Hey, hey, hey friends, it's me Devin Simone, and.
Of course it's me Davon Rogers and this is MTV's official Challenge podcast, and we're back.
We are back like we never left, Like we aren't forced to swim for our lives like they are on this final.
This day is I mean, woo.
This is insane.
Like I I am grateful that we got the phone call to come and do the red carpet right party, Okay, because the call to actually do this season Nope, And all of this water, Devin, I can't even tell you how to get in the pool.
Okay, So this right here is insane.
How do you my god? Today?
I don't mind the pool, but I know where my strengths are and are not. And if I'm in the water, I'm not gonna drown, like for the most part, sure, but I'm probably not winning a race, and if I do, it's a fluke that I.
Won the one. I'm not doing it more.
And yeah, if I had managed to make it to a final here, I'd have to say this would be the one time I'd be more pissed than any other season because getting to this final, and only because some people, I feel like are just natural fish, right, like some people are just fish. Because even we see Rachel who lives by water, she swims all the time, and she's having her moments in this final, because there's all these
different elements of it. It's just that's and Carl last week said she didn't want to do all that.
That's yeah.
Yeah, this one is across the board challenging. It's physical, it's definitely mental. Like everyone's head is messed up right now. Everybody, and I'm talking about Jenny's hair like that. If you did not.
Need mentally in their minds. So you said it, you felt it.
I mean she said everywhere.
I mean I do have to wonder too, how my wig glue would have held up.
It wasn't that much swimming.
That seawater would have took you out. It would have you would have been over here, your wig would have been.
You would have pulled a big tea and just let it go. It would have just been.
It would have been with the dolphins. Yes, they could have had it. They would have had it.
There's no way.
Yeah, this this right here.
I want to get to the coins, but I feel like that that's going to stress me out. So the whole idea of the running and the thousand steps and the puzzles and all of.
The things, and then the swim.
I think Tory made a comment and said that they had to swim back and forth at least nine times throughout this.
Like, yeah, that's a lot. And then the.
One check point with the puzzle where they had to swim out you go and look at the skull and swim.
She had to do it again because she messed up one line. And then their place of respite is a crusty boat. It's just all bad, it is. I'm worried for Kylin's health. I'm literally looking like do I need to book a flight and come rescue him from the water because he's cramping.
In water is just dangerous, scary.
Poor Tory just had an elimination like two days before where she was in water for hours. So you know, because you guys know, there's that seventy two hour kick in right where you do like a strenuous workout and you feel fine the next day, and then that second day it starts to get bad, and then that day after that starting to kill you. Like all of it's bad. But can we talk about Jordan is just Jordan's.
I mean Universal Studios or something like, he's at a theme park living his best life.
Yeah.
Yeah, and the ladies are ladies because they're the fact that Rachel was like, can I just compete against the men, because then at least I would clinch second place, I mean the shade.
But not the shade surprising in this final how so he's doing really bad and I'm I'm I'm very surprised.
I'm very shocked.
But you know, he did say, you know, he's getting older, his body's taking a toll on him, so on and so forth.
But I'm like, all season, you've.
Been talking cash but hot s h I t because it's the swimming part.
Though, I feel like that swimming part is a different like you.
Even a friend ain't doing so good in the puzzles either.
Yeah, that'sir.
He's struggling.
Well, I tried to help you, Johnny.
I don't know what he's struggling. And I am surprised.
I think I think he's really I think at this point in the game, Johnny is in his head.
I think the Karma thing shook it.
He tried to I think like he tried to shake Kyland about the final when TJ said them karma bokes, I think John face off the square. Yeah, he got completely knocked off his square.
Yeah, he definitely got shook.
Speaking of shook, talking about the coins, Jenny definitely was shook once it got to the counting place. And look, I understand you're tired, you're hungry, so I understand losing your minds.
I totally get it. But Jenny is.
Just I would have thrown her overboard. I think at that point, I don't know that I could have. I would.
I gonna lie. She was the entertainment I needed.
But if you were there alive, don't you lie? Day, what would you do?
Pissed? You said?
It's sure, but as yes, I would probably been like Jordan, like shut it down, be quiet, go to sleep, let us count.
You go to sleep.
Then a night right like because it was it was a lot.
But as a viewer, and I love to be in this seat, I love being in this seat. I get to watch it, and it was entertaining, like her being so sleep deprived, hungry, all of the things she was.
