Skip to main content

MTV’s The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras is here, and fans can’t wait to see their favorites from past Challenge eras compete. Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio returned hoping to add another win to his resume. However, he reportedly had production demands. Here’s what an insider said about how he allegedly threatened to quit the show.

Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio allegedly threatened to quit ‘The Challenge 40’

Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio is one of the most famous contestants who joined The Challenge 40 cast. He won the series seven times and has won 68 daily challenge wins in total. In season 40, he joined the second “era” of competitors alongside Derek Chavez, Nehemiah Clark, KellyAnne Judd, Ryan Kehoe, Aviv Melmed, Brandon Nelson, Emily Schromm, Cara Maria Sorbello, and Laurel Stucky.

Devananzio isn’t just a Challenge star. He also has a notable podcast and has made reality TV appearances on other shows. Challenge spoiler guru PinkRose said Devenanzio had production issues, possibly because of his fame off of the show.

According to PinkRose, Devenanzio threatened to quit the game and was “throwing tantrums” over small issues. The star allegedly insisted on recording episodes of his podcast, Death, Taxes, and Bananas, while competing, and production allowed him to record with Cara Maria. He also wanted to use his phone on days he wasn’t shooting and hoped to leave the filming location for up to two days before production filmed the first daily challenge.

PinkRose noted that producers thought Devenanzio’s head “got a little too big after filming his two other shows,” hence the requests.

The contestants had to deal with difficult living conditions during season 40

(L-R) Kyland Young, Olivia Kaiser, Johnny 'Bananas' Devenanzio, Emily Schromm, Tori Deal, Leroy Garrett, Rachel Robinson, and Darrell Taylor stand together and pose at MTV's 'The Challenge 40: Battle Of The Eras' LA event at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
(L-R) Kyland Young, Olivia Kaiser, Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio, Emily Schromm, Tori Deal, Leroy Garrett, Rachel Robinson, and Darrell Taylor attend MTV’s ‘The Challenge 40: Battle Of The Eras’ LA event at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for MTV’s “The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras”
Related

‘The Challenge 40’ Spoilers: Who’s Eliminated First From Each Era?

Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio talked about difficult living conditions in past seasons of The Challenge, and season 40 seems to have the same issues.

GamerVev, another notable spoiler guru, tweeted about the “horrible” living conditions, including only having two Porta-Potties for all 40 competitors.

“Supposedly living conditions are horrible …. There are two bathrooms (Porta-Potties), showers are awful, and food is terrible,” GamerVev tweeted.

Julie Pizzi, the president of Bunim/Murray productions, clarified the living situation to Variety. “We end up in castles. We’ve been in bunkers. We end up in places that we have to bring in bathrooms because their plumbing can’t sustain,” Pizzi said. “We’ve had to bring in generators. It’s always about trying to find a location that feels like a fantasy.”

Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio called the season ‘a big question mark’ in terms of how he’d perform

Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio knows his days on The Challenge are numbered after season 40.

“This season for me was a big kind of question mark in that regard,” he told the New York Post about how he’d perform against his younger competitors. “Back in the day, I was like a pitcher that had a fastball that no one could hit. I’ve lost some speed on that. So, I got to be better at throwing junk and spotting my pitches.

“Coming into this season, especially with the younger generation, but then also the older generation, I wanted to see where I stacked up and if I still have what it took to make it through,” Devenanzio continued, adding that The Challenge is “brutal from a physical standpoint,” as well as a mental and emotional one.

“And people ask that question all the time, ‘How much longer are you going to do it for?’” he said. “And I don’t want to be the guy that walks away too late. But at the same time, I don’t want to walk away when I still have something left in the tank.”

This article was originally reported by PinkRose on Vevmo.

The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras premieres on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

Best in Entertainment