Only One Gets the Crown w/ The Champion

Hello everyone, It's Devin Simone and I'm Devon Rogers and this is EMTV's official Challenge podcast, Who.

And this is the final?

This is it?

I know what. I can't believe it. I cannot believe it, you know what, not the challenge getting me all up in my feelings. Ugain when they did the group.

Hug and like, you know what it in that moment, I love them.

So beautiful and them all standing there together, the final five all got across and all completed.

It, and they were cheering each other on. We love to see it.

Despite all the fighting and everything else, it really was a beautiful moment. And shout out to Emanuel Just. I mean, there was nothing stopping. I feel like this man just moon walked to the finish line. And then Nourice, our little injel Maidhood who was fighting that whole time, came in second place.

Just I'm so I'm proud of her too.

Oh my goodness, I'm so proud of her. But it was a great it.

It has been a phenomenal season and this has been a phenomenal episode. I would like to get into.

A little Berna shade.

I'm not gonna shave Berner but Berna did shade Mariah when Mariah and Therese are in this elimination, did you catch Berna state I would like for Mariah to come back, because you know, Narie's great at puzzles and from Theresa's great at this and great at that, and I would like somebody who actually isn't great at things.

And I was like, wait a minute, Berna just stays out of pocket with the things that she says sometimes, and she cracks me up. I actually really wanted to shout out Mariah and how she handled the lost to nourice. I thought she did it with such grace and she'd have a beautiful season, yes, and it was great seeing her kind of come into her own.

And yeah, like just shout out to Mariah.

And how she handled that all. I thought that was really lovely. It was sad to see your go, but like it was lovely to see I.

Feel like ready to go. Mentally, I feel like she was like, man, this is.

I mean, maybe, but I feel like when you make it that far though, it's like because again, that's like so much of it.

But maybe maybe when.

I'm saying she was at a point where it was like if I witness thing amazing. But if I don't like it's not a big deal.

I think she's like, I got a spot appointment.

It's been real, y'all. That was her mindset. But she did. She had a really, really, really really great season. Yeah, Emanuel, the champs Champ Champ.

It is wild to me how much Jay targeted everybody else.

But Manuel.

Now granted that wouldn't have necessarily changed the outcome because Corey was the one who selected him last episode to go into the elimination, but it's still just wild because Manuel made this look easy, like weirdly easy, not and I know that it wasn't, but right like, he just had a calm cool when they were doing the different checkpoints, when they were paired up.

As teams, like he just he dominated.

Was coasting.

And then in the last part of the final when they do all the different checkpoints, to believe it was what the three checkpoints, and one of them consisted of the five different games, he just coasted, which.

Is I mean even when in the beginning he couldn't really get the saduku is it sadoko orku sudoku that game right there, said he couldn't get it in the beginning, right, and so he was like, you know what, I'm just gonna go round. I'm gonna finish the rest of these and then I'm gonna come back. Other people probably would have just sat there and like, I'm gonna stay here until I figure it out. So for him to go and say, you know what, I'm not gonna let this

I never heard anything like Berna. I don't think I've ever so much. We're in the final I think Berna.

Is just really critical. And my guess is it's a reflection of the what she heard growing up, and so I think her being so critical of herself, like truly, like I think a lot of it is that's what she heard. And because she was a performer at such a young age, I imagine that there were a lot of critiques right when some of us were just doodling and trying to stay inside the line. She was performing, and I imagine there were a lot of critiques and

And it was everywhere. I'm not even playing like and.

Like tuna. It was like a rotten tuna melt with tomato. I don't even like clemato juice, so I don't.

I can't.

That's just nasty. I know we're gonna get terrible every time, absolutely terrible. But yeah, I think that she is tough on herself. So seeing Manuel be such a gentle partner, you know, online too, I've seen people speak to how Corey was a gentle partner with his partners when they did in last week's episode when they did kind of the the team thing, And I just want to shout that out also because I love to see it. Also, we see him a Manuel come out of his shell and just go lightning.

But Colleen, Colleen here.

Tell last episode to this episode, Colleen is crushing it. We see her putting that psych degree to use right, staying calm and using mental strategies.

She's a good runner.

Like there's a point where it almost seems like Colleen might be the one to be.

She she saw that finish line and everything else got put behind her. She's like, I don't care about anybody else, anything else, whatever doubt, I had, whatever, nothing matters, because she thought she saw that the end is right there.

And so once she.

Got that final checkpoint, that final flag here, and I'm not looking back, and she did not look bad.

Yeah, yeah, she really didn't.

I was really really proud of her, like her too, because I was an impressed.

I felt like she was hiding that kind of or maybe it just didn't get to see it, but like I was like, oh, okay, she's also someone to reckon with here in this game. And I don't think throughout the season she was spoken about as like this big intimidating competitor, but like, actually she's someone you definitely should keep an eye on.

Okay, you know, you gotta do it. Gold stars.

No, it's not gonna do the reunion and that I'll give us gold star and time out of the season.

All right, so of this episode or the final, you can do either of them.

Who receives let's start a time out. Who gets your time out?

You know what?

Truly, I'm not gonna put anyone in time out this episode. I feel well, okay, alright, all right, all right, all right, I'm gonna have to give it a quarry.