It was gold.
I loved it.
M h Yeah, definitely, And then I'm pretty sure on the clip for next week, you see Jordan say something about what's wrong with your hair or something he like shape just just a whole mess.
It's all whole mess.
So who is your gold star and your time out of the week gold Star one hundred bowl?
Okay, well, you know what I can, I can. I can't.
I was gonna shop it in hand because I feel like I have to give Jordan his flowers, but I feel like I've been giving him his files for like the last three episodes.
So I'm gonna leave Jordan alone.
Okay, but Jordan hi hi on the honorary mentions Okay, very high. But I'm gonna give my gold star to the ladies of this season because the ladies have been dominating this final.
They've been tearing these men up.
Do you hear me?
It's Jordan and then it's the ladies, and then it's the rest of the men, and they have been tearing this final up. So I'm gonna definitely break the gold star up and give it to all of the ladies across the board.
What about you?
It wouldn't be day if she didn't break it up. But you know what, I'm in agreement. I agree from the beginning when they showed Rachel giving the toast at the event where we were in Vietnam.
It's set it up for just how well these.
Women came to represent, and I could be more proud of every single one of them. So they all get gold stars across the board. My time out of the weeks. Okay, it's a unique situation, perhaps a one time only. So Kylin gets a time out for peeing on the sign.
Just peeing.
I didn't need to see that, and then he pointed it out and he's like, see that, see that, Like, ah uh, gross, And Jenny for running her mouth so much. I am such a chill person and I am depending on who you ask for most of are I'm a chill person.
I and I'm like so good under pressure.
But her running her mouth and complaining it's giving me anxiety right now, like I want to strangle something right now, and I'm not even there or competing. I would have lost my mind. So she gets a time out, but Ginny is killing it in the competition, so it negates the timeout, so it neutralizes it. And Kylon is maintaining such a positive vibe and his curls are popping when he got out of that water, so it negates the timeout, So it actually neutralizes and neither of them get a timeout.
What about you, day, I don't have a timeout.
I don't I don't have a time out.
This cast, this the remain well, the cast as a whole has been great. But these finalists that are in the like, they are giving me everything that I need, Like across the world, they're giving me comedy, they're giving me entertainment, they're giving me they're completing the chat lights the final like, they're giving me everything that I need. And so watching them navigate through this final has been absolutely amazing and I am excited to see the second
half of the final. This up all Night Challenge is definitely something that I am looking forward to.
So I don't have anybody to put in time out.
At first, I was going the reason you want to put Kyl in the timeout is actually one of the reasons. I thought it was funny him peing on the sign absolutely hilarious. It was over, and I want to also acknowledge though, because I didn't give him a star and I should have.
I shouldn't give.
Him Brandon she forgot was on the season until they did a recapd y'all.
I forgot Cet was there. I forgot they was there, and I forgot Brandon was there. I forgot until they show the flashback and I was like, oh my goodness, I feel like these people have been gone for.
So leave Bay. I forgot like what twelve years?
Yeah?
But oh, could you imagine Leroy in his final We wouldn't have made it.
We wouldn't have made it for we wouldn't.
Have made it like.
Well have been practicing. So he you know, he a little flounder now a little bit.
We love you, Lee, But yeah, I don't.
I don't.
I don't have a time out. But Kyland, I have to give him for his perseverance. Yes, because I would have left. I got a crap what I'm out of here? Yeah, I'm out of here. You could have just been a small like little child horse.
I'm out.
He just found me floating in the seed like I don't because I wouldn't have been able to keep moving. I would have just been floating along in the seed and speaking, floating along you guys have been floating along still your ideas for when we did our movie star comparison to these challengers and so so we can't shout them all out, but we appreciate you slide into our dms and tweeting us and sending us messages. Please continue to do so, and thank you so much for listening.
But I just wanted to point out a couple of them, one that we shout out recently from Katie Jackson. She wrote back, laughing that we shot her house and she said, I know that Tom Hanks, the Tom Hanks comparison was a choice, which but she said, Derell is unproblematic and loved by all, so that's why she compared him to Tom Hanks.
Justine said, uh that, yes, they agree with Drell being a Tom Hanks in there. Okay, a lot of a lot of Derell tom Hanks.
