Must Win Era w/ Derek Chavez

Hello, Hello, hello friends.

Or should I say anyway? What's up? Everyone? It's Devin Simone.

Tims the Season, and I am Davon Rogers and this is MTV's official challenge podcast, My.

So jolly day. I should have brought some jingle bells.

Okay, next week, look jingle jangle bells?

Right, jingle jangle?

How are you feeling about this week's episode?

Day?

I feel good about this episode. This one was hard, you know, having to choose, well not choose, but Derek or Corey. Like I've been rooting.

For both of them, and you know, we always talk about how much we want Corey to win it and get his win, and then there's Derek and it's like, oh, I want you to it, so it's like, ah, this one, this one was rough, but nothing compares to watching them have to drive off that cliff.

Would you have done that?

Like, if that was you, if you were back on the show, how would you have felt? Would you have been excited by that? Or would you have been like hell.

No, not have been terrified.

I would have done it, but I would have been absolutely terrified, Like you would have taken some TJ would have been.

Like come on, Davon, don't quit, you know, I don't like quitters.

Like I would have had to hear the whole monologue and then I would have done it for sure.

Or yeah, what about you?

I mean, I love that we saw Tory ping on herself butt then that like not literally loved but at the end when she was out of she got out of the water and she was huffing and puffing and she was just so out of it, and they were like, are you going.

To the bathroom? She said yeah, like while she was sitting there.

I feel like Squad tells you this, the like raw emotion probably makes a fear and anxiety and all of that. From doing that, I would have been terrified. I probably would have wet my pants. But I also would have been really excited to do it. But I also would have been thinking about the Burger King burgers.

I'm not gonna lie man.

I've been craving a Whopper Junior since we watched this episode.

I cannot wait, like I'm in. I'm in.

Shout out to Burger King for making this a possibility that is wild, that is.

So wild that they pulled this off.

Yeah yeah, And and the entire cats got the burger king, So that.

Was pretty cool.

Yeah, that would even really effed up if they didn't do it.

Man, Yeah, just salivating. You been eating this whole time.

You just jumped out of a flame broiled car, and like you don't get a frame boiled burger that.

At least.

Jordan Torri pulled out the wind. Are we surprised?

No, I mean definitely Jordan made it look easy.

They both killed it.

But I feel like with the swimming, to me, the swimming thing is always hard because I kind of feel like I never know what to expect, you know, like who's gonna crush a swimming thing? So like for that portion of it, I'm not surprised, But I also kind of like, if you told me at the start of this, who did I think was gonna win? I honestly couldn't have really told you.

I actually was putting my money on Jordan one hundred percent, but then also I had my.

Money on Rachel. So when Rachel, I was like, oh.

Like Tori is really out here in these challenge streets, like making a name for her.

She wants to be on Mount Rushmore.

We're seeing a theme though, and no shade to Rach but this is ain't the first time we've seen Rach be a little slower on a puzzle. Remember the bat Cave. We're starting to see a theme now. I've never hot wired a car, so I don't know how I would have done.

With that either.

I pleaded the fifth.

Wait a minute, wait, I darn, wait a minute.

Really, I've been delivered. I've been delivered.

That was da day.

Now, that's kind of bads.

We learning something, We learned something new every day on What we also.

Learned is everyone finally found the what can we call it the glitch in Kyland.

The swimming And I hate that because I didn't want people to know, like, you know, it was a weakness. Yes, I wanted them to think of what you said, what I said when you said that's what I was trying to say.

I didn't know. I didn't know we can though, we can?

Uh yeah, yeah, continue, Sorry, I didn't know where you were going with that.

Yeah, no, I on one hand, I didn't. I don't love them finding glitch.

But on the other hand, it humanizes him, like I do you know, yeah, I think it humanizes him.

Yeah that's fair.

Yeah, yeah, I thought he was going to do really really well.

I didn't know that he struggled with swimming. But who am I to judge? Because you put me out there, good luck and God bless right.

I would have been a pulling a car up, just floating, like, don't even put five hundred meters.

I can't. Yeah, I would have just been put send.

Me in, just drop me in the water, and then time up.

Yeah, just go ahead, take your time. You guys can go ahead with the next person. I'll get to short of it, like it's fine, I'm already traumatized.

What are we talking about?

Yeah, So then we have our losers.

I don't like to call them that, but the people who didn't win. Right, we have Derek and we have Kara. Now, Kara, she gets a penalty next challenge, souls Paul's no, she gets a penalty next challenge and still.

Make it the thing.

Tell Derek like, hey, you can go ahead, and like that's card. I don't know if that's smarter or I don't know.

It's either beautiful or crazy.

I don't know.

I'm gonna go it beautiful. I think it's exceptional.

I think if and hopefully when she pulls out of this, I think it'll be one of the most beautiful things we've seen.

It'll go down as a moment and challenge history.

I think if she doesn't, for some reason pull out of this, it'll feel very reminiscent of Jordan's kill cards, ah, but not as visually dramatic, but kind of you get what I'm saying, like where you just tallied something else onto yourself that you didn't necessarily have to do. But I have faith that she's going to come out of it, although I don't know who's losing next challenge, like we have nothing but talented women the time in this game.

Fact, yeah I don't. I don't know.

But if she, like I agree, if she does pull this off, ooh, Kara, you a bad, such and such a girl.

Shut your mouth. Yeah you are bad. Mamajamma, Oh my goodness.

Okay, let's get into this elimination m hm all right, So I can't lie to you.

