The Absolute Worst Rookie Class On The Challenge According To Fans
On MTV's reality series "The Challenge," contestants predominantly culled from other reality TV shows are pitted against one another in various forms of competition with sizable cash prizes on the line. Contestants on "The Challenge" must follow certain rules as well in order to ensure that they remain viable competitors.
Over the course of its decades on the air, "The Challenge" has become a staple of MTV's programming, and more recently a hallmark of streaming service Paramount+. In fact, Paramount+ will soon be home to an original spinoff titled "The Challenge: USA," with a cast of well-known CBS stars.
Typically, seasons of "The Challenge" feature both returning cast members and some competitors entirely new to the series. Whereas the former group can include contestants like CT — who fans think might retire from "The Challenge" after one more win to cap off his impressive streak — members of the rookie class are effectively the show's wild cards. While rookies aren't always worse off than their veteran competition, one poll online set out to determine which season of "The Challenge" features the worst rookie class of them all.
Fans of The Challenge determined that the rookies in Double Agents were the series' worst
One user started a thread on the official "The Challenge" subreddit titled "Which rookie class was the worst?" including a poll prompting voters to choose between four options. Ultimately, "The Challenge: Double Agents" edged out the number one spot as the season with the worst rookies of them all.
One of that season's rookies, Olympic gold medalist Lolo Jones — who technically appeared on a spinoff previously — spoke with USA Today's sports blog For The Win in advance of the "Double Agents" season premiere. She revealed that her end goal was not money but simply competition, since that year's Olympics were postponed. "The whole time I'm on the show, people are like, 'oh my gosh, it's a million dollars!' and I was like, 'I'm just here to compete,'" she said.
"Double Agents" rookie Mechie Harris, meanwhile, characterized his rookie status as a weakness. "I just wish certain players didn't look at the rookies as weaklings because I could have gotten a better partner," he told Entertainment Weekly regarding his elimination.
For what it's worth, Reddit commenter SillyRabbit2121 outlined just why they felt every "Double Agents" rookie was a disappointment, describing Lolo as underwhelming and Mechie as "the only person in the history of the show to lose an elimination to Josh [Martinez]." Nevertheless, rookie Amber Borzotra was one of the season's two winners alongside the perennial CT, perhaps acting as the exception that proves the rule.