‘The Challenge’: Where Is Eric ‘Big Easy’ Banks Now?
The Challenge two-time finalist Eric “Big Easy” Banks competed in six seasons before taking a nearly decade-long break until viewers saw him again in spinoff All Stars. Where is he now?
Where is Eric ‘Big Easy’ Banks now?
Kentucky native Eric “Big Easy” Banks made his reality TV debut in 2006 for The Challenge: Fresh Meat. After competing in six seasons, he seemingly hung up his jersey for nearly 10 years.
However, he remained in the community by attending events and continuing to interact with fans on social media.
Big Easy began showing interest in redeeming himself on the competition show when Mark Long teamed up with the series’ production company for the OG-based spinoff, All Stars, and appeared for the first season.
Following his early exit, the reality star has remained in Kentucky, where he’s gotten involved in professional wrestling, competing with OVH Chained Carnage. In March 2023, The Challenge alum is hosting an event at Texas-based dining and entertainment spot Louie’s Backyard.
Big Easy has competed in seven seasons of ‘The Challenge’
Described as Chris Farley’s “MTV love child,” Big Easy joined The Challenge universe without prior reality TV experience for Fresh Meat, partnered with The Inferno winner, Katie Cooley.
However, they didn’t perform that well, as they didn’t win any daily challenges and went home several episodes before the finals. He returned for The Duel, where he won a daily and an elimination but barely made it further than his rookie season.
Big Easy then competed in The Gauntlet 3, where he had his best performance on the Veterans team, winning all but five daily missions. He advanced to the finals but infamously collapsed due to dehydration, costing his team the victory.
Following forgettable performances in The Duel 2, Cutthroat, and Battle of the Seasons (2012), Big Easy stopped appearing on the show until returning for spinoff All Stars in 2021. He won a couple of daily missions and an elimination alongside Jisela Delgado on his way to the finals, where the Kentucky native finished 10th.
Big Easy says he didn’t quit ‘Battle of the Seasons’ for Devyn Simone
Despite a turbulent experience during Battle of the Seasons, Big Easy met Team Brooklyn’s Devyn Simone, and the two fell for each other.
However, they got into an argument due to her refusing to reveal the age of the oldest person she dated, threatening their blossoming relationship.
The situation upset the Kentucky native, who later admitted to pushing Devyn away due to his insecurities, and they reunited before having to compete against each other in an elimination. During the round, Big Easy had difficulty communicating with partner Camila Nakagawa and holding himself underwater as the game required. Therefore, he decided to quit.
Many viewers thought the Kentucky native threw the elimination to his then-girlfriend and Big Easy recently addressed it. Nearly a decade later, Devyn and Big Easy reunited on an aftershow for All Stars, where he claimed he didn’t quit for her but insisted he would have if she asked. The Challenge airs Wednesdays on MTV.