Oh yes, someone said, because Tom Hanks had won those Oscars back to back, something like, and Derell won his.
Challenges back to back, so something somebody had compared that. Yeah.
Absolutely, ant Man said.
The Bradley Cooper reference in relation to Jordan is because Bradley Cooper is multifaceted.
He goes Bradley Cooper.
Acts, he sang, but wanted to do filmmaking when he got interested in it, so he directed to and then like a star is born and maestro, and that Jordan has done acting, he's an athlete and now he does race car driving. That's fair. I don't know if that's a convincing argument. A couple more that I want to point out. So Kiera, our girl Kiera over on Twitter said Robert de Niro is for Joanni is Robert Niro. She goes, he's funny but stern, and he acts like
everyone's dad. Kia, I'm side eyeing you. She agrees that CT is Denzel Robert Downey Junior for Jordan, and I have to say I feel like my husband made that comparison recently. No, my husband compared car to Robert Downey Junior. I think I think that's what we did because we got to do a girl when someone else did. DM me saying we got to do one for the ladies. We do need to do one for the ladies. So day think about that. And then another person, this one
was really funny to me. I told him to explain. Gary Acosta said, Bananas is Leo DiCaprio.
Wow, that's exactly what I said.
That's exactly I said. How he goes, well, he goes.
He considers Leo it'll be the greatest actor of his generation. And Leo started off as a young man, still green behind his ears, just like Veneza. But when were we all young before we got old? I don't know Gary, if that's a convincing argument. He also said, one last thing is they both have slick hair. Yeah, Gary, I don't know that we're holding to that. H Schmimma twenty six said Johnny is Jude Law and Devin is Evan
Peters or Jesse Eisenberg, who played a young Marc Zickerberg. Okay, so a lot a lot there, but a lot of you guys. We appreciate your thoughts. I still am gonna stick with my Nobody's convinced me more than a Chris Pratt. I'm sorry. I'm still stuck on it, but I'm open. But for the ladies, really quick, who do you think you'd compare? Like?
Who is Laurel? Who is a Tory? Who is a Kara? Who is Michelle?
Oh?
You gonna have to let me sit on it.
Okay, next week, you guys, we have homework, all right, So think about it and we'll talk about it next week. But what we will talk about this week is we have an amazing interview coming.
Up with our girl Michelle. Yes, she is coming back and we cannot wait to chat with her.
So grab a snack, don't go anywhere, start thinking about the ladies and who they're comparable celebrity actors are, and come back to this amazing interview with Michelle Fitzgerald.
Right after this, super excited about today's guest. It's Devon's woman, Like, this is Devon's woman, but she is a woman in her own right, her own name, she has earned on this show. And I'm super super excited to have you here. Let's give it up for Michelle. She is in the building with us.
When you said Devon's woman, I was confused for a moment, like it just I was like, I do love.
Michelle and she is killing it this season. I was like, with that might.
Know, no, I do this same. I'm so excited to be here, but I did the same thing. I like looked at your camera to be like, wait, my your woman here.
I mean we could talk about it. Michelle, so excited to have you here. How are you?
I'm doing great hanging out? You know, that was an interesting episode, so it was excited, happy to be here.
And we're going to get into that interesting episode. But of course everyone wants to know the status of you and boy Devin. How are things going? Are they still going? Where are they.
Goingh Well, he is taking a nap in my room right now, so.
Well there we go.
He doesn't care, he doesn't care to listen to me kind of ramble on about the challenge anymore. So he's exited the room for this. But yeah, we're so we're good and the fits is visited Devin for Thanksgiving, to my house for Christmas.
Whoa, oh, whoa, Okay, hold on, okay, this is Michelle.
This is like, this is a thing.
It's a thing. It's definitely a thing. Listen. He's just so fun, like, he's so much my I think a lot of people were surprised by us being together, but it's he's so obviously like my other half. We like the same things, we joke in the same way, our outlook on life is very similar. We just have like, genuinely so much fun. And I love that it's been.
It's so easy. I now have somebody who I can like play a strategy games with and do crosswords with and it's just like, who else wants to do that joky shit with me?
So I wish you guys could see her face.
She's blessing.
It's ridiculous, y'all. Like, I wish you guys could see her face. I love this. I love, love, love this.
We've always said that you guys are the same person, like you and Devin Boy, Devin are the same person.