I probably would have performed this exactly the way Corey did because my mind would have been on I need to get all of these bricks over here. I have to get them over here immediately. However, watching it, and that's why it's so good to If you're going on the challenge watch the show, because you can literally steal strategy. Like the way Derek positioned those pieces before he brought them all over was pure genius.

Like it was so good.

But you know, sometimes we get into these eliminations and we get frantic and it's like, Okay, let me get everything over here and then I'll figure everything out later. And Derek was like, no, let me work smarter, not harder, And I thought it was so good.

What about you?

I think it was both parties leaning into their strengths, and not that they're not both well rounded competitors. They are, but I think if you were to ask Corey and I feel like this was sort of, you know, intimated when we had him on the podcast recently.

He knows he's strong, like he knows.

That he can he can push through with some force, and so I think in a moment like that, sort of almost like a fight or flight, you lean into your strength. I think with Derek coming in, he knows that he's calm under pressure, right, Like, he knows that that's when he can really tap into the strength of his mind and figuring things out, and so I think that's exactly what he did. And in this particular instance,

Saw both of them leading to their strength.

But it also goes back to this theme that I know, I sound like a record hopefully top hits, but you know what I'm going to say. Where we've it's been so interesting this season watching how these competitors compete because in so many of the eliminations we see two very different Like we almost always see one that is this sort of thinking ahead of time strategy, right, and then we see one that's a doer strategy right where I

Yeah, and that's gonna be so interesting to see in that final.

Right.

Right, all right, Now we know there was no chamber this go round because Jordan one Derek loss, which then means the only target left was in fact our boy Corey. Derek took out Corey. Now Derek selects Jenny, Rachel and Kara.

That absolutely stacked.

They should all get medals.

Speaking of which, let's go into the gold stars and the timeouts, and you know, I there we go. I'm gonna pull a Davon. There we go this time, there we go. Okay, I'm just because we're so far in, I'm gonna pull a Davon. First of all, I want to give a separate honorable mentions to Derek and just what he achieved in this elimination. I think it was except optional, beautifully done, sharing the story of a sister.

I hope she sees.

This as a offer yet one of her great moments. Like well, just in general, even the way she started to work with Laurel towards the middle of the season.

In the end, right, they.

Got off to a awful start and they don't need to be friends, But even towards the middle and the end, before Laurel left the conversation, in the way they could still kind of work together.

I thought was nice to see the way we saw Kara.

Move towards working with Corey, you know, just these like relationships and bonds, you know, and then her offering herself up like shout out to Kara. But overall, I want to give my gold stars. I want to give gold medals to Rachel, to Tory, to Jenny, to Kara, and to Michelle, because they are bad asses. I could not be more proud of them, just as humans, but as women running the game, they are so talented in all the ways, and I love that they all have different backgrounds,

And well done.

And I hope anybody watching the show is inspired as I've been watching them.

Who gets your gold Star?

So honorable mentions.

Jordan and Tory just for completely dominating that swimming challenge. I think eating is one of them things, but swimming is definitely one of the ones that take a lot of people out. So definitely honorable mentions. But my goal star is actually going to go to Cheyenne.

Really okay, I like it. She was tearing Corey.

Up on that face. She's said that you'd have been there way too long. That don't come home and lose her. Okay, But I love that their their dynamic, their co parenting dynamic, and it was good seeing her on our challenge screens and you know it was it was just good. So my goal star is going to go to Cheyenne because we love we love a good comedic relief to the show.

We absolutely love it, and we love that she has just been holding it down like that, which is, you know, not easy, not easy to do.

So definitely shout out.

Okay, who's gonna get your time out of the week.

Y'all know, I'm.

Always gonna hold down the fort for Josh, but I'm always gonna hold down for it for Kyland as well.

And so I am putting Corey, Jordan.

And Nanners in time out for trying to scare my friend about this final.

Okay, but you be fair. I know that they were trying to do tactic, but look, they are not wrong. You get so it is it is the twelfth day of Hell. I've never been to Hell, but i'd imagine. And yeah, there's a brief moment it's like euphoria.

Then it's oh my god, I'm gonna die.

And then when you when you finish it, you know, I'm sure it's even better if you finished first place.

I obviously wouldn't know about that, but in.

General, when you finish it, then you go back up to a euphoria of just such a pride that like probably one of the greatest moments of your life.

But man, at that start, it is scary. It is.

And shout out to the editors because they kept going back like someone would say something and then they go back to Kyland. If someone says something else and they go back to Kyland and my fore friend, you know, you get that look on your face when you're in trouble or when you gotta go boo boo.

Like look he had on his face.

I mean, and he.

Might be having to do it out in the wilderness and a final so that's.

A fair face to make.

That is your fire.

My time out of this episode, I honestly, I don't think there is one. I mean, if anything, Burger King might get one for not sending us some food, but other than that, I know, I mean, it's okay because I really am going to order something like as soon as we get out of this. But I'm just really proud of everyone getting this far. I'm proud of every the way everyone's competed the game in general. It's been so fun to watch and well done and yeah, I'm

We love love, love, love love growth, and even more than that, we love this person that is coming to talk with us today.

I'm so excited for you guys to hear this interview.

So sit back, relax, and go get your snacks because next.

Up we have Derek Chravis.

What else should they get, Devin, We should get some.

Pick up a whopper, Junior. I'm literally about to order one right now, right.

Now, super excited about this episode.

Oh my goodness.

We have what Devin and I like to call who Devin and I likes to call the Silent Assassin.

We have Derek Chravis here, ladies and gentlemen. Give it up, Give it up, give it up.

Hello, I'm digging that nickname. I've never been called that before, Like, uh, yeah.

You are the silent Assassin over here.

