Mark Long

drinking and smoking and being cool. And now I'm like, I gotta watch the Masters guys, a tradition unlike any other or whatever. It's kind of fun speaking of masters. Do we have one on the show today. Let's get this thing go and run it. This is the Wells Cast with Wells, Adams and I Heart Radio podcast. The show is kind of like a tradition like any other to be honest with then, you know, no one ever thought to interview people about their past groundbreaking stuff. Wells.

You truly are a visionary, a trailblazer if you will. Now this is this is a show that's been done before. It'll be done again long after I'm gone, which actually be pretty soon. Considering I'm in uh dad bud Master's mode, so I'm about three minutes away from the earlier birds special at the Golden Corral dementia and a smooth transition into cold, hard death. How's dark whatever? It's been a year man. You've boys got the vaccine though, so that

ain't gonna kill him. Got the Madern, which I will say, uh second show. The Madern put me on my ass. I was being so arrogant to the vaccine. Gods are like, you, stupid bitch, We shall get you. I got mine at like ten in the morning. You've been hearing like all these just kind of horror stories, and I was like, how do I feel? What's going on? Around ten pm, So twelve hours after I have the shot, I was like,

I think I'm in the clear, guys. I think that my amazing immune system is totally gonna just float by this thing and I am not gonna feel anything. Took a mellowtone, went in bed, knocked it out, and then about three in the morning, you boys started getting the fever, dreams, the flop sweat. Oh, and then I just felt like hot death for about twelve more hours. But I feel fine,

and you know what's exciting about that? Yet, Yes, like it was a day of just achiness and it's not feeling great, but you know that, like meme of Leonardo DiCaprio walking on the beach being like here we go. I feel like that now I can walk through the world like that. I'm still gonna wear a math I'm sumy, smart and stuff, and I'm still gonna wash my hands a lot because you should anyway, because you stn't be gross. But it's like a new world, Oh new world. Super

pumped about today's show. Okay, my guest today is a guy that's been in reality TV longer than most of my audience. I feel like has been alive, just some mainstay, a trailblazer if you will, in the reality TV world. You know, after doing Worst Cooks with Johnny, I became this huge challenge fan and now Sarah and I are obsessed. So having this guy on the show today makes me really really excited by Also, like I said earlier, I'm getting up there in the age bracket. And your boy

was in high school in the mid to late nineties. Okay, facts, and so I was a huge real world road rules guy and the guy that we have on the show today was from the first ever road Rules season. But that's not all he did. Man, literally, this dude has done everything. He was on Fox Reality's longest running original series, Reality Remix, which, by the way, how does that show

not exist anymore? With the advent of all these amazing reality TV shows whatever, He basically interviewed hundreds of reality stars and reviewed their shows genius. He was the gadget guru on multiple daytime talk shows, including like the New Donnie and Marie Show, Soap Talk, and so many more. He was a lead host for E Entertainment three hour live morning show called That Morning Show. And of course

it's a two time Challenge winner, which is baller. What about a year and a half ago, he hopped on Twitter and he sent out a tweet saying, Hey, Challenge fans, how do you guys feel about an O G version of the Challenge, shorter shooting schedule, some of the best O G personalities? And guess what? That thing went viral. So my guest today signed a partnership deal with the production company that led to the MTV slash Paramount Plus deal and that birth the new concept The Challenge All Stars,

which is now airing on Paramount Plus. If you are a fan of the Challenge, uh, you better go watch The Challenge All Stars. So on the Wells Cast today we have the Godfather. That's right, the one, the only Mark Long eyes. This is one you do not want to stick around, all right, welcome back to the Wells Cast. Very excited to have well, let's just say it, one

of the greats from reality TV on the show. And as someone who has been on reality TV now for seven years, I can't imagine doing it for as long as this guy. Speaking of the word long, Mark Long on the show. How are you, bro? Yes, as always, Wells coming in hot and ferocious just for you, my man, I look young and beautiful, It's true, but I am. I'm on the wrong end of thirty and Bro. I remember your season of road Rules back in the mid

nineties and I was a huge fan. I had the miss on I don't know, maybe a year year ago, and I was fan blowing out. So having you on the show is very, very exciting. So thank you for being here. That is awesome. Yeah, you're you're aging me right off the bat with my nine road Rules call out. Yeah, I turned fifty this year. Well, isn't that terrible? I mean, when you're growing up, fifty is so old when you're like eighteen. So I'm there, I am there, my friend.

