Four stars from MTV’s The Challenge are potentially crossing over to The Traitors US, according to a rumored cast list. X (Twitter) user @Gamervev, an account dedicated to sharing spoilers, made waves in the reality television universe this week when they shared 14 names who, according to them, are on their way to film the U.S. version’s second season.
Well, longtime Challenge fans will likely recognize all four competitors linked to the show: John “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio, Chris “CT” Tamburello, Trishelle Cannatella, and Beth Stolarczyk.
At the time of writing, that’s all we know about casting. Nothing has been shared from The Traitors‘ brass, nor have any of the challengers confirmed or denied their involvement with the show. Reacting to a podcast talking about the rumors, Johnny Bananas simply shared the “eyes” emoji on X. However, on Sept. 20 (a day after the potential cast list surfaced), Bananas shared photos on Instagram of himself on a plane with Edinburgh, Scotland tagged as the location. The Traitors US Season 1 was filmed in the Scottish Highlands.
On the other end, Beth, CT, and Trishelle have all been silent on social media since @Gamervev blew up the internet. Considering the season has yet to film, we likely won’t have an official confirmation of the cast for a few more months. The deceptive competition franchise debuted its American iteration on Peacock in January. So, it’s fair to assume The Traitors US season 2 will drop around that time considering it’ll still take weeks to film it.
In the first season, several household reality star names competed alongside a crop of rookies in the individual-based game for their share of $250,000. We saw notables from franchises like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Real Housewives, and four-time Survivor contestant — and a current competitor on Big Brother 25 — Cirie Fields snag the entire grand prize as a “Traitor.”
Ten other people who’ve spent time on television were also rumored to join the four Challenge veterans. Here they are:
- Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano: Survivor 4, 8, 20, 22, 39, and 40, and The Amazing Race 7 and 11
- Parvati Shallow: Survivor 13, 16, 20, and 40
- Sandra Diaz-Twine: Survivor 6, 20, 34, and 40, and Survivor Australia 7
- Dan Gheesling: Big Brother 10 and 14
- Janelle Pierzina: Big Brother 6, 7, 14, and 22, and The Amazing Race 31
- Lindsay Hubbard: Summer House and Winter House
- Larsa Pippen: The Real Housewives of Miami
- Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen: Love Island USA 5
- Mercedes Javid Feight: Shahs of Sunset
- Tamra Judge: The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
A look into the 4 stars from The Challenge potentially heading to film The Traitors
If non-Challenge fans need to be acquainted with the four names from the long-running franchise, here’s a quick breakdown.
First, let’s look at Johnny Bananas — the face of The Challenge. Bananas hasn’t only competed in the most seasons of the show, he’s also captured more championships than anyone. After starring in The Real World: Key West in 2006, Johnny jumped ship to The Challenge (known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge then) and took part in its 13th season, coined The Duel. Counting spin-offs, Johnny Bananas has appeared on 25 Challenges.
His most recent season is The Challenge: USA season 2, which is currently airing Thursdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.
If Johnny Bananas wasn’t the face of the franchise, then CT would be. He’s been a part of The Challenge’s universe for longer and has nearly as many championships as Johnny. The physically intimidating Bostonian has triumphed in five flagship seasons compared to Bananas’ seven titles. The Real World: Paris alum has appeared on 22 iterations of the show. But, he’s been on a hiatus since winning back-to-back seasons with his last victory coming during season 37’s Spies, Lies & Allies in 2021.
Dating even further back than CT is Beth who played in the franchise’s second season back in 1999 after starring on The Real World: Los Angeles. She’s a true OG of The Challenge with her most recent flagship series stint happening in 2008. But, she came back for two seasons of Paramount Plus’ All Stars spin-off with her most recent appearance being during season 3 in 2022.
And lastly, Trishelle is a five-time Challenge veteran and a Real World: Las Vegas alum. She joined All Stars 1 alongside Beth in 2021. Her first Challenge season was The Gauntlet in 2004, and she also appeared on other shows like The Surreal Life and Fear Factor.