To be honest, I don't remember ever calling you that either. I feel like, Dad, we definitely did. Okay, I don't remember, but no, I really don't. But it's not that it's not valid because it definitely is.

You are killing it this season.

We are not supposed to have favorites and we don't, but man, if we did, you are. I'm pulling for you so much this season.

So proud of you.

Real talk though, before we get into this, did you bring the wig because we saw so much.

Of your alter ego that he's a favorite.

We want to know if she's making appearance or how she's doing.

Oh, she's great. She has some sisters too. She has Bob, she has a little Bob sister.

Her name is Okay, and then she has her blondeie sis Tiffany as well.

So you guys would love.

It be seeing them in the future and a few yeah, I feel like you'll still be seeing them this season at some point.

Ooh ooh by Be and tiff Okay, we leave a family reunion, we do?

You definitely do what Tarara's wedding her funeral just pop up.

Not too long ago too, it did, I don't it did and they were replaying it recently. And then also you know that whole ariana Grande Cynthia a revo thing holding space that's like trending and meme. Why did someone tweet me talking about their holding space for Tamara the Whigs funeral, so shut out to all the Challenge listeners and fans and fam who are so honoring her legacy gone but not forgotten.

I miss you, d Money.

We had so much fun back in the day on the show, and watching you has been so much fun. How has it been watching yourself so far this season?

It's crazy because like watching All Stars and seeing all that play back, it's the same, but like not in a sense that the flagship.

Show is just what we were brought up on, Like.

This is this is it?

This is like it's I don't know, it's different, and it's just such a good feeling. And I love just to bring back like the whole nostalgia of like us pranking each other and having parties and like fucking get Lynn and having fake fights. You know, Like it's just so much fun to like try and bring that back to the show. So like being able to watch it and then then highlighting funny parts like the wigs.

And the strip person all that kind of stuff.

It's just it makes me feel good because it's like this is what I what I always wanted to do on the Challenge.

It's fucking awesome, just to see see it come back like this.

They want to see you pussy popping on a handstand like you did over Devin on a couch for his birthday, which was how that should have been the clue to everyone in the house.

It should have put them on notice.

To watch out for you and your ability, because anybody who can balance upside down on a couch while t working is another specimen.

That's another level of athleticism.

We call it the endgame or the ender.

That's what it was called, the ender. Do you want to know who taught me them?

Who do you think in that cast taught me that move? And Anissa's not there anymore, who do you think it was?

Wait, it couldn't have been Tori?

I know right, That's what I'm trying to really Wait, Okay, she's not gonna need to talk.

Wait a minute. I can see Torri two net thing. I can see it. I can see it.

I'd be like she learned it for at least wild.

Well, I'm impressed, and you did a very very good job. You know, you're considered the underdog.

For a lot of this season. Why do you think that is? And how do you feel about that?

So I will take underdog over a layup anytime. And I was always perceived as a layup in the beginning, so to progress into underdog is amazing because everybody roots for the underdog and it's and it's not like I'm not I'm not doing the damn thing too, Like, yeah, I'm not getting first every time, but like a lot of people don't realize you you shouldn't get first and a lot of things because then it puts responsibility on you to do things that I'll later show your cards.

But I was so.

Confident going into that with my win that I just had the previous couple of weeks ago, and I was.

Just it's like, oh, you just have your momentums just going up. There's no way you're gonna go down.

And it was just and I'm not blaming anything, like it took me a long time to do that puzzle, but I was already pissed off and I had to go straight into it. Then this started happening, and then it took forever. I'm like, there's no way. And then then Jordan had already won. I'm like, there's no way. Like, there's no way. So that was like the whole thing. But being called an underdog now instead of a layup

You know what, when you said everyone ruse for that underdog, You're correct, because I'm one of those people. I love me a good underdog story, right, And it seems like everyone has become a very, very very big fan of yours. Now, tell us a little bit about this political game this season, because Derek, we've been watching and we've been watching you like a hawk. Okay, so tell us a little bit about that.

So, I mean, I mean, it's just in my nature to be friendly with most people, like everybody anyway, I'll give everybody the benefit of the doubt.

I'll give everybody a chance to like show.

Their two cars and show me that they're, you know, a decent person, somebody you want to like hang out with. And fortunately for me this round, like that played into my like political game because I did have friends in almost every corner, and even if they weren't like my number ones or whatever, I was still on the raidar to be like, hey, this could potentially be like a like a partnership or something down the road because we haven't done anything wrong. Even though he's not my top person,

Lurking, I'm listening. I got called out on it.

Well, that's what I was going to ask, because you're you're super friendly, but you always have been known to keep it real also, and your facial expressions don't lie. So who you mentioned, I was going to ask, you know who you may be, but it heads within the house and you mentioned you'd gotten called out, So like, what were some of the things we didn't see or who were some of the people that you didn't necessarily have the smoothest relationship with and what happened?

So it was definitely Banana's called me out. And he called me like I was.

I was trying, like I thought it was a slick as fucked to and I was like just folding clothes and like doing stuff and he was having an important conversation and then he goes, and don't think I don't I don't know that you're listening to this conversation, Derek, You're gonna go do this and this. So there was a point and I'll say it now because it's no one has ever said names. So Olivia the thing with the snake thing, and Banana's like, call your friends, who's the one that said it?

Is the one that said it? Everybody thinks it's me.

Even Olivia was like, yeah, you said this, I go no, because that's the one thing he called me out for and if I did go tell you, he was going to know it was me. So that was the one thing that I made sure I didn't say anything to her because that was obviously going to be me, even though people ran and told her anyway, But like I was just like, oh shit, they're gonna think that was me. So like, he definitely called me out a couple of times,

I was like, oh what did she say?