I didn't age you. You aged yourself because you created the challenge to debate my friend Challenge All Stars, which is a sweet way of saying the Challenge a a RP edition, Just so you know, like I need you to understand, like where I'm coming from. I wasn't a fan of the Challenge. I was a fan of road

Rules and Real World growing up. I actually auditioned for Real World funny enough years ago in college and then that's a And then I wasn't a fan of the Challenge until I went on Worse Cooks in America celebrity addition, it's really most term there, and I went up against a gentleman by then him of Johnny Bananas, and then I became friends with him. I beat his ass on the show, which was nice because I found out that he's some great challenge guy. Since then, my fiance Sarah

and myself have become fucking addicted to the Challenge. This most recent season is amazing. So right off the bat, before we get into your iteration of it. Are you watching the Challenge right now? It's airing on MTV. Of course we're We're approaching the finals on that series. I'm a big CT fan, so I'll always root for the o G. And it's great because I actually I'm super

close with Johnny. He was actually out here for his birthday and we went we had to come to a dinner, but I watched you beat his ass on Worst Cooks in America. So you can always have that that feather in your cap as you move forward in this reality realm my friends. So it's yeah, kudos to you. It was awesome. I'm glad that you said CT, because there's nothing more that I love than someone who's really good

an interview. I'm new to this whole challenge thing, so what I'm tweeting or I'm instagramming about how much I love CT and Big Tea and their dynamic and like how cute they are, how good both of them are an interview. People are hitting me back being like Sects

a snake. He's always been like this and you shouldn't root for him, Like, first of all, I can forever I want because that's the whole joining the show I come at it from a different angle of I love CT because if I was a producer on that show, I would absolutely cream my pants every time I sat down with him. That sounded weird, but it's true because he gives you such good soundbites. And the thing with

your show. The challenge all Stars is that I always say this about Bachelor in Paradise, it's the reality TV all Stars from the Bachelor World's everyone who's very very good at being on camera and doing interviews. And I imagine that's kind of what this is. This is everyone who's very very good at being on camera. And I will go even a step further. So a lot of people, when they first saw the show kind of come out

in the press, they were like all Stars. Well. They instantly went to people's resumes, like how many challenges have they won? And I was like, whoaa, we'll pump the brakes because this initially started as the O G project. You know some of those people that you haven't seen in ten twenty years. That was my goal. So all Stars,

I'm exactly like you. I used the all star termid the fact that they have an all star personality, They have an all star reputation within the challenge, they have an all star moment in the past challenges that has been epics. So I don't go to the resumes of win or lose. I go to the resume of who's gonna show up, who's gonna give us their best personality, and who's some of the most fan favorites. I mean, Beth, Ruthy, cyrus Um. Those are some names that everyone grew up

with and can relate to instantly. And then you have those wild cards thrown in like the tech Money's or the Sella's or the yes is that people just they really went off the grid, So it's nice to bring those people back. I think I've said this before. The nostalgia of the fact that we grew up with the audience just like they grew up with us, So there's kind of an emotional connection. They're not just hey, who's this.

Who's Kyle from the from the UK? That guy looks familiar, So there's kind of an invested kind of emotional attachment before the season even starts, because you grew up with these folks and that was my main goal, and I think we hit it out of the park and I couldn't be more happy than the response we've had so far. It's been amazing. Bar Stool said it was perfect, which that's high praise from the place that's primarily known as talking about people so well done. That's what I said.

I said, if we can get bar Stool Sports, who ships on everyone, they're the realist person out there to say it's perfect, we did something right. I'm actually going on with them later today live and uh, they get it though. They they don't care that people are the strongest or the most in shape. They love good television. It's entertaining as hell, and it's fun to see, you know, someone that's not an Olympic athletes struggle but still be

funny along the way. And I think, you know, Middle America is not you know, probably out there during the winters running fifty miles and you know, so it's like, it's nice to show the average portion of America that that moms and dad's mothers, fathers can still strap on the speedo and to go out there and melt some ice with their ass, you know what I mean. So

it's nice. Going back to the genesis of the Challenge all Stars, I was reading up on you and I guess I just assumed that Viacom was like, all right, we've got this new streaming service, let's just create some new programming for Paramount Plus. This will be an easy fit. And then as I dug a little bit deeper, I saw that the origins came from a tweet that you had sent out, just like kind of asking the fans out there what their appetite was for something like this

goes viral boat a bing bought a boom. You're now an EP on the show. Yeah, I'm executive, I'm a player coach as they say, EP and competitor. Yeah, I threw I threw out the tweet in late July, US Weekly picked it up and it went nuts. And then uh, some different outlets started reaching out to me. People Magazine, you know, Yahoo, all the different ones. So I knew there was a temperament for it. I knew there was

an audience for it. And once I met with Bua Murray who does the challenges, and we established that partnership deal, there was really no other place that I wanted to take it first but MTV and the fact that it coincided with the release of their partnership with Paramount Plus. Everything lined up. So when I first pitched it in late July, to have it shot and airing in April is pretty you know, the business, it's insane, so it happened really quick. Um, the talent that I got is

a plus. They're super funny and it's just a fun, nostalgic show that I've had so many people just like I just smiled through the whole episode because it's just fun. It's a fun show. The music is fucking awesome, so it's a good throwback show. How is it not a conflict of interest to be a producer but also be contestant on the show. So when I initially started, my role was to gather lots of names that were interested. So I pulled probably eighty names and put together probably

eighty bios. Spoke with eighty you know o g cast members kind of gave him a speel about you know, this isn't a challenge. We're gonna be leaving for ten eleven weeks. That's one of the reasons we can't go on in the first place. So I said, how would you feel about a two to three weeks you know, shooting schedule, and if I can make this happen. Will you be will you be interested in there? Like everyone

I asked said yeah. So when I got them to sign on and do the partnership, I got the executive producer credit right off the bat, just by doing that pre production work. So once they established that I was going to be a cast member, I didn't know the format. I didn't know the games we're gonna play. I actually didn't even know the host until I showed up on set, because that's how secretive they pushed it away from me. So when you watch it, I don't have any kind

of insider trading knowledge. I show up just like everyone else, thinking, well, there's ice blox, we're probably gonna be melting ice box, or there's a crane. I guess we're doing stuff high today. So in terms of a competitive advantage you'll see as the series goes, I definitely do not have a petitive advantage in terms of knowing what we do before it happened.

