‘The Challenge: All Stars 3’: Why Veronica Portillo ‘Had to Say Yes’ After 4-Year Break
Three-time champ Veronica Portillo has won the most daily challenges and shares the record for most season wins by a female player. After initially debuting in 2000, she hasn’t competed since 2018’s The Challenge: Final Reckoning and has admittedly lived a “simple life” for the past few years. However, the 44-year-old recently claimed she “had to say yes” when invited back for spinoff The Challenge: All Stars 3.
Veronica Portillo ‘had to say yes’ to ‘The Challenge: All-Stars 3’
After missing the finals in The Challenge: Final Reckoning (2018), three-time champ Veronica Portillo, 44, returned for spinoff, All Stars Season 3.
In her cast interview, published a couple of weeks before the premiere, the Road Rules star admitted she didn’t have the best time during her most recent appearance.
Additionally, she has moved away from the reality TV community as Veronica explained she has a job and a girlfriend. As she’s lived a “simple life” for the past few years, The Inferno winner admitted she didn’t know if she would come back.
However, Veronica noted she “had to say yes” when invited to season 3 because “it’s not an All Star season without me.”
She hasn’t competed since 2018 in ‘The Challenge: Final Reckoning’
Following a medical disqualification from Vendettas, Veronica returned for Final Reckoning, in which the players competed in pairs alongside their rivals.
She and five-time champ CT Tamburello were partnered due to their Dirty 30 feud where he called her “weak” and sent her into elimination. However, she won and sought revenge by sending him to the Redemption House.
The pair didn’t compete that well together as they didn’t win any daily challenges.
As the biggest threats in the house due to their past victories, they were sent to the Redemption House in episode 5 before their final elimination in episode 10.
Veronica holds the record for most daily challenge wins by a female player
After a memorable appearance on Road Rules: Semester at Sea, Veronica began competing on spinoff The Challenge, debuting on The Challenge 2000, which she went on to win with her team. She returned for Battle of the Seasons (2002) alongside Yes Duffy, but they were eliminated first from the competition.
Veronica had a better performance in Battle of the Sexes (2003) but ultimately lost. She immediately came back for The Gauntlet (2003) and The Inferno (2004), winning both. After another short-lived appearance in Battle of the Sexes 2 (2004), the reality star returned for The Inferno 2 as part of Team Bad Asses.
Although she won her first elimination, the group lost the finals. Veronica has since returned for The Ruins, Dirty 30, Vendettas, and Final Reckoning but hasn’t reached the finals again. With 48 daily wins, the three-time champ holds the record for the most by a female player.
Additionally, she and Evelyn Smith share the record for the most seasons wins by a female, taking home three titles each. Throughout her 18-year career, she has earned $79,309 in prize money. The Challenge: All Stars 3 premieres May 11 on Paramount+.