I'm gonna have to give it the quarry.

And it's only because, oh my gosh, friend, you have all of the things, like as far as being a competitor, you have it all. We saw it in this final, like you have it all. You have the running, you have the mental, you have it all, and then you get to these little parts that terrify you and fear conquers you. Like if he could get control of that fear, oh man. But the way he struggled with that that that mountain, and the way that he struggled with the damn bridge, the bridge, the.

Ball when he was he was like so adorable when he was crying at the hill. I mean, I want pushing to be like go, But it was also you just saw vulnerable. He was like a big teddy bear. Nope, Nope, I tried.

Nope.

So I'm gonna I'm gonna put him in time out, but only for two minutes, Corey, because I still want to give you a goal start later. So I'll put your time out for two minutes. Okay, but you you gotta go on time out because what was that? What with that you could have won this thing?

What was that?

I'm going to give my time out to.

Be to the e r in a.

Even though I can empathize with why she may be so critical of herself. Berna's interesting because she's both hard on herself, but then there's like a tinge sometimes of like arrogance a little and so, which I think is how people translate her the wrong way or she can rub some people the wrong way. But like when she was getting the drink that she hated and she was like, give me anything else, like why are you doing.

This to me? Like it was very like this is happening to.

Her, and it's like, girl, this is happening to all y'all because this is the vital Like it's not just happening.

To an at you and so. And then Also, I still won't forget.

I'm still not over the way she snapped at Colleen when Colleen was trying to help her last episode when they were partnered together, and then she was like, you can sit here, I guess.

Because there's nothing you can do.

You can't know. I can't.

So Bernard's gonna have to get by time out. All right, now, who gets your gold star of the final?

I'm actually going to give it to the final five?

Four to five.

Yes, I'm going to give gold stars to the final five because one all of them completed it. Every last person crossed the finish line.

And I feel like.

I've never been in the final, but from what I've seen, finals are extremely extremely hard. So even though there was a conversation of contemplating of quitting, it never happened, you know what I mean. And it got to a point where it was like they all made a conscious decision that it could be done. Because even as we're watching the episode, when you see everybody had four out of five flags, everybody the things that four out of five for everybody. At that point it was anyone like everybody

But I'm definitely I'm gonna give.

It, especially knowing they weren't gonna get money. They totally could have been like, I'm not.

Going on what I'm doing. Yeah, yep, me be back later on, you know.

But that mentality of I have to finish, I think that is so, so so good. But my ultimate ultimate Stars are gonna go to Emmanuel Injuries because I just feel like they did a hell of a job.

Yeah they did.

How about you?

I agree with you with all five getting gold Stars. I am so happy for them. I am so proud of them, even the ones who made it that far. Okay, you know what we didn't even talk about. That really sucks. Here's in the side forgive me. It's my ad D bring Okay. Usually when you get eliminated in a final like that, you don't necessarily go home right away. The finals already happening. So that means Jay is like somewhere stewing as they're competing still in the final. That's got

It is a game.

But also remember that people are human as a whole, and like, don't forget their humanity and it's a brave thing to go and sort of live.

Your life publicly.

So as much as we may or may not agree with the way certain people have played a game, and I do also think if you talk smack online on social media and people come at you afterwards, like I mean, you put it out there on social media, but the way people play a game. While you can have your opinions and thoughts about it, remember that ultimately we're all humans and it does you no good.

It's literally not.

Good for your health to like be a complete crap human to someone else, so like and vice versa.

So just keep that in mind.

I still stay in the fact that Jay's probably wandering in the wood somewhere, but I just wanted to like point, you know, he's still a human as everyone else.

That probably really.

Sucked because they're running the final, and same with Mariah, and like they're probably like in a bus nearby while these others are finishing, which.

Would just have to be tough.

And then but they played a great game and they got that far and these five completing it, putting their all into it. The way they kind of cheered each other on towards the end was just beautiful to see. And I'm so happy they didn't give up. Because when I tell you it is I'm old now. I've done a lot of great things in my life. I've achieved a lot of goals and dreams that I set for

You know.

I lost a toenail in one, which was sad, but otherwise it was just such a life changing thing for me and I'm so happy it was worth it. Was it worth it because it's still it's grew back, but it's a little crooked. It has like an attitude now like it's fine, but I know the difference. But it was just a life changing thing. So I'm so happy that they all get to experience that. It's really special and they deserve it, so gold star to all of them.

It's good.

Look all right, now, we've talked a lot, but the best is yet to come because.

We have the new champion. The season was battle for a new champion. Well we got one, and we have him on here and we are gonna find out what is it that makes him so alluring. We're gonna find out does Day or Devin's opinion of him change at any point in the show. Is he as dangerous as he seems to be. The answer is probably yes. But you guys got to listen to Fino and some behind the scenes things, including a feud with Kylon that we weren't fully aware of. So it's a great interview. You're

We're also going to talk about that debate about whether or.

Not you need to go into elimination to really be a champion or not. So grab a snack, do some exercises, train or run on a treadmill or something, because that's apparently the only way that you win and challenge and stay right here because we have Emen Well coming up right after this, Ladies and gentlemen, please help us welcome our newest Challenge champion.