So that kind of how was that worked out? If I'm in your shoes and I'm creating this thing and I'm kind of doing all the heavy lifting in terms of logistics of of you know, the architecture of the show. Why aren't you hosting? That's like me being like, I want to do a Bachelor at style show, and then I create the whole thing, and then I'm like, and I also want to like go and be like one of twenty seven dudes and date one ship. Like that to me, I'd like, no, I want to go be

the host of the show. Well, I wanted to. I think what MTV did im paramount, which was smart, is bringing t J over to host kind of was a bridge to that younger generation and the older generation that we have in terms of audience. So, you know, having him be the figurehead of both shows. I think it's a nice combination that kind of pools from each age group because he's now known young and old as being the guy. So would I have hosted it? Of course,

Look I'm an egomaniac. I'm like you. I would have loved to host it, but I just thought for the show's sake in terms of the big picture, because I have a master plan of this whole thing, uh wells, and it is to do probably eight or nine seasons of the All Stars and then as a spinoff series, not like a ten season, but as a spinoff series. Almost like a super Bowl of Challenges. We have the older folks versus the newer folks in a super Bowl

of Challenges. So I definitely want to be part of that, and that is my my framework if I could create the next five years of this show, So just keep an eye out for it will be the biggest thing ever in the Challenge world watching some of the young bucks who think they own the world having the old you know, college kid come back and just give them the biggest wedge year of their life and let them know who's boss. So I can't wait for that as well. I'm pump Man, and I think you're right having a

lynchpin like t J in there. It links all the franchises, I guess together. Can I make one request going forward? Course as something that annoys me when I watched the Challenge, t J's chiron or like lower Third always says Handler, and if I were t J, I'd be like, motherfucker, I'm the host of the show. Like for everyone out there that doesn't know television production, Handler is kind of like the bits that like make sure like you get out of your trailer and get to sit on time.

I've never understood why he's the handler. Make sure the copy is right for the cast, right. Yeah, you know what, I haven't even looked at the title of him on our show. I wonder if it says handler too. I bet you it does not. For a while. You should just say t J labn uh BMX star. It would just give it. It It would give him that role. So he's now evolved a handle. I think that's a demotion. Yes, you think, uh, he should definitely be host. He should be.

It should say t J Labin Face of the Challenge. Yeah, you know what I mean. He is the through constant that everyone can expect. And I'll tell you what, when t J shows up on on set, there's no middle ground. He's either delivering great news or terrible news, and it's usually terrible news that involves us doing something ridiculously crazy. So t J has feared and loved all at the

same time. Logistically filming this thing in just a couple of weeks, When you say that to me, that means it was a super ambitious shoot shoot schedule with people who are not spring chickens. Were you guys just filming like every single day? Was there fatigue on in that respect? After doing it looking back, is is there anything that

you would change. I think the shoot time, which was three weeks, so when you got to set and when you left, if you stayed the whole time was three weeks, and I think just from being there and hearing people's reaction afterwards, it was the perfect amount of time because it wasn't too short. But they definitely if we would have went a lot longer, a little longer, people have started like complaining just because they missed home because their

moms and dads. But we got to Argentina and actually had the quarantine for seven days, so we were in our hotel for seven days doing nothing. I didn't you know, we could see people out the window, But in terms of physical communication or that conversation, I think when we got there the first day, everyone we were just like unleashed cage dogs, like we're running around the house because we've been cooped up so long. So I don't think it was definitely it wasn't. It didn't even feel like

a rush schedule. It just felt like a constant schedule, like we had no true days off. If you weren't competing or eliminating someone, it was interviews. It was nineties parties that we threw. It was pajama so like I went there with the producer had on knowing I just don't want to compete every day. I told everyone, bring a nineties outfit, bring some sleep where like, let's do some stuff, some o G stuff that the fans used

to love. And I'm glad it made the first episode because it was such a the nineties party was great and people like the music to match that was perfect. So it was a long shooting schedule and and and challenging, but it wasn't impossible, and I think everyone kind of after the first day just kind of sunk back into their Okay, well, this is how it's going to be,

and everyone was fine, listen. I think everyone's excited to see you guys like jump from you know, steel bar to steel bar on a movie, Semitruck and melt Ice with your back and all this crazy. But at the end of the day, I do believe that a lot of the fans, at least ones from like my Age Demo, are excited to see old rivalries return. Are people who are bitter, that were bitter and like the mid nineties

still bitter today. You know what the funny thing about that was is t J said, the very beginning, your past will come back to haunt you in some cases. Episode two, Tris Shell and Katie, who were best friends forever, have the biggest fight and it was the opposite so it wasn't even like they had beef. They went the other way. They went from being best friends too. I'm not sure there ain't Ben gonna be friends after this show. I mean, that's how visceral the conversations and the argument's got.