Oh yeah that, Like I was just stirring the pot and he called me out on that too.

So if anybody, like I got into the little tips, it was with bananas mostly, but not she being messy.

But I appreciate you, especially poking at bananas. This Banana's been poking at everybody pretty much this season, so it's a poke back at him.

Has been very interesting.

I would like to know what are your thoughts about the bananas?

Angels?

Oh Jesus, were are we?

Are we?

Derek Demons like, what's going on?

But I didn't mind it because you can just once we started going individual and you saw, you kind of saw where the line was drawn, even though it wasn't, and then they just became like a powerhouse. And then I don't know where it came from. And then all of a sudden it was about the angels, and I'm like, oh, they're not calling themselves the Angels, are they really? And then I was just like, well, that's the thing now, okay. So like we just had like little group names for everybody,

Like of feet, Yeah, what was please?

Okay? Okay?

Was it as much footness in the house as we were seeing, because it was a whole lot of like I feel like I have visions of toe jam and toenails floating through my head from the last few see episodes of the Challenge I've been watching. Was it as prominent as they made it seem or was it like a one or two time thing.

Well, it was prominent in the areas that you saw, so we had all gotten they had brought us in manicurists and foot massage people.

So a lot of us got managed and stuff.

So that wait, hold on, you're sorry, roll it back. How did you guys that in the house.

Oh? They they we needed that heat. I mean, you guys were there for that. However long ago. In the beginning, it just got worse and worse and worse.

So they were just like it was when they were like a lot of I mean, there wasn't that that many people left, but they you could.

They brought on like a massage person.

They brought a manicurist and a pedicurius and then somebody to cut our hair. So really, see that whole group of like Ray, I think it's Rachel, Aviv, Johnny and everybody at their feet are in the middle on the bed. My feet were actually a part of that too, but you can't tell because my nails were painted pink, so my nails are in there too, And I'm literally like, oh, I guess I'm part of it too, like just joking around, but yeah, legit, it was because we had all got our feet like taken care of.

Oh luxury.

If they had said that, I would have gone back to the challenge A long time ago. Amazing Ooh also, and then we're gonna get into the daily because this looked like so freaking' epic. It was sponsored by working I just have to know what was the Burger King feast like it did? They just have everything in there, like all the whoppers you could possibly want.

All the whoppers, all the sodos, I like three of them, and French fries and it was it was worth it.

Shout out to Burger King for putting on one of the most epic Like, okay, will you get there?

And then you see this cliff? What are your first thoughts?

Like did anyone figure out what was happening prior to TJ explaining it?

Like what was the mood? What was everybody thinking?

So soon as we saw the car, everybody was like, oh, we're going off this cliff, But just the mere fact that we drove up and you could see how fucking high this cliff was, it was like, oh my god, they're gonna throw us. I mean, we're doing something. There's no way they're not using this as just a backup.

We're using this.

And then finally, this is our first challenge since the very first challenge of us getting any water like and actually being inside the water. This is our only swimming challenge that we had too, which was weird. I'm like, we're in Vietnam, how are we?

Yeah?

In water?

Yeah? You?

Which is also you bring up a good point and they'll go back to Daily because you guys haven't had much water stuff. It's interesting what we saw on this week's Daily where some of you guys struggled in the water.

I wonder if more water.

Strugglers potentially would have either been eliminated or just struggled in general.

Right day earlier on.

Oh yeah, I mean I could see you know what I mean.

And the funny thing.

Is I'm an actually really good swimmer, but I was just so over and stopped that my puzzle took. So I was just like I don't even care if I get last now, Like you know what it is?

What it is so like.

When Banana's like, oh he's he's like not working that fast. I wasn't going that slow and it wasn't like that.

It did look a little slow emotion Derek for a second, Oh.

Yeah, oh yeah, don't get me wrong.

Like I even was just like, okay, get it all over with because five hundred meters sounds like a long time, and then you get in the water like it's not that far, and then you're looking You're like, oh no, it really is that far.

It's a long swim.

Yeah.

What was the tricky part about hot wiring in the car was what was the issue.

So it was just finding the right combination because it was it was fourteen different or however many different ports. It was so times that by two because you had to do like both sides of them.

So I'm just like, Okay, this sucks.

Yeah.

It's just with the fact that this is the last.

Guy's days challenge and I could potentially going because I'm a target, it just like put like just put me in a bad mood.

And I was just like over it.

Yeah, because I could be stressful, like my little challenge life is on the line right now.

And then the fact that.

You're gonna get thrown off a three hundred foot cliff and I've never like I I've always wanted to do stuff like jumping off and skydiving and all that kind of stuff. This was a different filling because you're not technically going down with the car. It's still like there's a little fall, so that little like gut filling is just like holy shit.

But then it was cool.

They had a swinging up there for a little bit because obviously they have to let make sure that the cars out of the way, and then they lower you down to a level where you'll be safe if you fall into So.

How many how many cars did they have on hand for that?

So obviously they had one for each person, and then they had extra ones too.

Wow, so like a whole fleet of cars.

Yeah, and it was cool too because wow, like you're setting up to do like TJ's announcing the winners and all that stuff. They were taking the cars out and it was just crazy to see.

It's crazy and scary.

At the same time to see how destroyed these cars are just landing in water from that high and it's like that, what would happen to your body if you did that?

That's in it was three hundred feet I think, right, Like that's in insane. Shout out to Burger King rolling like that, like geez, I can just toss in a girl fifteen cars.