Immen. Wel woa emen.

Wow, oh my god, hello everyone.

I'm happy to be here and talk to you guys and to the fires.

Seeing you in this light was so cool.

Yeah, it was beautiful watching you when like first of all, first of all, even well, where have you been hiding? Because you just came out of the gate dominating this final, Like yeah, dominating from day Like did you kick it into turbocharge? Like did we like did we just not see this throughout the season? Like were you kind of laying and wait and letting everybody do all the things knowing that you were just going to kick butt at

Yeah, well I don't even know how to tell you. The strategy was to to try and do the same thing as I did last season, and that's not going to elimination. And it worked. It worked. I did have a crucial point at one point when we can talk about it later, which shifted the kind of everything towards someone else and not me when I was hot sit But I don't know. I guess we don't really see what I did because you know, the j Think and Michelle thing was too strong to you know, get some airtime.

You know what.

I think it was really cool, you know, of you being able to and don't take this in a bad way, because I don't mean it a bad way. You being able to hide behind Jay and Michelle and use them as a shield because we saw so much of them and they were involved in so much that gave you the opportunity to really just say a lot.

But we didn't, we didn't see it.

I know, I don't know.

What were you involved in you tell us.

You know, it kind of looked like all I did was be friends with Jay and love my mom. That's all.

That's not all for a minute now.

And the big one and the big characteristic of mine. You know, I'm not even gonna say it, it's just obvious.

Do you Okay, let's let's tap into that for a minute even as well. And I love that you're here to play. Do you consider yourself a heartbreaker?

I am a heartbreaker, and that's that's I'm so not happy about it. I did break some hearts before, and I said I wasn't going to do it, but you know, this this time it was different. I'm I know it was stupid, but I was supposed to end this relationship way before and I didn't because I was a bitch, and that, you know, led to me doing bigger mistakes.

Okay, So you felt you knew going into the challenge, how she felt like the relationship you were in at the time wasn't one that necessarily was going on.

Yeah, we knew it was gonna break up.

We knew, or you knew.

Yeah she knew too.

Yeah okay, And then we see you get emotional when you know when they.

Do the letters. When you guys got the letters, yeah, man, I got.

Two letters, well for my mom and my girlfriend, and I was wrying a ship in my mom's letter, and then it was a part of my girlfriend girlfriend's letters that I've read to everyone. But yeah, of course I felt bad because I don't think she knew. And then you know, I guess when they asked them for letters, she was so happy to write to me.

You don't think she knew what that you guys were broken up, or that you had you had sister wives and.

She I don't know. I think she knew because of the you know, there's a lot of spoiler accountings.

Oh you think she's falling along, because I was wondering when you said that in your on the show and you're like, oh, I don't think she knew. I was like, even, well, how would she know? You're still away, like, you know, competing, so you think she was sort of following along?

And honestly, honestly, I actually talked to my brother too, because I had a phone call and I called him and I told him everything, and maybe they talked. Maybe they're even okay. I also had the call with my girlfriend, but that was before I started being a fucking.

You keep saying, my girlfriend? Are you still still thinking?

Manuell?

What do you do?

I don't know if you remember, but when we did Challenge Aftermath for Spies, Lies and Allies, I believe it was and we saw Torri. It's actually still pinned on my Twitter.

Page at the top. There's a clip.

Coming out of the bathroom at one point. And you know, clearly people are really drawn to you. And obviously we didn't get to see a ton of that this season, or get to see as much of your personality season, which sometimes happened with winners. Right, because you do make it to the end, we don't see as much part of your story in the earlier episodes, right, we don't really get see it into the end. But what do

That was Olivia?

Okay, yeah, you're right, Olivia. Yep, you're right, you're right. Uh huh so yeah, almost almost have the house? Uh, like that that draws them to you.

I honestly have zero ideas. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm like, man, what the fuck why people like you that much? Like especially goods like right, And I really don't get it. Maybe because I'm I'm nice. Maybe you know, lately I've been working out. I put a little bit of muscles.

Oh, I have a question.

You said, going into the house, you knew that you and your ex girlfriend knew that the relationship was over, right, So you get into the show and you mix and mingle with all of these girls, right. Was there any one of those girls who you felt like, oh, this may be something.

No, because I planned I actually planned on when I came into the house. I was like, okay, you know, I have my girlfriend home and I am not going to do anything. That was my plan, not to get involved in any you know, showmans and anything. And I was like, you know what, this is actually better because that's gonna from you know, getting in a showmans, which

I like, oh, come on, he said he's not a player, he just a lot.

But but but I would I would give it to ravens Oh here.

We go, Okay, we go, Okay.

What is it that you that stands out to you about Raven? We've had her on the podcast. She's awesome. What was it that like really attracted her?

I don't know. Maybe we had really good conversations. She was fun, she's I don't know. We had a lot of a lot of things in common. You know, we listen to the same music. We would talk about any talking and just laugh and it was nice, you know. And it wasn't in a in a like you know, like a sexual way, or it was just she's she's.

For really your friend, but we know some of the other women it was a sexual way because that came out on the show.