But you'll move ahead a Nissa and Ruthie. You know they have some problems Nia Maiah and Ruthie, Derek and Neia Maiah. So yeah, it's fun to have at history to kind of tap into as you know, looking at it from a producer hat. And the great thing about this is we can go back and show those flashbacks of those shows in those moments, so unlike the show today, if they have a you know, they have an argument, they don't sometimes they do, but they don't. They don't

flash back fifteen years which everyone looks different. You know, it's not high depth. You're like, oh wow, this is a video videotape, but yes, you will see those rivalries come back to haunt you. You will see some friendships mended, but you will also see some that that is definitely being tested that might not last after the show, which hey it was maybe it was time and this was the catalyst that it needed to end. So who knows? Or it just sets you up perfectly for season two

and more dramaa. I'm no dummy, I'm no dummy. Come on, when you've watched the challenge, there's a lot talked about your social game, your physical game, your puzzle skill game. Obviously they're all important, But what do you think is the most important as someone who's won the challenge? What you've wanted twice? Yeah, I want it twice. So I think when you show up, everyone can be in shape if they want to be right, I mean, if they took the time to be in shape. There there, that's

not a mystery. But when you come to those checkpoints in a final, or those checkpoints in a daily challenge that require, you know, the math skills that you've got to do on point that you've got to you know, think on your feet if you it involves the pentagram puzzles you put together. It involves just a lot of stuff that to some people, you can train all day long for that, but you still don't get it. It

still doesn't click that puzzle. And we have some in our show where its puzzles or trivia or or objects

putting them together. I think that's almost a stronger asset to have in your bag than just being physically strong, because every challenge that I've done and that I've seen, even with with double agents, there's that X factor of who can do the puzzle better, or who can do it the fastest, or which partner can help the other person do the puzzle fastest, And that plays a huge role because you know the finals now, aren't hey, guys start here and run to the top of that mountain.

There's always checkpoints, there's always puzzles, there's a wild card eating elimination. That's always fun. Um. So I think physical attributes play about and all the other stuff play about sevent To be honest, the challenge stands now when I watch there's like kind of a big focus on picking on the rookies. There's just this whole kind of like rite of passage thing and if you know you haven't been here for a while, then we want to send you down into the pit as many times as possible

and as often as possible at this show. Obviously that's can't be done because no one's a rookie. So what is the thing that people end up like focusing on

in your show? When you watch in the beginning, there's a lot less to judge on, right, so a lot of the things are looked at how well you did in the challenge or we also in our particular situation, we had to a guy and a girl had to step up to be captains each day, but if they lost, if their team lost, they were instantly set in the elimination for the house and the boat someone in against them.

So we actually granted in the beginning sometimes the the loser because he had the balls enough to step up. We granted him, Hey, who would you like to go against? Like who who do you want? You know? And then it then it takes almost like not the pressure off the house, but it almost justifies giving the person that steps up kind of that that we have your support,

thanks for stepping up. So the funny thing though, is as you see the series go further and further, the strategy starts to kick in, and that's when you can see the line in the sands with Alliances, so that's not always the case. As we creep along this this

you know, fun train of reality television competition. So as that five thousand gets closer and as the numbers whittled down, it shifts from I don't want to say not there, but fairness kind of leads towards strategy and who's gonna get me to the end or who do I think has my back when the time comes. So the very few first votes might seem a little easier, but as

you go, it's definitely a strategy play. And I think everyone knows that there's a time in there coming up where I'm just like, guys, let's be honest, this is this is strategy, this is alliances. Let's not let's call out the pink elephant in the room. So everyone knows it, and we're skilled. We are skilled competition players. Even though we're a little older, we still know the game. Last question about the Challenge All Stars just on Paramount Plus.

It started, yeah, a week ago, so everyone goes go watch it being an EP but then also being a contest in the show, was everyone really upset that you were the winner? Uh? Like, I said, every step of this challenge, I have to earn my way through it, and you will see it. I do not get an easy ride. I might not even make the finals because, like I said, if we were playing tug a war every day, I would probably have a really, really great shot at making the finals and winning. But it's not

that type of show. I wanted to be fair and competitive and as unbiased as possible, and you will see that. And I mean, hey, that's why you tune in, right Maybe the Godfather wins, maybe he gets sent home the episode five, you never know to see if I could trip you up there, Mark apparently, I see, I see you. Come on, come on. Last question. You're a big dude. You're jacked up, kind of like the big gun right

now in the challenge, is is FEESSI? Even though I feel like he's a little bit of a complainer, but whatever, I would need to get into that. Who would you rather go against in a hall brawl? Would you rather go up against FEESSI or would you rather go up against CT Just by the way, I think that you might blow both of them out the water, But who would you rather well, as I said Serio episode one, I am six three and one half inches two and thirty pounds of twisted steel. So I don't care. From

twenty nine those stats ring true to this day. I think me being a competitive it's not even arrogance, it's just me being very competitive and competent. I think my advantage to Fessie is is my age. I mean, I would come in there and treat him like a son rather than a counterpart peer. And you know how you were kind of scared of your dad when you grew up. I would put that fear of of that daddy daddy mentality in his mind and listen, he always says, oh,

