‘The Challenge’: Sarah Rice Said Why She’s Never Coming Back — and It’s Not About Johnny ‘Bananas’
Fans of MTV’s The Challenge know all about the drama between Sarah Rice and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio. Sarah hasn’t taken part in any season of the show since she and Johnny paired up for Rivals III. So, will Sarah ever come back to The Challenge? She recently explained why she’s not looking to return — and it doesn’t have anything to do with Johnny.
Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio took all the prize money from Sarah Rice in MTV’s ‘The Challenge: Rivals III’
MTV’s The Challenge: Rivals III proved tough for Sarah Rice. She and Johnny “Bananas” were teamed up from the beginning. Despite their sordid past, they worked very well together and made it all the way to the final. When it came to running the final together, they did so impeccably and came in first place. But there was a catch. Each person within the final teams accrued their own points through the final. The sole person with the most points within the teams decided if they’d split the prize money or take all of it for themselves.
Johnny beat Sarah and ultimately decided to take all of the money for himself, leaving Sarah devastated. Johnny later noted she got what she deserved, as she stabbed him in the back the season prior. But many fans disagreed.
“It would be so out of character for him to split the money,” Sarah told the Challenge Mania podcast. “He’s never going to do that. … But, in that moment, I remember thinking, Sarah, you fool. You knew this was going to happen. Why didn’t you just sit down right before the finish line? That’s like, I should’ve known.”
Will Sarah Rice come back to ‘The Challenge’? She explained why fans shouldn’t expect it
Fans would love for Sarah to come back on to MTV’s The Challenge. Unfortunately, that’s extremely unlikely to happen. Reddit users found a recent TikTok of Sarah’s explaining why she won’t return to reality TV. And it seems to have little to nothing to do with her experience on Rivals III.
“No. 1 reason — I got my Master’s in marital and family therapy, and now, I’m a therapist,” Sarah explained. “I work in a private practice and I have a full client load. As a therapist, we are dedicated to our clients and are there for them every week … it’s not really the kind of job where you can just say, ‘Peace, I’m leaving ….'”
Sarah then noted being a therapist is her “dream job,” and it was always her plan. She also mentioned she never wanted to create a career out of reality television, as she saw the “dark sides” of the industry. With her skills deeply rooted in therapy, Sarah said she’s now happy to talk to other reality TV stars regarding their transition back into normal life outside of the small screen.
Have Johnny ‘Bananas’ and Sarah made up?
So, have Johnny “Bananas” and Sarah made up after what occurred on MTV’s The Challenge: Rivals III? It doesn’t sound like either party wants to have any relationship with the other. Johnny stands by his decision whether others agree with him or not. And Sarah’s talked with others at length about how horrible she felt from her experience on that season.
Even more recently, fellow competitor Wes Bergmann poked fun at Sarah on a birthday post dedicated to Johnny. “I got to spend a couple hours with his dad this weekend,” Wes wrote to Instagram in June 2021. “And let me tell you, Bananas stole all his good qualities from his dad and all his money from Sarah.”
Is Johnny “Bananas” quitting The Challenge? We’ll have to wait and see what the seven-time champion decides. For now, we’re excited to tune into The Challenge Season 37 on Aug. 11.
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