Did it Do you think it helped your game or hurt your game? Because when they started, either I don't know if it was that they were finding out about each other or we saw scenes where they started, they clearly developed feelings for you. Yeah, and so then they start getting kind of territorial. Do you feel like that hurt your game socially or do you feel like it kind of helped it because you did have so many women in the house that really appreciated you and that.

Kind of you say, I think to some extent it did help.

Yeah.

Well, the finding out about each other and that stuff that Leen was talking about, that's I really don't know where that came from. Because I was talking to and dancing with them in the same day. I don't know. I wasn't hiding. No one was hiding. Everybody knew that I had, you know, someone back home, and it was just like a like a fun thing. We didn't have sex, we didn't like it was just you know, flirting and the jokes.

Okay, I just have to this is I'm being nosy and Manuel, so forgive me, but I just want to care about because I feel like on the episode or one of them, it said or Colleen said that you guys did hook up. So you're saying you guys didn't hook up.

No, we didn't have six. No, it was it was something, but it wasn't six No.

Okay, no, no, no, okay, okay.

What was the biggest surprise for you looking back on it now and this is your you know, you've been in the Challenge House before, but never really as an individual like playing solely an individual game. What would you say was the biggest surprise for you this season?

Well, my biggest surprise hmm, I'm not sure if I was maybe horas you're not being as as there as people talk about.

Him, because I saw him in the mini final and that was I was like, man, this, you know, it looks like that he's kinda got to perform like that, but we got to check points. We got to the checkpoints and I'm like, okay, I can get him.

Okay.

So that was intimidating as you had heard, okay, gotcha.

Yeah, that was That was a surprise. Other than that, maybe the fact that again after another season, I just coasted right.

And then under at like as much as Jay was targeting Harassio. And do you think because I kind of even Corey We've talked about this, We feel like people were sleeping on Corey's ability, Like, yes, he psyches himself out and he doesn't love a balance being, we learned, But other than that, he's still, like, you know, a great challenger.

Do you feel like Jay really.

Missed the mark in underestimating your ability to really blow it out of the water in a final.

I think it was more so the first day we got there. We didn't go to the house. We did the where we slept outside him tiles and everything. But from the moment I met Ja, we clicked and we was just friends, like really really bonded. I didn't know who's he coming in the game with. I don't know how much power will he have. And we was like man, yeah, like you know, goofing around like voice. And then we

Interesting, Okay, did you come into the house with any alliances beforehand?

It all no, But did Bernard did call me before and she was like, okay, I want to work with you. And I was like great, which I was like, shit, fuck, I don't want to do that, but I can I say no? So we did work together.

Why didn't you want to work with her?

Because because on the first season I couldn't stand her. Oh I was like no way, no way.

So did she Did she show you a difference from that first season to this season.

On a personal level? Yeah? I mean she opened up to me and and that got me. But the personality and the challenges it was the same.

Gotcha.

Okay, Well your boy J was there and then your boy J was gone.

Okay. I want to go back to that elimination.

Between Jay and Corey. Did when Corey picked J? Do you feel like who I can breathe or do you feel like, oh that's my friend?

What did you feel in that moment?

I was like, fucking fucking Bridge. What Now?

Were you and Corey close with this money?

Like? Yeah, at that point we got okay, At that point we actually got up gotten closer. We had some very personal talks. Man. It was it was really good and I'm so happy with it because I really didn't like him because I felt like I cannot trust him. You know, something's happening in the first part of the season.

Oh we saw, yeah, he was all he was doing.

Yeah, but you saw like ninety minutes we've been there twenty four seven.

Okay, wait, what else happened, man, Well that we didn't see in that early What was Corey up to in those few episodes.

Maybe he was talking to the girls at one point and he said, Yo, trust to Manuel, He's gonna have burned us back. So it was kind of I was working to get in a big alliance, to get as many people around me and then him saying that, and I was like, God, damn it.

So he was setting you up for trying to shift.

Yeah, but you forgave anybody else, Yeah, which is the thing that surprised us even.

Well, so we've seen the same way.

You have the magic art of getting women to opt into being sister wives. Like we saw a scene of you at the movies or you guys were like in the movie room or something. You literally had Raven on one arm.

And live you on the arm in your best life.

Corey has the same ability to get people to forgive him, like to try and get people thrown in and then like two weeks later they're like, oh.

We're gonna save Corey or we really Like what do you think is that? Like, Yeah, how did you end.

Up forgiving him becoming so close when he was trying to get you eliminated from the game early on?

Sure, I think there's many reasons, maybe the fact that he was also someone that I would have to go against, so it was in my interest to you know, I have a I have a good connection with him. Then then I started knowing him better, starting you know, actually bonding with him and creating a really nice connection, which it was. It was great because you know in times like that, when you're on a show like that, sometimes in unique friends. Man, But yeah, it was no doubt

Open whatever you want to call him.

Man, Well, like I said, I still have the footage of you tiptoeing naked out of the bathroom on my Twitter all right at the top.

So whatever you want.

To call it, get away, I get away.

But I love seeing this out of your personality. Man, well you you've been called the Romanian Jordan. Have you heard that before?