I played football and this stuff. I played football, to dude, I know how to lower the boom. I know how to be a free safety and knock your teeth out. So FESSI no problem CT. Now? Is it CT is getting better in shape? Is it better in shape CT or CT that I've been seeing lately, because he he's getting in really good shape again. I think so CT and I would have a battle. But like like Fessie, you know I've I've played all those type of contact sports before. It will be a brad I would, I mean,

just because I love CT so much. Would it be hard to go against, of course, but him and I are both we can flip that switch just like a Derek and uh, you know it would be a battle. But you know, I think I go to and on both. But that's just me be an arrogant. I actually agree with you. Yeah. Nanny said something a couple of weeks ago that I thought was true. She was like, Fess, he's a guy who would like hire a hit man to go kill you, or CT would buy the knife

himself and do the work himself. And I was like, I believe that. Actually, that is an excellent quote. That is true. I stand by that Nanny tweet man or that that statement. That's awesome. It's nice to see how CT is evolved too, because he, you know, in the beginning, you know, the Boston personality brought him, he was really aggressive and really combative, and I think that was kind of a stick. But as he's grown older and he's now a father, he plays a very strong strategic game now.

Where he used to smother you with his you know, the threat of his fist, now it's more of a game play, behind the scenes kind of thing, which I'd loved to see that evolution of his game. And Fessie, man, it's you know, I said this the other day, Fessie, you know everyone can win daily challenges, but until you win the final, you know, you can't crown yourself the next greatest thing yet. And I think he'll get there.

Like I'm not a Fessi batcher batcher at all. I mean, I think he's carved himself out to be the nice villain, which which is a big role in these shows. I don't not root for him. I always root for someone that that's really trying and passionate. I just think he's got to get that that that one championship notch in his belt before he starts, you know, trying to claim that he's the new greatest thing on the Challenge. I agree, screw the MTV version of the Challenge. Everyone needs to

go watch The Challenge All Stars. It's on Paramount plus, ghost stream it now, download the app, all that kind of stuff. Really really excited for this season and and thank you for bringing more of the Challenge into my life. It really has brightened these COVID days as of late. Is there anything that you want to talk about your show that I haven't asked you about before we pivot into my part portion of the show. I knew we had something when they released the trailer and within a

week it had five million plus views. I mean, that's insane for this type of show where it's come from. Um, it's a really fun show. And if if you're eighteen years old or forty nine or fifty two like Beth, there's an audience for everyone. T J is a great you know, trigger point lynch pin of that, and it's a fun, fun show that you can smile throughout the whole thing, and everyone can put themselves in our shoes thinking wow, I could probably do that. And some things

are very hard. The final that you'll see is super hard, just like a regular challenge, but it's fun, it's entertaining. Thursdays, the new episodes drop on Paramount Plus. It's the first episode. I couldn't have gotten any better response than I did from all of the fans and the press outlets alike, and the Barstool Sports shoutout was great. I mean, the

US Weekly stuff and People Magazine, all of them. So I'm super excited, my man, and I'm glad you and your girl have to watch you have to, but don't worry. It's we didn't have the paramount app but now we do, so it's it's coming out perfect. Okay. I don't know if anyone told you about what this show is, but I'm kind of obsessed with origin stories. I'm more interested in how people became successful and well known and what

that blueprint was. So we're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, we're going to find out where the hell Mark Long came from and how the hell he got on this show? Down perfect, Let's do it. Stick around listening to the Wells cast. All right back in the Wells cast, very very excited to have the man the myth of the legend, one of the o

g s from. Like, I feel like a lot of my audience might not even remember that there was this show called road Rules where they would take like I don't know, ten strangers and throw them in a Winnebago and make them drive around the country like a bunch of assholes doing a bunch of weird things. But it was like one of my favorite shows growing up. And I will say this, I was definitely more Road Rules than Real World Guy. But that's neither here nor there.

That's where this man came from. You were on the season. You came along at a time where reality TV was still in its infancy. I don't know if people really understood what it was, and they definitely didn't know what it was going to be. As someone who was a forefather of what's considered to be amazing entertainment but the downfall of American society, how do you feel about the role you played. Oh, I didn't give myself this term the Godfather. I have cast members from every show across

the board. You know, give me that that phrase of the Godfather, and I wear that hat proudly. Yeah. I mean back then, we didn't have a blueprint to go buy you know what I mean? When I did the road Rules show, there wasn't a first season even to look back on and say, oh, this is how it works. Right. So in terms of being a true, true, original organic company kind of like an adventure show, it was it.

And there was so many shows like I heard a rumor that Fear Factor was then spun off of a road Rules type of theme that they the producers saw that show and said, wait, we could probably do this, but on a bigger smaller scale, so to speak. So lots of shows got spun off from different early reality programs. And the thing now that the biggest change that I've noticed is because of social media, everyone is so instantaneously available to pick on, bully, praise, um, give their highest regards.