That is so wild. But it also looked so freakin' epic and so cool.

They need to slide the podcast and fries.

Right, I'm definitely going to order Burger King this evening.

That's it's already. It's the minute I watched that episode, I was like, you know what, a flame grilled petty does sound good?

Right about now?

King instead of going to the gym, Let's do that right right?

It literally didn't, and they do have some good fries.

Did you knowing the severity of or maybe not the severity the significance of what was occurring that week right with it being your sister's birthday, did you feel her with you while you were competing or were you kind of so focused on the game that it didn't really hit you until after the actual daily had happened, like after you got out of the water.

So do you girls.

Believe in like higher being and spirits being with you and all that? Okay, so this is going to be a little backstory into getting to the week of that that elimination. So have you guys been around car when she's using her her horse tarot cards?

I haven't.

Yeah, Okay, So basically it's horse tarot cards and you pick one to three.

We would be doing it before the challenges, the daily is and eliminations. We would pick them to see what like light ahead, and there was just like.

Strength ones, best friend ones, blah blah blah blah blah. So Michelle kept grabbing the one that said horse Angel And basically it's like saying, somebody that has pat that's no longer with us, who is looking over you, is watching you whatever? And she's like, like, who is it. I haven't had anybody, like anybody close to me pass away. So do you guys know our producer Reese.

I don't think I do, probably by faith.

So it was the night that that we were all in Michelle's room and we were crying and it was like the candlelight and all that kind of stuff.

He comes up to her and he's like.

Michelle, do you know somebody named Jerry?

She's like Jerry and he's like, yeah, this guy Jerry is he's here and he's just telling me to like that he's here for you. So she's like, oh my god, I had a friend Jerry pass away in high school.

Like that, it's like saying, why would he be the person here for it?

So we keep going along our days like it's literally the night before my elimination and I might speaking to myself because I'm like, now I'm kind of pisseding, Like Michelle keeps getting this horse Angel car, where's my horse Angel card?

Where are you at? Brianna? Like why are you not here?

You're supposed to be looking over like I'm here for you know, so literally, shit, you not. The first card that I pulled after I thought that to myself was horse Angel.

I'm like, oh, she's here. Okay, there you are. I go I get you.

So I would like, this is the first time, like I said in this this episode, this is the first time that I ever felt so confident. And it's because I felt her with me, and I even like went into like the room by myself. I'm like, you got this, like very words of affirmation to myself and I never do that.

And I was just like, you got this.

You're winning this. There's no way Corey's beating you. It doesn't matter what it is. You're meant to win this. You're meant to be be here still. Like you've like talk myself about I was fucking hyping the shit out of myself, but.

You are that girl. You should be right.

So going back into this, like we played, we would play cards all the time, and for whatever reason, the night that we like those two nights before, because Michelle's birthday was two nights prior to this, so that's why, like there was like all these pink balloons everywhere in that room because we celebrated Michelle's birthday. So we had been playing cards and for whatever reason, we were using the ones that had owls on him, and the joker with the owl just popped up constantly.

We're like, what does the owl have to do with anything?

That's so weird? So go back to the elimination. We're in there.

I see that it's kind of gonna be a puzzle, but it's gonna be physical. I'm like, Oh, it's gonna be it's gonna be a good one. This is actually something that I could possibly win because I don't have to wrestle Corey.

So we're all doing it.

We finish, I'm like crying doing whatever, and I'm walking and I shit, you not a white owl?

And we had not seen any owls at all.

A white owl flew into the arena and circled it, and Tory.

And Carl were like and my show were like, the owl, that's the owl.

I'm literally like jaw dropped and the owls in there, and then it just flew out and I'm like, Okay, she was with.

Me, I get it. I love you, like wow, So she.

Basically was like I did that, she did the owl victory lap oh. I love that you felt her with you and felt that presence with you, and I'm it was just yeah, it was it's we look, we love Corey too.

So it's hard to send watches. We don't want anyone.

Yeah, we don't want either of you to go at this point, like there's just such great competitors in the house.

Left all right, we have to take a quick break, but right back after that, Okay, let's get back to the show.

How is it this?

Like, what is the vibe in the house this late in the season. There's exceptional competitors on both sides. It seems like even though they're alliances, there's still these kind of fun, great friendships too. What is the energy in the house so close to the final So.

Even though as much of it as it is split.

Between Johnny, Rachel, Jenny, Aviva just left that time, but like the girls, secretly they had like Jordan for like Rachel, and like there was still a connection, like I still slept in my Era two room, Like I put three of those beds together and had a fucking jumbo California King bed like all by myself.

I was like, this is my room.

Even though we're not like on the same page and now we're individual and I'm not working with anybody in this room, I'm still this is my room.

And actually it still keeps me close to the enemy, so I can still pay attention to what's going on as well.

Not she being in Uh did other people move rooms at that point or was there kind of some unspoken rule in the house.

Jenny had already moved into our room halfway through the whole show, so she was in the room after, and she took over in Neia Mya's bed because she was I was still kind of close to Jenny too, and like we were at the pool almost every day together drinking diet coke. If Michelle had come out, we'd be doing like crosswords and stuff, just because it was so hot. But Jenny was sleeping on Kelly M's or Emily's bed, so that was facing my bed, so she was there.

So yeah, people moved, But.

I just I had that weird superstition that we all have, like if you're moving into somebody's bed, it's not good luck. So I just car never slept on and put Ryan's bed that he never slept on either, and just those were my beds.

Wait where was Ryan sleeping if he was never sleeping in his bed.