Oh? No, who's Jordans? Oh everybody calls me that. Everybody since day one on Spibisels they called me that, And I was like, man, I like it.

Yeah, why do you think they call you that?

Because I don't know. I'm honestly, I see his talking a lot of shit in his introdews to like very big about himself, which is I love it because that's what I do. And then he performs, He really performs. Yeah, maybe that's and then we have some features probably you know, the of our head that maybe.

The style we have some people in common.

Also again referring to my Twitter post, it's a big complict because Jordan's an icon in this game obviously, And yes, he came out of the gate talking big back in his early seasons, but he's proven it, you know, time and maybe not that season, but he's rooming it time and time again since.

And it's fifty to fifty wings and eliminations.

I like these stats. Well I like the stats.

Okay, right now, I want to get into.

This back and forth with you and the wreath because it was breaking my heart, it was breaking my mind, and obviously, so I don't want to put words in your mouth. But from the looks of it, you, is it safe to say that you felt like she was your biggest competition?

Oh? Yeah, oh yeah? And walking in the final? Definitely? Yeah.

Well after Jay left then, yeah, you know why because because she has done these eliminations and he told us what we were the eliminations, it was pretty much like the final.

You had to do some checkpoints and I was like, god damn. And she took out four people in eliminations with checkpoints, so the final is going to be just that. Yeah, So obviously obviously I had to. You know, I have nothing against her, man. I love Nerris Honestly, She's she's the best. She's like she and that's the thing, I know, you know, I thought maybe I'm harsh with her, but I know she can take him. And did you not see how he talks and how tough she is every time? Yeah,

That and come back yeah I mean, oh yeah, oh yeah again.

Yeah, she is insane.

I have to ask you, so, okay, you know when we were at one of the checkpoints, I.

Say we like we were there, but when we were watching you.

We were and you guys are doing the puzzle pieces again with your fingers things.

I want to know what was your strategy because they want to point the camera pants to you and you have like thirty of those towels stacked up in the corner. How in the world did you do that? And you had them like straight up?

First of all, we were there for a very long time and getting bored. You like, you think about, oh, what would be the most efficient way, and you try that, You try that, And then I got a few tiles next to the wall, and then I realized I just piled them unth and use the wall to the side wall to make them mouth fall. So it has basically three wolves, you know what I'm saying, has the wall behind the wold and decide and then the net. Yeah, and then might just have to.

Yeah, it was great.

It was it was.

What you guys did you keep yourselves awake?

So once you do finish and refinish, we spot you guys sharing a pillow and a blanket, which is a cute moment on the beach. What else did you guys do though, to keep yourselves awake?

Because you were.

Done, but like you said, you weren't allowed to go to sleep. So were you guys playing some games or like telling us ghost stories?

What was going on?

Yeah? We well was you know a lot of stories and stuff like that. And then at one point it kind of started raining. So I was like, guys, we need to we need to make a god doing fourth. So we took all the what's it called the thing is that the clouds were that we was doing, and then we just like throw them on the ground and

Oh no, oh.

No, all right, we gotta take a quick break, but we will be right back after this, Okay, let's get back into it.

So you guys, well I did not get up, but you guys are up. The sun is up right the next day, Yeah, and the wheels get to move in and baby, you are in for a swim, a swim.

Big along withs like what is ea?

My god?

I would have packed up my pocketbook right there like Analie's keating and tatt to get away with murder. We are not doing that today, two thousand light.

Let's go from from that swim to a run.

Honestly, we didn't know what to expect. We did not know when TJ is going to come, when the next challenge is going to start. And when we saw DJ, he waves and he's like, come on, guys, let's go. And we thought we're going to swim to his little boat. He's gonna drive us to the letters or whatever. But as we were swimming, he was just like going further and was like what the We didn't know anything. We just kept swimming. Yeah, we just kept swimming. And honestly,

Yeah, before coming on this season, had you been training at all?

Yes?

What did your train?

Three months?

Three months training?

I had three months of intensive training. I knew that, you know, I thought that coming into the Sason people won't let me you know coast, They'll be like, oh, this fucker did that last week? Was not going in getting in. So I was training for any type of physical or mental like like like a lot of drills, a lot of running. For the last month before I flew thirty days straight. I would wake up before the sun, run, come back, coach, shower, go training, you know, do my things,

Almost like your full time job training.

For this Yeah?

Yes, yes, yes, exactly.

And that that is how champs are made, you know?

Yeah?

Wow?

Do you think that that is the key to people who win nowadays on the show is that they have to be training full time kind of before coming in?

Uh not really, you know. I always go back to Devin's win, which I don't think he trained.

Oh no, no, no, oh he trained by the way we had him on the podcast. No, no, no, Not only did Devin train. Devin likes to train by having a puzzle in his hand while running on the treadmill to see if he can solve it, like while tired or distracted.

Yeah, that's what I did too. Yeah, so smart, All right, all right, I did not not I did not know that. I do that too, but mostly with matts and tens. But yeah, I think I think you should train somehow. I mean, if if you know, if you know you're not that good at physical stuff, because because some of the challenges might you might need to be physically you know, skilled a little bit or whatever in order to win and stay safe. You know, you say, I don't need

When you got to the final part of the final, right, and you had to complete those with the five stations to get the five flag. With all of the training that you have done, where do you think your training helped you in that portion of the final.