So that to me is a little weird because I even said, our cast member, we never even when we were filming now, we didn't talk about Instagram followers when we were down there, or how did your Twitter? Now? I hope our Twitter numbers go up? We didn't. We don't care because we didn't come from that generation where I think a lot of people, you know, even outside of the MTV Challenge, these guys today that are on the different reality shows, they're so focused on that and

they know my numbers, my brand. By this, it's like we we would compete now in All Stars for a full Razor scooter just as hard as we would for five dollars. So that's a generational thing. It's a lot more produced these days, you know, types of reality shows.

But you know, that's one of the things I can always say that was so special for me is I didn't have anything to compare it to, so when I showed up to the mountaintop on Malibu and met these people, I didn't know what I was going to be getting into. And it was like the Wild West. I mean, there was so many things we did that you couldn't do today.

There's an episode where we drove these demolition derby cars in Indiana and I actually talked the producers into letting me drive a car in the race and that wasn't like they would never let me do that today, Like there's so much insurance there. But the guys like, yeah, if you don't crash it, you can drive it. I'm like, I look at the producer, like, come on this, we have to and there like go for it. So I'm like I was that wasn't in the script and that

would never happen to day. But it was really the wild wild West. Um. There was a story we were

in New Orleans. That's when Kit Hoover and I had our mysterious first kiss our production when a bagel got broken into and they stole like three boxes of already shot footage and they actually had to release an article in the paper and somehow they paid like a three thousand dollar ransom and the tapes just magically showed back up, So it might have not even happened if that because there was like three bat in the boxes of tapes were probably three cities. So there's so many behind the

scenes stories that that weren't shown. I mean I used to take the Winnebago and production was already asleep and like in their hotel. I would take the Winnebago and just like drive through McDonald's like they didn't know what we were doing. But you could never do that today. So it was literally like the wild West back then. And it's gotten way more structured, way more produced, but

it's produced it a great way. I mean, just how our show looks compared to how it looked, I mean with the drone shots and just showing the vastness of Argentina like it is badass. So I'm I'm not saying that's a negative thing. I'm just saying back then, there

was really nothing to compare it to period. I agree, And I think one of the biggest problems that we find on in the Bachelor World is there's this kind of like cliche that always gets thrown around, is that you're not there for the right reasons, which is a very nice way of saying you're there because you want Instagram followers so you can go sell diarrhea tea on your Instagram page. And and so my question was, like, you're the reason why the Kardashians are a thing, which

isn't fair because you're not. Because the thing that annoys is about the Kardashians is that like one Instagram post they make like four million dollars And that was never a part of your Guys game plan to begin with, right, absolutely, and the fact that it has evolved to that, and trust me, I mean, let I'd be lying if I said, hey, my Instagram and Twitter numbers aren't going up. I mean they are, but that's you know, I'm not out there pushing my Instagram or Twitter. It's just a natural thing

that happens now. But those shows like The Kardashians, man good for good for them. I mean, holy crap, the evolution of that show and just how long it lasted, and you know Murray was a big part of that as well. It's amazing. But you know it's not right for you because I'm sure even on your show, there's there's some genuine people showing up thinking, hey, this might

be the one. And there's those, you know, there's a few bad apples in every bunch that are probably there to just you know, have those moments where they want to be seen and they do their freak out moments or their cries or they're fighting and and that's a shame too, because you kind of diminish what they're there for. I'm really good friends with one of your cohorts from the past, remember Nick Peterson. So Nick was the one that took the money and didn't split it with the girl.

So I have a charity forgive Kids of the World that he comes to every year. And people still ask about that because it was just such a dirty move. But cut to Johnny Banana is doing that to Sarah, you know what I mean. So people know what's gonna make good TV. They know now nowadays like what they have to do to stand out, which is it's cool in a way because it's fun parts of it's fun moments of the shows, but it's also a little more produced than organic, which is how we used to be

back in the day. I mean, even the first Real World you could tell they were totally real. I mean, it wasn't like they came to put on an act. It was you know, Eric Nice was Eric Nice. You know, he was the New York kid that was just the model strug you know, struggling, but you know, just those stories and having watching that reunion on Paramount Plus is awesome too. So it's fun to go back to that vintage I don't want to say old people, but the

vintage reality, the pioneers, so to speak. So it's fun. Man, It's and I don't know what it is, but people love nostalgia and I'm right there with them. So I love it. And there's a reason why Vinyl has come back and all that kind of stuff. It's because people love to feel a certain way. Even for me, it brings up I was in high school when Your Guys this season was airing, and it it reminds me of that time, which is great, speaking of high school and stuff.

Where are you from? I was born in Philly. I grew up in Philly till third grade. My dad was in the military. My mom was a nurse, so we went. We bounced around a little bit. I ended up in a small city in Florida called Satellite Beach, a little small city right on the beach Um went to University of Florida. I actually sent in a casting tape for Los Angeles Real World from University of Florida, and I was a broadcast production major, so I made a really

kick ass tape. So I'm like, if anything, they're at least gonna appreciate the time I spent on the tape because it was like it was cool, like it was real, like bunch of ship with awesome music and all this stuff.