He was sleeping in Era one side because I snore and he's a light sleeper. Oh right, I love you, I love you, but I'm divorcing he was. I mean that one that one room, like it was so zen because everybody was at that point, everybody was still on the their oxygen tanks.

They were still like propped up.

And their oxygen tanks. Not you calling it the retirement village.

Look, oh it was.

Poor era people don't lighte alert.

Look what did you think about Jenny's reactions that you name in her atargy.

Especially since our sipping drinks by the pool every day and cross birds.

It makes it worse, no, because, mind you, she saved me halfway through the game when we were still in eras, and I was never at a point of power to be able to do the same thing, and I never lost, so I was never in an elimination.

Mind you.

She just did the exact same thing to make me a target. She made me a target. She had literally just made me a target two days prior to that, And so what's funny as we busted bananas, he's the one that made her go have that conversation. And I was like, I even said it you like he walked by. I'm like, oh, this is why this conversation is happening. But I was just like, Jenny, it doesn't make sense.

Yeah, yeah, it was.

It just made no sense. Is she literally just did the same thing to me.

I'm literally sitting there putting my target on that she gave me.

As she's having this conversation, you should have.

Been like, here, I'm gonna do it right now here. Why don't you take what you gave me and I'm gonna just.

Give it right back to you.

I respect so much that you were honest about it. I feel like lesser players would have him in hot or tried to make it a moment, or tried to get people to gravel and you literally are just like, yeah, that doesn't make sense. Sorry, yeah, and true Derek fashion. Okay, so this was your first time seeing the sand. Like everybody's been saying, you've played a masterful political game this season.

So, just like everybody else knew, Corey was.

Going to be brute strength and bring as many bricks as he could over and I'm like, okay, well I'm not beating him at that.

And it was funny too, because I give him. Michelle was like, Derek, can you need at least bring two to three? He's bringing four over. I'm like, girl, I got it, Like hold on. So I saw the way that the puzzle looked.

And I knew exactly what it was. I'm like, Okay, why don't I build most of it on this side so he can't see it, and I'll just take two to three at a time because I'm gonna get it's gonna get heavy. So I started bringing bricks over right away. I took two right away just to see how heavy they were. And then I literally stayed on the side where the bricks were and I was rearranging and moving them all over and creating the puzzle there and then

It was there was no way he was coming back from that.

So brilliant. I mean, that's just brilliant.

That is you win this elimination. Congratulations to you. We love that for you. But you went it on your little sister's birthday. What was that like?

Like?

We saw all the emotions, all the everything.

I'm you know, I'm a gangster, so I don't cry, but my eye did get a little sweaty.

She does.

She's a gangster with this soft tard.

So what was that like?

So, I mean, I feel like this has just come full circle because when I did All Starts two, it was just when she passed away and I did not need to be there, but I was like, I need to show up just for her because she wanted me to be there.

So I was just like okay, So I got.

Myself sent home on that one, and then all starts for I'm like, this is redemption.

This is how we're doing.

It for her, and I did it. I made it to the final, and I'm like, this was for her.

We did it. I killed it in that one.

So then to come back onto this one, and I didn't even like put two and two together that I might be there as long as I was to actually have to do something on her birthday, it was.

Just like, Okay, this is actual motivation.

And like I said earlier, I don't really like I believe in motivation and like pep talks and stuff like that.

But like I was feeling myself like I was.

At Corey's of three and zero in there, I was like, can you imagine if I win, send him home, I don't get him, let him get his fourth. And then we all knew that it was going to be the final soon too, so I'm just like, this might be the last guy's elimination. So to win an elimination to get into the to the final is basically what I just did for All Stars four. So it's just like

It was beautiful to see that, it really was, And I know that she's got to be incredibly proud of you, you know, watching over you like that, and it was There were so many beautiful moments of this episode you speaking about just like your relationship with her, you being so vulnerable and open, which is so appreciated. I think people connect with that and in watching and I think you even sharing you know, part of your sister's story

In and doing so with a smile. What did it mean to you?

What was your reaction to Cara sort of offering herself up as a target, and what did it mean to you?

So once I found out as a target, and I was kind of like throwing all every single thing that you could like think about, like what happens if this happens, What happens if this happens, Like what am I going to do? Because at this point I had already been super close to Kara, but I was best like best.

Friend with Michelle. I gave Olivia my word like we were there for that was my number one. And I remember Michelle had told me too.

She's like, hey, I'm just letting you know, like when it's getting down to the wire, like you're not Cara's number one, Corey is. So if that helps you make any decisions kind of thing.

So I was like, all right, there's that. So then when it shows me blowing out a candle.

For my little sister's birthday, I was trying to do it on my own, but I walked into the changing room where Kara was that doing her makeup, so she was actually there with me, so she was like hugging me while I was blowing the candle out, singing Happy Birthday, like.

Doing all this stuff. So it was like really meaningful to me. So then then I'm just like, shit, like this is going to be really hard to do.

I don't want to like hurt her feelings whatever, but I know the type of competitor that Kara is and sometimes it takes that to light a fire in her ass.

To fucking kill it.

So the fact that she was like she kind of agreed with that mind, like the state of mind like maybe I need this to do well.

On this part because it's going to be the last girl's final.

So the fact that she did that, it just was such a huge relief, like that I didn't have to like choose between two of my friends, so it took a lot of weight off my shoulder. So I really appreciate, like it's such a badass, like down person who has your back move to do and I'll always be grateful, And like I said, like you couldn't tell people like you'll have their back or you'll do stuff for them,

So Yeah, And did she bring it up all on her own kind of not out of the blue, because I know you guys were having that moment. Did she just come over and say, hey, Derek put me in, don't even stress about it.

