‘The Challenge’: Ashley Mitchell on Why She Thinks Castmates Don’t Want Her to Return
Two-time champ Ashley Mitchell hasn’t competed on The Challenge since her disqualification halfway through last season. Some viewers believe she’s getting blocked from returning. Ashley recently shared her thoughts on the alleged blocking.
Ashley Mitchell on why she thinks others don’t want her to return for ‘The Challenge’
Shortly before the finals in The Challenge 37: Spies, Lies, and Allies, host TJ Lavin informed the cast that production removed two-time champ Ashley Mitchell from the house because she broke the rules.
He didn’t go into detail regarding the infraction, but many viewers believe the Real World star made an offensive comment to Josh Martinez during an argument.
Neither Josh nor Ashley returned for the following season, Ride or Dies, even though he planned to compete alongside Da’Vonne Rogers before she had to pull out.
As the season aired, Ashley answered fans on her Instagram story. One viewer asked if she thought her castmates didn’t want her to return due to her status as a “favorite,” and the two-time champ responded by initially thanking the follower for the question. Ashley then joked that others didn’t want her back for another season because they feared she’d snag another victory.
Tori Deal doesn’t want Ashley to return
A little over a year after the episode aired featuring Ashley’s disqualification and during season 38’s Ride or Dies airing, Josh appeared on a live episode of the Challenge Mania podcast where he opened up about his run-in with the two-time champ.
The Big Brother winner began by noting he wished the network aired the altercation as he believes others have experienced a similar situation. Josh went on to point out that while castmates have criticized him relentlessly about nearly everything throughout his five-season career, he said Ashley brought up something “personal,” adding he thought she shouldn’t have “gone that low.”
Additionally, the veteran denied rumors that he asked production to remove her from the show as he was “concerned” about her mental health.
Regardless of the situation, which Josh referred to as the “hardest thing” he’s gone through while living in the Challenge house, he claimed he hoped Ashley returned for a future season because she’s a recent champion and good addition to the series. However, Tori Deal disagreed, pointing out that the Real World star’s comments “offended” the production crew.
Ashley hasn’t competed since last season’s ‘Spies, Lies, and Allies’
Following her memorable yet short-lived appearance on Real World: Ex-Plosion, Ashley debuted on Rivals 3 alongside former castmate Cory Wharton.
The pair didn’t go far, but she quickly returned for Invasion of the Champions, where she clocked her first win. She returned for Dirty 30 but withdrew shortly after moving into the house due to exhaustion. However, the reality star returned for Final Reckoning, partnered with Hunter Barfield with a renewed focus.
The duo won, but he walked away empty-handed when Ashley infamously chose to keep the entire million-dollar prize for herself. However, Hunter got revenge in the following season, War of the Worlds, by knocking her out in the second episode.
The two-time champ returned for War of the Worlds 2, where she nearly got her third win but fell short in the finals to the outnumbered Team UK. Ashley has since returned for Total Madness, Double Agents, and Spies, Lies, and Allies, where she’s played solid games but failed to appear in another final.