So I got the call and started going down that rabbit hole of Real World Los Angeles and I got down to like a final twelve and there was a guy on there called His name was Aaron, a blond guy who was a c p A. And they were like, Mark, you know, we love your personality, but we think Aaron is a better real because you know, you have this broadcast journal as a major and you want to be in entertainment and he's just an accountant. You know, it's a little more real to us. And I said that's fine.

So I didn't make that. And then like three months later, when Puck got kicked out of the house, I got called to be a roommate change, so I actually flew out to San Francisco and met with the roommates and they ended up picking a girl named Joe because the other the guys were like, well, we had a guy, you know, we let's try a girl this time. So but it was a blessing in disguise because two months after that, I got a call to do the road

Rules Pilot. And I did the road Rules Pilot with four other people that weren't even on the original cast. So when the road Rules Pilot got picked up, they told us in the beginning, we're gonna cast a new group of people. So I was literally, this is a true story. I was in Los Angeles on the corner of Hollywood and Fuller. There's an apartment there, studio, and my had a home phone. My home phone rang and it was John Bunium and Mary Mary Elis Peutiam and

John Murray, the heads of Buna Murray. They said, hey, we wanted to let you know the road Rules Pilot got picked up. I'm like, awesome, and I'm thinking in my head in l A, at least I could put that like on my resume, you know, like road Rules Pilot, playing myself. And they said, but we had a guy that was cast to play kind of your personality, but New York didn't like them, so they just asked if

you you wanted to do it. Yeah, I want to do it, so and they're like, but you can't tell like the other cast, you know for the first few weeks that you did the pilot, because we want them to be kind of surprised as well. So I ended up doing the pilot with I mean the show with four other people that didn't do the pilot, And when the show came out, I got calls from all those people that did the pilot like what did you do to get on the show? Who did you sleep with?

I'm like, dude, give me a break. So that's a that's a kind of a peel behind the curtain, Like I everyone was supposed to do Ruad road Rules. It's just a guy that was playing my personality did something to piss them off. So I got the call when you look back at that first season, what's the thing that you remember the most fondly? When I looked back, they re aired it the whole season in on MTV Classic the other day. It was the whole like a what's it called like? Back to back to back? The

whole thing. It was so it was so vanilla, Like it was so vanilla that I laughed. I'm like this was cutting edge back then. I'm like, this was like what was like the cool thing? Like I guess the thing I look back on Kit and I, Kit Hoover and I. We had such a great relationship and such a comic relief for that show, like we get We got into so much even the producers rolled their eyes with I just remember the good times and going everywhere.

I mean we went to thirty six states in three months, and you know I was on the Today Show as a Barnum and Bailey clown, like with Matt Lower, who's not even there anymore. I mean, you name it. We did it, like I'm saying, rode the race card, did the skydiving, did the bungee jumping. Did I was one of seven people that had stood on top of the President's head on Mount Rushmore. Like we got to do

so much crazy ship that. You know, looking back now, you appreciate a lot because when I'm twenty one years old, I'm like, this is cool. This is but like you don't it doesn't sink in like it does now. So the fact that, you know, I can say I did all these crazy things and then to come full circle with what we're doing now is like that's a reality pioneers dream is to relive that moment. That was just so fun and I loved it, and I loved every second on that show. I love filming on every second

of this show. And it's just it was an amazing time. Road Rules was you know, it was critically acclaimed. I mean it was like a show where it wasn't just people thought, hey, I like the show. It was like a critically acclaimed reality show of its time. To do that and to be you know, have four Winnebago it's like a like a traveling circus and be able to

pull all this off. It was super cool. A lot of people get their fifteen minutes and aren't able to do anything with it, and then there are people who are able to use that forward momentum and really create something special. I mean, you you did Road Rules and then I mean like you did like MTV Sports, you in Fox Realities, you needed reality or remixed. You are

like the gadget guru. You've done a lot of stuff and then now you're an e P on the challenge all Stars for all of our listeners out there, what's one piece of advice that you live by that's helped you that kind of like create this forward of momentum throughout your career. You know, wells It's so simple. And I've said this many times. One of my most favorite jobs I've ever had was the show on Fox Reality Reality Remix, I hosted with Kennedy, who's now on Fox News.

It was it was like entertainment Tonight, but it was for reality shows. I went. I did so many cast visits. They flew me to China to cover Survivor China. But I think the biggest takeaway that I've taken from being a reality start growing up is I never took myself too seriously. I was always responsible if I had a call time at ten o'clock. I was sitting out in

the parking lot at nine thirty. And there was so many people that I tried to get involved in Reality Remix that's a correspondent to kind of throw them a bone. These people just dropped the ball left and right, and I won't even drops but some of the big ones I think would have really helped launch what they're doing. Just by being responsible and not being an asshole. So like like you like you doing your podcast and continuing

and being out there and being responsible. You're set is amazing, Like you're taking everything you know, it's it's fun, but you take it seriously. And I know every type of reality thing, whether that I'm doing All Stars, where I'm doing a guest spot on you know, a different television show,

or the Gadget Group. I always thought this could be my last job, so I want to be hit it out of the park in every way in terms of being nice to the production, having them say, god, that guy Mark was awesome to work with, showing up on time, being prepared. So that sounds very basic, but in the world of reality TV, some of the cast members that have the biggest potential just dropped the ball by just not taking things seriously, and it it pisces me off.