The physical part came in handy because I've been running and doing everything faster than them, right, and yeah, the last one it wasn't that physical obviously, but you know, a little bit of balance, as we've seen, can cost you a place.

Oh boy, what.

Would you say?

Do you think was the time difference between when Maurice crossed the finish line and like when you cross the finish line as the winner and then Nourice crossed the finish.

Line when I when I left, I think the race had only three flags only Corey had four flags.

Oh interesting, Okay.

But then the risk comes and I'm like, god, yeah.

So you're saying that balance beam took Corey that long that it cost him from being far ahead.

Wow, why do you think he struggled so much?

Because we see you basically you look like a skateboarder just skirting along the side it like you didn't even.

I think he over He's been overthinking it and took it too slow because the more you stand on it, the more it is hard to you know, keep your balance, So you go fast and you might have a better chance, you know, white white legs and just like hop hop it like a grasshopper.

Yeah, he's long, like his legs are really long. He could have just said blue blop and I'm out right.

What would be your advice to anyone listening who wants to become a challenge champ like you? Maybe they're new, maybe it's you know, sort of new fresh bases coming to the mix. What would be your three pieces of advice that you would tell someone in their rookie season.

I would say, if you want to be rich, don't go into elimination. If you want to be a champion and be or or if you want to risk being not being a champion and you know, look tough, go into elimination. But if you want to win it, I would say, stay away from elimination as much as you can, because it might be a time, as we've seen with West, where you cannot longer be able to coast or you know, stay out of eliminations so as long as you can

Now you're using this get rich quick scheme, but but you're you're right man.

Well, and it's interesting because there's controversy around that.

Honestly, it sor interrupt. Honestly, it might not work as we've seen with other people of that people that have been in there, not being in elimination and the date of final. So I don't know.

I mean, but it does work because it gets you. That's part of the probably seventy percent of the struggle is getting to the final, right, and then the last thirty percent is or i'd say twenty percent is finishing the final, and then the ten percent is winning being the first person to finish said final. And there's been a lot of talk around this, and it's interesting that it's kind of hotly contested because there are those who agree with you, which is, hey, a smart way to

A lot of you know, hullabaloo around.

Yeah, that's that's why they didn't bid me, So that's why they needn't bid me, So that's.

Why they win.

Right there, you go.

I mean, I feel like, while we're on these topics of eliminations and we're speaking about that, I have to know, because you guys were so close throughout the entire season, right, what was it like to see Michelle and Jay go home right before the end? I mean, especially after the type of season that they had, how they dominated, like right there, like you could taste the money, it was right there.

It was. You know, it's like for a personal perspective somehow it is be too sweet, because you know, you create this bond and then you see them and you can you can even put yourself in their shoes and feel like, oh, I've done everything, like to leave right

Oh, because you're saying they should be happy that that that ended up. Do you feel like you guys in hindsight and I know it's a game, but I am so curious of your perspective. Do you feel like, in hindsight, you guys went too hard at Horacio Kyland Orneries, Like do you feel like they have the short end of the stick or do you feel like they deserved nobody deserves.

But of course we wouldn't do anything that us but get out of our competition, you know, I honestly it's you know that put that put them in a you know, very come like competitor light, which I also wanted to do eliminations and win eliminations, and I'm sure I would have won most of them. And you know, be like, why do we believe you?

Because literally, if you rewind this podcast sixty two seconds ago, you just said that your strategy was to stay out of elimination, and now you're saying elimination.

No, No, that's that's that's what I was going to say. You know, you wanna you want to have that because it's like a very glorifying you.

Know, right, like stats have ye yes, yeah.

But if you can avoid it, of course I would choose to avoid it. But I was ready to go in and you know do eliminations. I mean, I wasn't scared of doing eliminations or.

Who would you of the vets? Who would you have if you had to have gone in against someone? Who of the vets?

I want to know, one male and one female would you have gone against?

Oh?

Definitely Jordan's Yeah, really do you think you would have won?

I don't know. I don't know if you know, he's also I don't want to be like obviously my head of the win, but you never know, you never know what's gonna happen, what eliminations have. And then also the elimination that when he came, we wasn't allowed to do that. We wasn't allowed to be like, hey, I'm gonna jump in right.

You know who's famous for doing that though? In Manuel? Who for your boy Jordan?

And he went down and volunteered himself against Bananas in elimination because he basically said.

I'm gonna take it. And he lost and he definitely did not win, but he went on to win several seasons after that.

So you know, you see, you see being too tough. Yeah, sometimes being too much and trying to prove it can send you home.

But you know what the point is, the point is he never quit.

I'm like, yeah, the good sister Berna and our good brother Corey do them like they never ever thought about quitting it. In fact, they did quit, but the thought, the thought, and the conversation and the dialogue was there. How did it feel watching this back and seeing them contemplate quitting.

Yeah, I was.

I was like, I was actually surprised with Corey because I was like, man, what the fuck you did? Everything you went to in the fucking snake's mouth the whole season and you're afraid of fucking your your Yeah, you're safe anyways.

