybody out until you
manifest and like Shaney said, and make it a reality.

Speaker 1 (01:06:48):
Yeah, amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:06:50):
You guys are so great for If they want any
more of this inspiration from me to inspirational gurus, or
they want some strategy, maybe take the strategy from Chanel,
a little less from Josh, but either way, still good
good strategies. Where can they find you on socials? Where
can they follow you?

Speaker 7 (01:07:09):
You guys can follow me on Instagram at Chanel Hoowe, TikTok,
Chanel dot Howell and shameless plug. I did just launch
my career consulting business, so I bio I do do
pre consultations if you guys are trying to figure out
what kind of careers you want to set into.

Speaker 1 (01:07:31):
Nice I love that.

Speaker 4 (01:07:33):
Yes, my my g's Josh Underscore Martinez and then Twitter
is just madness.

Speaker 2 (01:07:47):
Well, it's always a pleasure talking to both of you guys. Chanelle,
congrats on the launch of your yess. I'm so proud
of you, and I mean, I'm sure the like not
that my pride matters, but everybody who watches you should
just know how difficult that is, the moves that you've
made in your career to step away from you know,
Goldman Sachs, to go the challenge to then start your
own career. Like that's honorable and everybody should share her

(01:08:07):
stuff and go check it out, because like, what a
what a genius of a woman you are. And Josh,
we love you and you're you have a heart of gold, So.

Speaker 1 (01:08:17):
Take care of that.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Heart because you deserve to be loved and fuck the
people who don't.

Speaker 1 (01:08:22):
Like you for real.

Speaker 4 (01:08:23):
Love you, guys, this is fun.

Speaker 3 (01:08:25):
Thank you for the need you're well, it's to prepare
you for your Real Housewives audition. I may have episode
Josh that you should be a Real Housewives.

Speaker 4 (01:08:36):
I gotta change it up. Something's got.

Speaker 1 (01:08:41):
You you are, Josh.

Speaker 3 (01:08:43):
Yes, you definitely are a bit of a roller coaster,
but in an entertaining way, like somebody's got to do
it and be it, and we love it. Thank you
both so much for coming on the podcast and opening
up and sharing about your experience. And Josh, we look
forward to seeing You're a challenge staple at this point,
so we definitely look forward to seeing you again soon.

Speaker 1 (01:09:01):
And Chanelle excited to see.

Speaker 3 (01:09:04):
I've made Tori swear not to give me spoilers, so
like I am excited to see how it all turns out.

Speaker 7 (01:09:12):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:13):
Thanks guys, what an interview Tor so good. Double Dose.
I kind of like these double Dose moments. How do
you feel about it?

Speaker 2 (01:09:33):
I mean it was a lot like both of them
have completely different storylines right now, and obviously one of
the storylines is continuing Chanelle's going to the final. Josh
gets eliminated right before the final, Like it just feels
like a lot like heavy in a way, yeah, but happy.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
But interesting right like where I feel like you're peeling
back the layers, which is so cool.

Speaker 3 (01:09:54):
We're getting to learn a little bit more, I've said
at Timetime again, this is proving to be one of
my favorite seasons of all time.

Speaker 7 (01:10:02):
So good.

Speaker 3 (01:10:03):
And speaking of peeling back the layers and the onions,
do you eat onions? But better question, even if you
don't eat onions, where can people peel back your layers
and find out more about you on social guys?

Speaker 1 (01:10:14):
You guys can watch.

Speaker 2 (01:10:14):
Me eat onions on Instagram for sure, at Tory Underscore
Onion and.

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
Tory Underscore deal.

Speaker 2 (01:10:23):
And I also just released a new book It's called
The Soul Spill.

Speaker 5 (01:10:26):
So if you want to support me on my personal projects,
it means the world to me.

Speaker 1 (01:10:29):
Click the link in my bio. But Devin, where can
they watch you and your new onion cooking show.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
It's called Food you Don't Want to Eat? You can
watch me or find me. You can go to my
website devinsimone dot com. So that's Devin with the y
Simone with an im dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
If you go to the bottom, you'll see my socials.

Speaker 3 (01:10:49):
You can if you google Devin Simone Amazon, you'll find
my Amazon channel, which is a lot of fun and
I talk to challenges on there, we go live, we
do some shopping together, so make sure you find that
and click a follow button.

Speaker 1 (01:11:00):
And then Instagram. I'm probably most active ish on Instagram.

Speaker 3 (01:11:04):
So that's Devin with the Y Simone with an I,
So make sure you guys check that out.

Speaker 1 (01:11:09):
Yes, and if you liked this.

Speaker 2 (01:11:10):
Episode, please please please rate and review us on Spotify
or Apple Podcasts, and make sure you tell a.

Speaker 3 (01:11:16):
Friend absolutely, and then catch new episodes of The Challenge
USA airing on CBS, and.

Speaker 2 (01:11:22):
We'll see you right back here after for a brand
new episode of MTV's official Challenge podcast

Speaker 1 (01:11:28):
The Real Housewives of the Challenge, coming soon

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Episode Transcript

Hosts And Creators

Tori Deal

Aneesa Ferreira

Devyn Simone

Da'Vonne Rogers

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