So I was like, I could have had so many people, so many jobs during that that that series, and it just it was disheartening to watch. And then now you know, now they're like, oh, now I want to do this, and well, you know, great, but you had a chance to do a lot of that and you just, you know, I don't know if it was age, but I mean it's just if you're watching. If you want to be a reality star, be real. Don't go in with any altered things of what you think the producers will watch.

Be yourself. You never know who they're going to pick. And if you are a reality star, you know, be responsible. Take your job seriously. You know, come prepared, show up on time, be creative. Like I can tell just by looking at your set that you're like me and you take things seriously and you you're good at it, so they should follow both of us are both of our our path. Well, So that was my That's kind of

my advice. I always say, it's really hard to get rid of someone who's really really easy to work with. That's showing up on time, that's being super nice to everyone. You should be nice everyone just because you're not. Yeah, being easy to work with I think is like one of the most important things on your resume, or it

should be. I think you could go back to every job I've had an entertainment and not only would they probably say it was easy to work with their Like dude, if we asked him to pool cables, he would have done it because I was that involved and invested in what we were doing. And why wouldn't you be nice? You know? I mean, they're giving you an opportunity of a lifetime. That's why. You know. There was a few times even on All Stars were a few cast members

just kind of weren't that nice to production. I'm like, dude, you could be replaced in the snap of a finger. Just be nice. We're here to do a job. You're getting paid. It's like, shut up, I'm running out of time with you before lets you go. You got time with some rapid fire questions. Oh of course, all right, here we go rapid fire questions with Mark Long's and the challenge you All Stars Number one frapizza, topic, sausage,

favorite book. Uh, I'm not a book guy. I'm like, I'm not like an entertainment magazine guru, all of them. Who's your first kiss? Oh? Her name was? I forgot her. Oh her name was like, I don't know, like a Joe Anne. And I kissed her. I brought her a gold he like a little balloon like balloon that you wear on your thing, a gold balloon necklace on the side of how in elementary school? And I kissed her so romantic. What was the first concert? Everyone to? First

concert was Hammer with Vanilla Ice opening. You just aide yourself again? Right there? Oh yeah, baby? First job you ever had? The first job I ever had was at Taco bell. I was fifteen years old, and I lied and said I was sixteen, and I did the drive through and I would give all my friends free ship. First car you ever owned, making model Honda Accord still running today. I'm sure still running, baby. Who would you call to get you out of jail? Andrew Queller a

buddy of mine. He's he's just he looks like a bouncer. He looks like a hit man. He just tattoos on his neck. I call him first. Do you want an Emmy? Who did you think first in your speech? Oh? I gotta think moms. I think Moms and Dad. First record or c D you owned? You want to hear something hilarious? I think it was Madonna because I remember playing I remember right, here's another aging. I remember riding down my street on my bike holding like a jam box playing

Lucky Star. I thought I was cool. Celebrity crush I mean younger, like who didn't have a crush on Pam Anderson, right, I mean when she when I was younger and she was younger, Pam Anderson was my crush. I always like Carmen Elector too. She was cool early days of both of them twenty years ago. How would you describe your high school self? You know how to give out superlatives. In high school, I got best attitude. I'm like, is that cool or is that lame? But no, I was.

I always was friends with everyone. I was friends with the guys on the football team, and I was friends with the guys in the Rocket club because I just always I was never the bullying guy. I always want to me, I like to make everyone in the room feel cool and feel comfortable. That's always been like a thing that I've tried to, you know, even to this day, Like if I see someone getting picked on or getting you know, I try to like diffuse that as quick

as possible. And last one, you've done a lot. What's one thing you haven't done in your career that you'd like to I think the evolution of me is kind of like yourself. I think I've been in it so long that I could have like a serious sex m podcasts of reality all reality and really go back and and and pull out. The have so many stories, dude, from Playboy mansion to getting arrested, like, so many stories

that are just haven't been out. I can see that or I'd love to, you know, kind of host something on my own base around what I'm doing now, we'll see. That would be cool. And I mean, the world is the worster now with with the success of this show, hopefully we'll do many seasons of this. I feel confident we will. You know, I'll be coming back to you in a few years saying remember that super Bowl idea. It's happening, so we'll see. You should write a book, dude.

Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'd have to get that cleared. Yeah, a lot of people gotta wait for a couple of nbas to expire. Yes, exactly. Uh. Mark Long, thank you so much for being on the Welles cast. You are an absolute delight to talk to. I totally get it. It makes total sense to me why you've been doing this for so long. Everyone out there, The Challenge All Stars is on Paramount Plus right now, make sure you go watch it. Where do people follow you to keep

up with your stuff? You can follow me everywhere Twitter, Instagram at the mark long Easy. Thank you, brother man. This was so much fun. Thank you Wells. I appreciate you, brother. Subscribe to Wells cast on I Heart Radio, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It's the internet line, h