If you follow you might hurt your butt a little bit, but you're not falling down all the way. And I was surprised he had a hard time down. But I was like, you know, I wasn't even you know, happy, because that would mean better for my game. I was just like, come on, man, like Bernard, I knew Berner I was gonna I was gonna have a hard time. I knew from the jump, and unfortunately she gave some some hard times to others.

Two yes she did.

She tells herself she can't a lot. I don't know if you guys picked up on that, but it's like her default.

Is to say I can't do this.

I can't, you know, like when she's in the heat of the moment, so an interview she'll say, I know I can, but in the heat of the moment, in that fight or flight race, yeah, she sort of is like, I can't drink this, I can't blah blah blah blah blah. And I'd love to see her switch that around to she can. Because it was so great seeing all five of you finish this final, and even the camaraderie given all of your differences, like watching you guys just hug

Yeah, it's a good point. I go see that where we created this bond, you know, even me and the rest would didn't actually work and I put it down. We were still good and there was no hard feelings. You know, at the end of the day, it's a gavement and we're human. You don't there's no point of hating each other or you know, being our to each other, we will have problems in our lives that we need to solve. So when I give others some more problems,

Is that when you and Melissa broke up, Oh wait, it wasn't. I was just checking to see if there's anything else that happened.

In the case I was flirting with.

I mean, I cannot, I can not with you. Did you get each of the girls to at least autograph that didn't them best that you were this season? I feel like it's iconic because you won this season, right, so you're a champion and that was what you were in your interviews, and then also you were like, you know, the mac of the season, So like, did you get like you know.

You should have. You could watch that opportunity. I bet it would go for a lot.

Actually, it's like an iconic piece. You should frame that in your house. How's your family doing? You talked about this win being so impactful for your family, and we got to see great pictures of them, and you spoke about, you know, your your grandparents live in a village and they didn't have heaters, and just what this means for you. What was their reaction when you called to tell them that you won, and how are they doing today?

Yeah? I mean when I first got out, I called my mother and I was like, mom, the final was very hard, this and that, and because she knew I was in the finals is because of the letter and and I was like, but you know, I came in the fourth place, but it's all good. Maybe I can do another season and all that, and she's like, I'm

That's so swim and well.

That makes Yeah, I'm very I'm very happy I get to help my family because this was one of the like the main struggles in my family and with everything I did, because you know, even for me, it was hard with the money and uh, now I don't have that for us. In the back of my head, I can just do my things without worrying about brand about I know my grandma doesn't have that my mom needs or whatever.

Wow, that's so special. That's really beautiful man. Well, like that really is as beautiful.

And we as we were watching you this season, you know how everyone talks about oh, if I get the money, I'm going to do this, and student loans and all this other jazz blah blah blah blah blah. Right, I never once heard you say anything about yourself. You would always.

Say that the money would help.

You, would help change your life, but then you would always go back to your family, and so it's almost as if you were saying, changing their life is changing my life. And I always thought that was ul.

Yeah, because that would change my life because right now I can do anything without money either. But I have this in the back of my head. But now not having this, I can just focus and do what I was doing till now, you know, even bigger things because I have money and I can invest.

This is terrible. Well, I don't know what it is.

But between seeing you in that final without the hair gel, without the products, and then you right now being so kind and talking about your family and just showing uside of your personality, I get it. I'm not up for a sister wife doom like that's not my thing.

But like I.

Understand a little bit.

I can tell you everybody why, Yeah, we're gonna tell us because.

You know I the more you stay with me, the more you understand that I'm not trying to defend anyone. And I am always making fun, like laughing at people, probably making fun of some certain things, you know, some extent, and I always talk shit. And of course from a hundred questions on my interview, you would get what is right in that moment.

But I'm not gonna lie. We didn't get to see you talk as much.

And then you you really do like your hair gel, and and so we're like, okay, all these girls like him, da da, And then we see you like with the wind and You're hugging TJ. And your hair is all like fluffy, and you're really sweet, and you're talking about your family, and I'm like.

And the pictures of him with his family.

Now I kind of get it. And then and then you were running with your shirt off for a minute. Then I'm like, oh, all right, really really anyway, So I'm just saying, look, keep it honest here, and I'm just saying, now I kind of I kind of understand what who was it? Raven Colleen Burn?

Sorry? Those are just the ones we know about.

You know, are we gonna?

Can we go?

You stay on your side, and man, well don't you come over here? You said I will not no no in movie theater. I'm sitting on the opposite side of the room. I am a married woman. You go sit in that corner. I don't want to hear your charming miss okay.

I don't want to have you do not even watch the movie. I need you to go to be hell on.

You stay.

We are in the same physical vicinity in Menuell stay over there. And now we see this, your level of sweet toxicity.

This is I think we need to coin that's what it is.

Talking It was it was a life.

You are officially now our newest Challenge champ, and in the end of the episode seeing your picture up there with all of the rest of those champs, I'm sure that that felt amazing. You are the one right now, and I think the most important question that we can ask you before we wrap this thing up is.

Can you send me in Devin five dollars a piece?

Oh yeah, that's it, because you got the money, so.

I can even take a fly little.