So to see you.
Guys kind of like, you know, off of each other, and the way you guys love on each other, it's just it's so beautiful to watch.
So it's so it's so nice. Honestly, I don't I haven't really had much success in relationships in the past, and thank God for that. I think that that has led me here, and so I'm so grateful. Listen, Yes, we are this. We are very similar in a lot of ways. So it's like not all sunshine and roses. Have you seen how stubborn we both are, Like of course, you know we have been our battles too, but you know we are weapons, are swords, and so it also can be a little bit fun sometimes.
I love that.
What was it? Can you walk us through? Because we know that you know, trying to find love in the Challenge house is definitely looking for love in a hopeless place. But it sounds like you guys, you know, are making it work beautifully. When he first left the game, did you think it would go this far?
Did you have any concerns? Did you?
Can you just fill us in on what that experience was like when he left the game, you realize you guys have these feelings.
Yeah, I mean, prior to us even being on this season, we had, you know, something going on. So I have visited him prior he's come and visited me in my life.
So wait, something going on? So like, yeah, we're hooking up before the season. Is that you're saying.
Yes, yes, so, but like listen, he came out of relationship like not too long ago, and I don't think he wanted anything serious. I didn't know what that would look like for us either, with the distance and whatnot. So this season really like made us see what it would actually be like being together all the time and living together. And I think we just realized, like we might as well just go two feet in. We had been one foot in, one foot out for a long time.
How long is a long time?
Like a year or two year, like, when did you guys first realize, Hey, there's kind of a connection here.
I think I realized a lot sooner than he did, but I don't know. I when we were in Amsterdam for the reunion of season thirty nine was when he was like, I really really want to come take you
out on a date. We had We had already been sort of pursuing that, like like more casually, but I think things got a little bit more serious after Amsterdam and when we were in the house I was kind of and Johnny allude to this a little bit too, that, you know, I wanted more from him than I think he was willing to give at that time, and so I had my reservations, and I think he was like, I want to be two peated, and I'm like, oh, do I want to do that. I've been down this road.
We know how challenge relationships go. So it was definitely a process. But by the time that he was leaving, I was like, Oh, we're we're going to do this in real life. I had no fear about that. And he was talking to my sister who was giving messages to me, so like.
Oh cute.
We couldn't talk, but we would make it a point to make sure that there was like check ins. And when I got out, he was you know, he said how difficult it was, and I felt the same, and so we just tucked on after that.
Had he met your sister before, like okay, so he knew that, like line go ahead day?
Well you brought up Johnny, right, and that was like a very big moment this you read between you and Johnny. And so was that what Johnny was referring to when he called himself checking in with you or trying to have your back? Do you genuinely believe he was there to be your friend or was he trying to cause a divide between you and Devin?
What do you think?
I think both can be true. You know, he had the situation going on last season with Mariah. He saw you know, me and Callum and the sort of like real daggers in my heart that that kind of cost me. Not to be dramatic, but it was like total deception, and I think.
And we felt that for you. I mean, we were pissed off on that.
You know, we scared him away side note guests, because we rode so hard for you.
That was terrible.
He was a little bitch, So he should have owned up to what he did and came on here and talked about it. But he can't face his own deception. But anyways, enough about that loser. I think that Banannas also knew that I had feelings for I talked to Banana about everything, like I really did prior this season. We were really close, in my opinion, and he knew. I think he did want me to protect my heart, but I think that there were underlying things going on.
I think because of our relationship outside of the game, he thought that I would ride for him one hundred thousand million percent and to see me potentially choosing somebody else over him might have scared him. And I think that there was a lot of reasons to do it. I think it was a power move. I also think it was trying to make sure that I didn't fall into some traps that he has fallen into in the past.
So I think it was a few things. But to say that it was all selflessly looking out for me, I think would be a lie.
Yeah, I think what you said makes so much sense. He was definitely hurt by the Mariah thing like that had an impact. You guys being so close, and I will say, in what I know of Bananas in the however long I've known him, I will say he does come across he's I've only ever gotten the impression he's someone who rides for his friends, like even in general most of the time. If I call him and I haven't seen in a long time, he'll answer, you know
what I mean, like Risero's friends. So if you guys are talking a regular basis, we all saw what happen with thou who shall not be named. He's hearing what's going on with you and Dev initially were Maybe Dev's not really to be serious, but he also Bananas is sensitive, like he won't admit it, but when it comes to his friendships, is sensitive. And so why he like drug
it out? Why Banana's angels well formed, you know what I mean, Like because it just seemed as a viewer it was so personal and now all the ingredients you've added to the mix totally makes sense. Why And he probably was harboring resentment to of what happened to him in years past.
