‘The Challenge’: Johnny ‘Bananas’ Admits Season 38 Format ‘Disincentives’ Winning Dailies
The Challenge 38 incorporates a different format where the daily mission losers aren’t penalized, and the winners have to nominate four teams for elimination. As a result, seven-time champ Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio has admitted to throwing challenges.
Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio says ‘The Challenge’ Season 38 format ‘disincentives’ winning
Seven-time champ Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio returned for season 38’s Ride or Dies alongside ex-fling and veteran Nany González.
After winning one daily mission, he appeared to throw another as he refused to get on the same page with his partner. Following the episode, the reality star admitted he didn’t want to win. According to Bananas, the format for the season “disincentives” winning.
On an episode of his podcast Death, Taxes, and Bananas, he pointed out that the daily losers aren’t penalized for finishing last, but the winners have to nominate four teams. Therefore, if a pair has a good relationship with everyone, why would they want to win? Bananas noted that regardless of the reason, the winning pair has to name four teams that would put a target on their backs.
As a result, he intentionally threw episode 6’s “Down the Line” mission. While guest and castmate Laurel Stucky disagreed, calling it a “weird mentality” for Bananas to have as a seven-time winner, Bananas claimed other teams, including Devin Walker and Tori Deal and Fessy Shafaat and Moriah Jade, threw it as well because they made deals for safety.
Laurel Stucky was targeted by Michele Fitzgerald early in ‘The Challenge’ Season 38
Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald aligned with the rookies despite technically qualifying as veterans.
Viewed as the leaders of the young alliance, Bananas and Nany nominated them for elimination in episode 2.
They pulled the “safe” dagger and saved rookie allies, Johnny Middlebrooks and Ravyn Rochelle, proving their allegiance to the newcomers.
A few weeks later, Jay and Michele became the winning couple and nominated former champs Darrell Taylor and Veronica Portillo, who recently entered the house, Aneesa Ferreira and Jordan Wiseley, and rookies Colleen Schneider and Kim Tränka as they didn’t appear to have close ties to anyone. The two also threw in Jay’s ally Jakk Maddox as Michele didn’t trust his partner, Laurel.
Laurel was sent home following back-to-back eliminations
However, the distrust seemed unfounded as the Free Agents champ insisted she didn’t have a problem with Michele and preferred the two had discussed it before getting put into elimination.
They threw the pair directly in alongside Darrell and Veronica, who weren’t saved at the draw. Jakk and Laurel returned to the house upset with Jay and Michele, who wanted to move forward.
However, they won power again and nominated the duo again. The Survivor stars also picked two new pairs, Kaycee Clark and her brother Kenny and Nany and Bananas.
The move upset them as Kaycee and Nany are dating and don’t want to face each other in another elimination round. Nany ended up pulling the safe dagger and protecting her girlfriend, putting Laurel and Jakk in by default, who were sent home by Aneesa and Jordan. The Challenge 38: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays on MTV.