Seriously, can't we expect to see you, like, what are your thoughts on season forty or it? Should we be keeping an eye out to see you anytime too?

I would, honestly, I would love to do as many as you know, as I can. But you know, I'm not really into fighting and talk, you know what I'm saying, So I'm not sure about the casting process.

But she didn't I did actually didn't really or like you know, we didn't really at least we didn't see you fight this.

Yeah, I had.

I had a hitted argument with Thailand this is and I was going to talk about this this crucial point because you know, they voted me in and then everyone everyone was kind of catching with me and they thought, you know, isn't maybe an easy vote, and it's better to get him out through.

You know it can perform. But then after I got voted in bye bye Kyland and ras still, I was like, okay, there's a lot of you know, hit on my back because there is from the target. So I talked to Kylond then I told him, man, you should have done that. I'm going to come for you. You know, I was trying to be all tough and shit and all that shit, and I don't know if it worked. But then I'm like, okay, now I told him my plans, So why did I do that? So so I was like, okay, now I

Gotcha right, Yeah, So.

I'm like, okay, that worked. And then and at the same time, Jay wasn't mad about it, right because we knew Kyland wasn't gonna get enough votes to vote for J. So that's why you see him going and be like, oh, let's let's be let me be the mister president and all that shit thought. Because we knew No Ruise wasn't gonna vote, we get Jay at that point, you know. So that was the crucial moment. And then this whole heat with J and then with you know, started even bigger,

So you're saying you're a mastermind behind the scenes, is what you're saying. You're saying you really pulling some strings.

Yeah. I was actually thinking about all the all the moves I did, you know, even the challenge where UH sabotage, It was actually also me sabotaging because we gathered everyone the night before him. We was, like you said, you know, if we get in despairs, whoever's with us and Kylon needs to throw it so we can put them both in the in the nation. So just that it worked perfectly.

So he's not just a pretty set of tattoos.

He is I am. You know who's the biggest snake who I'm the biggest snake.

In the Okay? Well, I mean I'm not anyone.

I'm not hurting anyone, you know, but without them.

Knowing, I mean breaking some hearts along.

Talking about.

Well, sir champion.

For those who want you continue to follow along in your your journey, your scheming, your training, your heartbreaking all the things. For those who want a little bit more Ema, and well, where can they find you on social media?

Where can they follow you?

They can follow me on dot magoo my name on Instagram also just there, I'm mainly there, okay, but you can also find you on Twitter, where I talk a lot of shit and I'm.

Yeah, we've seen some of that.

We are so happy that you've been here. Thank you for coming to hang with us, e Man, well and much deserved when so proud of you. Congratulations and We look forward to seeing more of you on a challenge and more of your your nonsense and all.

The crazy and the stories. I know it's going to be interesting.

Man. Well, thank you so much.

Thanks congratulations Champion.

I really appreciate it. Thank you.

I am so excited that the champ, the new Champ, took time out of his day to come hang out with us.

Devin.

I thought that was so cool.

We got some insights, and you know, a couple opinions may have changed.

You may have or may have not signed up to be a sister.

No, because I'm not sign up. I just looked at the pamphlet. I didn't sign up. I'm a happily married woman. But I looked at the brochure, Okay, And I'm saying I can now understand a little bit better why people may have opted into that package, like you know, that's all.

That's all I'm saying. And we got five dollars a day, don't forget, and.

We got five dollars. You got to put your bed in when you can. Where can the people find you? On the social of the media.

You can find me staying away from Emanuel in a movie room. You can also find me on Instagram at Devin Simone d e v y n s I m oh n e. You go to my website devensmone dot com. Scroll to the bottom and you'll see my socials there a most active if on Instagram and a little bit on Twitter. My stories are on ig is like where's I'm so behind on all the things I need to post.

It's bad. It's like almost as bad as Day what her YouTube channel.

Used to be.

It's my thank you, my posting has gotten that bad? And then where can they find you?

To Day?

Yes, you can find me on the social media on all the platforms at Davon Diane Underscore two ends on The.

Davon and The Diane.

Okay, now you can also find me on YouTube.

I just posted two new videos this week.

You posted about Traders, but I didn't. I'm not gonna lie. I haven't watched it yet. But it seemed like you didn't even know the names of the players in the show.

Okay, First of all, am I wrong? I knew the first half? You know what second half? Good bye?

Just hang up?

Goodbye? All right?

But no, go support our girl.

We love her as always, and speaking of support, we appreciate you supporting us.

We love you so much.

I've seen the tweets that say they love watching the Challenge on time just because they want to hear what we're going to say yeah afterwards.

So I appreciate that very very much. I actually wanted to shout her out because it was really funny. But either way, we love you guys.

Oh yeah, it was Ashley m on Twitter said I'm watching because I want to listen to Devin DT on the podcast and understand what they're talking about.

So appreciate you.

Very much, and thank you for joining us for another episode of MTV's official Challenge podcast. Remember if you liked this episode, rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and tell all your friends yes, and catch new episodes of The Challenge Battle for a New Champion on MTV And we'll see you next time when we get into the reunion on MTV's Official Challenge Podcasts.

So Emmanuel single right,