‘The Challenge’: 7 Times Johnny Bananas Was the Absolute Worst
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio undoubtedly holds a prominent place as one of the most controversial participants in the extensive chronicles of MTV’s The Challenge.
Ever since he first graced the screen on The Real World: Key West, Bananas has become an integral part of the reality competition. As the individual with the most seasons under his belt (and the highest number of victories), he has certainly encountered his fair share of colossal blunders.
Here are seven times when Bananas was the absolute worst on The Challenge.
1. Johnny Bananas takes the money from Sarah
In The Challenge: Rivals 3, Bananas treated his partner, Sarah, terribly throughout their entire journey. To make matters worse, he put on a fake act of reconciliation for the cameras. He betrayed her in the end by swiping her share of the prize money, a whopping $137,500.
Bananas tried to rationalize his actions, but his excuses fell flat with the fans, who were not buying it.
2. Devin gets his revenge in elimination
Let’s face it, there’s no shame in experiencing defeat during an elimination round, especially when facing off against someone like Devin. But leave it to Bananas to make the situation worse than it already was.
Bananas relentlessly bashed Devin as both an individual and a competitor all season long. And what happened next? Bananas ended up losing to Devin in an elimination round.
3. The tables get turned in ‘The Challenge: Battle of the Exes 2’
In The Challenge: Battle of the Exes 2, Bananas felt betrayed after Sarah put him in the elimination round. In the face of elimination, Bananas displayed sheer devastation, acting as if Sarah had completely dismantled his game and shattered their friendship.
This is the very same individual who previously attempted to manipulate circumstances to ensure Derrick/Kenny’s appearance in the final elimination. Yet here he was, portraying Sarah’s actions as the “dirtiest move in the show’s history.
4. Johnny Bananas’ awful behavior on ‘The Island’
Bananas’ reprehensible conduct during his time on The Island serves as a prime illustration of why he is so divisive. Not only did he engage in derogatory name-calling toward every girl, but he also subjected Evelyn, as well as numerous other contestants from that season, to despicable actions.
The manner in which Bananas treated the female participants remains ingrained in the memories of devoted fans over a decade later.
5. His fight with Paula on ‘Key West’
Say what you will, it seemed as though Bananas was authentic during his time on the Key West season. He possessed a straightforward approach and occasionally adopted a firm stance with Paula, yet there were instances where he expressed genuine concern for her well-being.
However, there were occasions when Paula, under the influence of alcohol, would initiate conflicts with him. During these times, Bananas would regrettably stoop to her level, leading to some tearful moments for his partner.
6. Cheering on Wes’ injury on ‘The Challenge: Battle of the Exes 2’
While Wes may have relished the moment when LeRoy finally ousted Bananas on Battle of the Exes 2, that certainly didn’t justify Bananas’ subsequent actions. When Wes suffered a visible neck injury, Bananas exhibited an excessive amount of delight in witnessing his downfall.
Unsurprisingly, fans were far from pleased with such unsportsmanlike behavior. However, when it comes to Bananas, this kind of conduct is just par for the course.
7. Ditching Katie following her injury
In Cutthroat, Bananas emerged as the unofficial leader of the blue team, taking charge of most of the team’s decisions. Unfortunately, this leadership role led to a catastrophic outcome when Katie experienced a severe injury.
During one of the games, Katie took a hard fall into the water, resulting in two black eyes as a consequence. Rather than displaying compassion, Bananas cast his vote to send Katie into the elimination round.
Fans can watch previous seasons of The Challenge on Paramount+.