It was kind of a bit of both.

And it's not like they were I mean, obviously people talk like, so, what do you think you're gonna do? Like on either side, like Rachel and them ask me, what do you think you're gonna do? Johnny asked me, like so, it's just one of those things like I had already been talking about like how it's gonna be hard, but like, obviously I don't think I'm going to say

Around because it's like she helped me as a friend. She did something.

Super nice for me so far into the game, which could be very dangerous and for her to like take it, take it over and be like, hey, maybe I need this because I need to get into this spot too. And I just saw how bad ass like you did this. So the fact that now I'm a target and I could possibly do this like this is gonna be like

So yeah, it was.

It was kind of talked about, but like she definitely did that on her own. I was so appreciative and so thankful for it.

Carl Maria, Carl Maria, She's got a lot this season. She's done so much. Like it's been so beautiful, Kara, we love you.

It's been beautiful to see beautiful, to see location Chase.

Pack you wait.

I felt so bad.

I felt so bad for Corey because yeah, it's always the word to hear it in front of it, like you think, like since they don't send them off anymore, he actually had to stand there and hear that while we were all cheering and happy being stuff.

I'm like, oh, that's so fucked up.

It was heartbreaking watching his face, like he literally collapsed, like and I was thinking the same thing. I was like, oh, Tej, you could have waited, but oh to hear that, I just know, Like, but anyway, where are you hoping to go?

So we were like when he's like, we're gonna go somewhere that's a lot less green, I'm like, hey, it's not really that green here, like it's somewhere we've been.

I was thinking that too, Yeah, where have we been at?

But when he said that, I'm like, oh, we're going to go somewhere cold, We're going somewhere with snow or something like, there's no way And I was like, maybe blue like water and stuff, but like we have water, like this isn't green green here, like, so we didn't get it. So we're just like, we have no idea where we're going to go. And obviously they don't let you know anything until you're in the location.

That you're at. I'm like, oh, shuit, okay, are you nervous?

Are you just excited? Are you what are your thoughts? Feelings? You're making time.

I did my first location change with you on the Battle of the season, so I was very yeah, but then I was also I remember that at least this one, no, I knew that there was going to be another girl's elimination, so there was going to be another challenge, Like we knew that, whereas all the seasons they didn't let us know there was going to be another challenge.

We thought we all made the final.

We did, and it was a surprise, and then you and Johnnay had to do a last minute elimination wild in that desert.

Not heartbroken, but my body was, like mental state was just broken down because I mean, things changed, but we were another impression. We were in the final, so to travel the two people took us to get to Africa, to get to the four hours to drive to our house to everybody to shower, and I like try to get into the shower and there was no hot water left.

I was just so diffus.

Yeah, and then He's like, yeah, it was I'm.

Like, this was a challenge.

Yeah, that was that was struggle bus because I actually still have the vision in my head of you guys doing that final competition.

I was so heartbroken when you guys got eliminated.

So here we are now fast forward over a decade later, which is wild. You also have not aged a day, also wild. And now it looks like me and you're heading to the final.

Yeah shout out to a good S Denison. I just bought some botox on Black Friday sale.

Yeah you've It looks like you're on your way to a final. What are you telling yourself as you're packing up your things going to this next location?

Is there like a mantra? Are you talking to your sister?

Like?

What are you trying to channel to take it home this season?

After that elimination when I'm like, okay, Like you've been able to do everything that you needed to do and you've said that you're going to do. You've proved yourself for like proved yourself and you've proved to everybody else here that you deserve to be here.

So the only thing left to do is win.

And we still don't know exactly how these karma points are going to play out, but like, if I can just look around, I'm like, I'm pretty sure I'm doing well on the karma points too, So like, how is like that's I have that for me? I mean, at least I have that for me too, So if that plays like a big factor and stuff like as long as I do well. But it's just like the caliber of people that are still there, like me, Jordan, Johnny, and Kylin are the only guys that won individual challenges.

That's impressive because.

Johnny won the individual like the in the invitational at the very beginning, and then Kylin and Jordan won everything and.

I won one.

So I was just like, Okay, so this is who's meant to be here.

Yeah, I love the way you just casually was it.

Yeah, Bananas won one, Kylin and Jordan won everything, and then I won one.

Yeah, and then we're here. It's just it's funny. They're questions.

I mean, that's what it is.

It's just And then I'm just like, well, shit, like if there's only one girl's elimination, he played the actual perfect game and didn't have to see the senate, I was like, I was almost there, but no. I just was telling myself like, if you can do what you've done to this point so far, there's no telling what you can do in this final.

And this is what I've been wanting. I when I made it to All.

Stars four final, I wanted to run and the fact that like I got knocked out for not getting electricated like it was.

That was heartbreaking.

So I'm just like, I know what these I know, I know booths finals and there are no jokes. So I'm definitely excited that I'm going to actually be able to do this. So I know, maybe Jordan can get in last place and get like you know, I'm sort of like penalty or something, and we just throw a bone too, let's teach.

Come on, what kind of challenge do you think Jordan would have to be assigned for him to have the best chance at getting last place in it? I'm curious this is for you too, Davon, Like.

What is the thing?

It could be anything, like it could be absurd, Like what's the thing where you're like, oh, if they did this one day? Like I don't know, I'd say probably, I don't know. I don't even feel like he'd be good at a wig application challenge.

No yell everybody challenge, and that's good.

When Davon said a no yelling challenge under stressful circumstances, that's probably fair.

Jordan will get out immediately immediately, and I'd be right next to him because I'm loud.

