‘The Challenge 38’ Spoilers: Multiple Cast Members Tested Positive for COVID Leading to Shutdown
Kaycee Clark and her brother Kenny were pulled from The Challenge 38 before returning shortly later due to positive COVID-19 tests. However, Nurys Mateo revealed she and other castmates caught coronavirus, leading to a shutdown in production.
‘The Challenge 38’ cast members tested positive for COVID-19
Reigning champ Kaycee Clark and her brother Kenny were removed from The Challenge: Ride or Dies by the first episode because they tested positive for COVID-19. According to rookie Nurys Mateo, they weren’t the only ones, as an outbreak led to a shutdown in production.
In an interview with the Challenge Mania podcast, she claimed she developed a “nasty cough” around a week before leaving to film but tested negative several times prior to getting on the plane. Once she entered the house, Nurys noted producers tested her and Kailah Casillas due to their coughs, and hers came out positive.
Therefore, the rookie recalled producers pulling her from the house and putting her in a hotel. She claimed the crew decided to shut down filming and put everyone back into quarantine where Aneesa Ferreira’s original teammate, friend James Simon, and Kaycee and Kenny tested positive for the virus.
After five days, Nurys said they retested her, and she re-entered the house after giving a negative test. Once she got on the bus to head back to the Challenge house, Nurys noticed the absences of Kaycee, Kenny, and James, who Jordan Wiseley replaced. She claimed the others blamed her for giving the other competitors COVID, but Nurys insists that someone in the production crew is the original one who spread it.
Nurys Mateo and Johnny Middlebrooks strengthened their relationship during the shutdown
Before entering the Challenge house, rookies Johnny Middlebrooks and Nurys got close on the plane ride to filming.
During the podcast, she claimed they initially attempted to hide their budding romance, but Aneesa apparently recorded the couple and told others about it.
Therefore, they tried to separate in the house and only hang out at night as the two focused on forming other connections. However, after a couple of days, they returned to quarantine due to the positive COVID tests.
When the cast stayed in separate hotel rooms, Nurys explained they received their phones, and she video-chatted with Johnny nearly the entire time. She claims they strengthened their connection by learning about each other without the physical aspect and entered the house as a stronger pair. However, he was eliminated a couple of episodes later, cutting their romance short.
Kaycee revealed she left the game early due to COVID
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly following the premiere episode, Kaycee revealed she and Kenny were pulled from the game because they tested positive for COVID before competing in the first challenge.
She explained she didn’t have any symptoms except for a cold and assumed they caught it while traveling to Argentina for filming.
The returning champ admitted she was “devastated” that her brother had it as well because it was their first time competing together, and he hadn’t experienced a challenge yet.
“This cannot be happening,” she added, believing the two were permanently eliminated from the game. However, they returned before the second daily mission, replacing Emmy, who quit, and her partner Nam who had to leave the game as well. The Challenge airs Wednesdays on MTV.
