‘The Challenge’: Ashley Mitchell Said MTV Paid Her ‘Nickels and Dimes’ at First
Ashley Mitchell is well-known for her success on MTV’s The Challenge. She’s competed in a number of seasons and even adopted the name “Millionaire Mitchell” thanks to her incredible success. Unfortunately, she had a lot of difficulties with the network when she first started. And she even noted she was paid “Nickels and Dimes” back when she was on The Real World.
Ashley Mitchell said MTV barely paid her before MTV’s ‘The Challenge’
Many reality TV stars get paid plenty of money from the shows they appear on, but such was not the case for Mitchell initially. She got her start with MTV via The Real World: Ex-Plosion, and she had a really tough time in the house. Mitchell ultimately left the show behind and went on to compete on MTV’s The Challenge later.
Mitchell spoke on the Reality Steve Podcast in early 2021 regarding her early experience with The Real World: Ex-Plosion. And she noted one of the most difficult aspects of the show was the lack of sustainable payment.
“See, on The Real World, you barely get paid d*mn nickels and dimes,” Mitchell explained. “I mean, literally, we were in the most expensive city in the country and we were getting paid $300 a week, and they didn’t buy our alcohol. They’d buy our food, somewhat, in the house, not too much. And, I think sometimes they’d give us a bottle of vodka in the house. … I was miserable. I wasn’t used to living like that, not having any money, like having to call my boyfriend and ask for money.”
Are ‘The Challenge’ contestants paid?
While Mitchell would probably never go on The Real World again, she certainly loves MTV’s The Challenge. She was on board with the show as soon as production explained the possibility of earning money.
“They called and it’s like, ‘Oh, I can win money?'” she said on the podcast. “And it’s competitive? … Whenever they’re like, it’s competitive and you can win money, I’m like, ‘OK. Now you’re talking my language.'”
Challenge competitors can win hundreds of thousands of dollars up to $1 million depending on the season. But what about the losers of the show? Do they still get paid? According to fellow contestant Tori Deal, she wouldn’t go on the show if she wasn’t handed a paycheck no matter what.
“Another question that I have been getting a lot, and maybe you have been getting a lot too, is, ‘Do we get paid?’” Tori explained on MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast. “I love this question. Don’t know if we can really answer it, but we’ll give you this much. I promise you, we don’t go on the show for free. My a** is not going on a 40-foot platform, hanging over a helicopter, eating cabbage for no reason, OK. You’re gonna pay me. And the more shows we do, the more we get paid.”
What is Ashley Mitchell’s net worth?
MTV’s The Challenge gives contestants the opportunity to make a ton of money. And Mitchell’s certainly had a lot of luck with the show so far. Meaww notes her net worth of $1,121,250.
While Mitchell competed on Double Agents, she didn’t win. But she’s likely to return to the show in the future — and we’re sure she’ll get ruthless if she has to in order to take home the big bucks. Back when she had the opportunity to split her earnings with partner Hunter Barfield, she decided to take the entire $1 million and leave him with nothing.
We’re excited to see what’s in store for Mitchell going forward on The Challenge and if she’ll take part in season 37.
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