But you just be talking to day. You just be talking normally.

No emotions.

I'm just loud.

I literally just watched I watched Final Reckoning again like the other night, Like I was just it's I usually put stuff on like that on the like to fall asleep too.

And I love you in that fucking season. Thank you.

I was loud.

There.

She is hilarious. She's literally everything. Derek.

Have you been training significantly as you've been back into this fold both in All Stars now you're back on the flagship. What has your training been, Like, I'm curious.

Normally, I mean I.

Just go to the gym in general, Like it's not like especially like I mean, you know how it works out, Like there's certain times you're just like okay, cool, like this could possibly be a chance of like getting called for it or whatever. So yeah, I say that I do turn it up a little, and I like add different things into my work.

I routine soil because you always.

Have to like be so versatile to do these shows, and there's you can't just train for one thing, Like I said, I said it a few episodes ago. W I was like, I might not be able to like lift two hundred fifty pounds, but I can kick you with six girls that an't going to vote me in, you know, Like, yeah, I just you have to be well versed and everything. So I always just tell people when they ask how I'm training, I go, I just try to keep my endurance up because you're basically training for the final.

So if you can run miles and miles.

Or you can like go in between like stations and do like swimming and jumping. So I'd use a lot of like hit workouts, so high intensity interval training stuff.

I add running into it.

I try to do like sobriety for a little bit, like at least a few weeks just to get my body like back into it. But yeah, I just I feel like I trained just to get to a final.

Love that.

How do you try to eat fucking fermented duck embryo? How do you change?

You can't, and you can't because that's not on the menu. I didn't have that at all whatsoever.

Yeah, that's fair. You definitely can't train to eat.

Then is there anything you can tease about the upcoming episodes without giving us spoilers? Is there something we should keep our eye on? M give us the tea?

I would say, you are going to be You're gonna be surprised, mostly on the girl's side.

Hmmm.

I don't if it's good.

I don't know if it's bad.

I don't know if it has to do with certain people. I just feel like in the next couple of episodes, the girl's side.

Is going to be insane. It's going to be Yeah, that's all.

I'm gonna say one other question too. You mentioned the karma points. Do y'all know about the karma points in the house yet? Because did TJ tell y'all? I thought you guys didn't know about multiple points.

That he literally made sure that everybody stayed and we left.

We just knew something was going on.

We assumed it was maybe like, oh, maybe they're going to vote for something, or maybe it was something we all were kind of just obviously, you know, we all just talk up our asses and we're just like, oh, yeah, it's going to be this.

We something was happening, so okay, So since the people who would get eliminated were still kind of hanging around, you knew there was somehow some And he made that statement in the beginning of the season right about like how you treat people or whatever how you're.

Getting made it multiple times throughout the season, and it might not show it every single time.

But he's like, I'm just letting you guys know, like.

Hopefully you've been treating people well for this and this, Like he he let us know couple of times.

Okay, gotcha, Okay, then one more question and I'm to let you go.

Wait, So do you feel like people treated people differently because they were heating TJ's warning or do you think it had no effect in the house.

I feel like a majority of the people didn't give a shit with.

Okay, that's what I thought, I predicted, but I was just curious if people were trying to be nicer figuring Oh let me you know, yeah, get on those carm points.

Okay.

I loved that for us. I love that.

I love that.

I love it.

I'm excited about this season. I'm so excited that you came to hang out with us on the podcast, Derek. We have been waiting to talk to you and pick your brain about this season. Now, if the people on the socials of the media is want to pick your brain, where can they find you?

So, because when I stopped doing the shows back like in the early late later twenty eras or whatever, I took the MTV out of my handle, and I don't think I have that anymore.

So when I started getting back onto it, I switched it.

So it's basically my name with on Instagram it's uh Derek ce but with periods in between each letter X formally known as Twitter is the same thing, but with underscores and with all my name, and then I'm on tiktoking and buy me at MTV Derek Love.

It's MTV Derek. We love you, friend, and love seeing you on this show. Way to kick butt, way to represent uh and I cannot wait to see where it all ends up. But thank you for coming to visit Day and I and the rest of the challenge listeners, and fill a little tea and share what's going on. Please give each of your wigs a hug from us. Let us know that we love and appreciate them too.

Oh I will, while you'll probably get a video or a picture soon too.

Yes, Yes, always fun hanging out with our friend Derek, just like it's always fun hanging out with you.

Day.

I love and adore you, and I know the fans do too if they want to be able to follow you or just be nosy all up in your business.

Where can they do that? On social We.

Love people that are nosy because I'm one of them.

Now you can find me what the socials of the media is at Devon Diane Underscore. Where can the people find you? Because we love it the Amazon lives now. Okay, so where can the people find you?

You can probably find me burging, but you can find me on Amazon Live. You can go to my website that's devinsimone dot com and see my socials there. I'm on TikTok at, Devin Simone, Devin with the whitesmoan With, and I ig at Devin Simone, den With wismoan With, and I all the fun places. Make sure you say hi if you stop by my Amazon Live channel. I love saying hi to challengers and hanging out and look. Remember, you don't have to be an expert to help a friend.

Yeah, and if you are someone you know is struggling with grief, you are not alone, so visit Mental Health is healths for resources and support and as always thank you for joining us friend for another episode of MTV's Official Challenge Podcast.

Tell all your fellow Challenge fans and friends to listen, and make sure to leave us a five star review on Apple and Spotify.

We'll appreciate it as our holiday gift.

Tis the season, and of course, join us every Thursday to hear brand new episodes of MTV's Official Challenge podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

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