‘The Challenge’: Rogan O’Connor Says He Wasn’t Allowed to Touch Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio in Final Elimination

Three-time competitor Rogan O’Connor and veteran Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio didn’t work together in The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2, but they came together in the following season as they both wanted to get Dee Nguyen out of the house. The two later battled each other in the last elimination during the finals, where Devenanzio defeated the British competitor.

Many fans thought O’Connor went easy on the veteran and wondered why he didn’t get physical the way he did in other eliminations. According to the British reality star, he wasn’t allowed to touch the veteran.

Rogan O’Connor and Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio aligned during ‘The Challenge 35’

Returning champ Rogan O’Connor and Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio started working together after a few episodes. When the UK-native’s ex-fling, Dee Nguyen, admitted she wanted to throw her friend Jenny West into elimination, he told the British bodybuilder, hoping to start drama.

Therefore, West, who was already aligned with Devenanzio, began working against her former friend. They teamed up and decided to blindside the Australian-native the next chance available.

When the six-time champ made it into the Tribunal in Episode 11, he called Nguyen into Interrogation. After host T.J. Lavin asked the veteran for his nomination for elimination, Devenanzio asked O’Connor for permission to select his ex-fling.

The Ex on the Beach UK star agreed without blinking an eye, but Nguyen won the elimination round, foiling their plans.

Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio eliminated Rogan O’Connor

They both continued in the competition and stayed out of eliminations until O’Connor had to go in again right before the finals. He sent Nelson Thomas home and partied with the rest of the competitors before preparing for the highly anticipated final the upcoming day.

The British reality star failed to win the first leg of the finals and ended up going into the last elimination because everyone else had stronger allies. For the competition, the two began on opposite sides and had to hit a bell located halfway between them.

The six-time champ ran through the snow faster both times, sending the British competitor home before winning the competition. After the reunion aired, O’Connor did an Instagram Live where he opened up about the finals.

He explained it began with an unaired slingshot competition in which Fessy Shafaat and Kyle Christie won and were able to divvy out time penalties to anyone they wanted. Both competitors gave the punishments to O’Connor, preventing him from starting for eight minutes.

Rogan O’Connor couldn’t get physical with Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio

The 30-year-old also answered fans who wondered why he didn’t physically dominate Devenanzio the way he did Jay Starrett and Nelson Thomas. According to the British native, Lavin told him before the competition not to “touch” the veteran or face immediate disqualification.

While O’Connor stated he didn’t understand because the game was titled “knockout,” he believes they created the rules due to the lack of access to ambulances or hospitals if they suffered an injury.

The British native also noted the seven-time champ is “strong and competitive,” even though he “tries to play the old card.” O’Connor also gave Devenanzio props for beating him, stating, “he won fair and square.”