Yeah, dating on the challenge shoo.
Yeah, And you know a lot of this is going to come up at reunion, Like we really dive in in the reunion to there's so much history between him and Devin as well, which, as somebody who has not my only experience with the people that I play with are the challenges that I've came with them and how they treat me. Outside of this show. I haven't watched past seasons, So for me, I'm going in seeing Devin one Banana. He worked with Bananas all season. He gave
Banana his money. I'm like, Oh, they're good, you know, Like I'm thinking, oh, I'm I'm close with Johnny, I'm close with Devin. What could go wrong? We're all in the same cage here, right. I don't think that that is That's clearly not what was going on between them, and I felt a little bit kind of caught in the middle of that. But I knew that Devin's intentions were like good and pure, and I couldn't say the
same for Johnny at that point. So, and you know, a lot, a lot gets unloaded at the reamian that does, in my opinion, show that maybe his intentions were not one hundred percent pure. So yeah, it's tough. I it was definitely a tough situation. I really wish that that didn't all play out the way that it did. I wish I just shut my fucking mouth, but lord knows, I don't know how to do that. So it is
what it is. You know, like this season would have been probably a little bit more boring if that that didn't all play out the way that it did.
But and speaking of the way I know and the way that things played out meant, ma'am, you made it to your first final, which, as again you've been named the Godmother of the Challenge by us.
I it was lost on me that this was.
Your first final, like it just subconsciously it was like, yeah, Michelle.
Had been And when they pointed that out a couple episodes ago, episodes ago about you and Kylin, I was just like, oh, wow, yeah, I guess that's true.
Wild So props to you though, just because of how well you in general kind of lead this game. But this is your first final. How are you feeling as it's beginning? What's going through Michelle's head, what's going through her heart?
I think, first off, to be on season forty and to make the final is, especially with the journey that I had, was already to meet such an accomplishment A lot of the times when I'm playing these games, it's like I really play for like one foot in front of the other, get to the next day. It's always how I played Survivor. It's always how I play. I try not to look too far forward, but for me, just getting there was like, Okay, check, I've done the
thing that was looming. Could I I think, especially after thirty nine when I got purged right before the final and I left on USA too right before the final, it felt like that thing was just kind of flickering
there and I couldn't like quite catch it. And so to be able to do it in a season where I don't really have regrets about the way that I played on thirty nine, I look back as like the Godmother and I'm like, ugh, it just didn't It was a great social game, but it didn't feel right this doing it like on my own, making the choices that I felt were good, not doing it in a way that was malicious or caddy or like tit for tat. It felt really like.
It was straightforward.
You were very straightforward and like every move that you made, and you were fearless or at least I mean, we saw you doubt yourself and it was heartbreaking. Earlier in this season, there were moments where you know, you were kind of questioning whether night we saw moments where Olivia right was talking to you about saying, I need you here, you deserve to be here.
Can you take us back to what you were feeling then?
And I know so much has happened since then, but like, why in those moments do you think you were so down on yourself?
Why were you so close to giving up back then?
I think it was so at that point Devin had left and me and Johnny, like there are so many fights that happened between me and Johnny, Like it was constant.
It was the.
Even footgate, like, which is a little bit later than what we're talking about right now, had been he was tackling and taunting me and like all when we're on the bleachers and stuff, and like everybody knows it. I'm sure you guys have had people on that talk about some of his behavior was just it was to get
a rise out of me, and I understand that. But at that point I had learned that in the individuals, if you come in last, you're going automatically in right, and so and then on top of that, I went down from heat stroke. I had just lost Devin Bananas. Is I feel like I lost this friendship with Bananas. I'm feeling like I have to choose sides. Just it was the mounting pressure of the game on me at that point that was just like what the fuck am
I doing here? Like my man's over there, and I don't feel like I'm physically capable of competing at this level. It was just I was just having a really low day. I was down on myself. I ran I've run three or four seasons, just like back to back, getting myself into a lot of trouble, getting purged, and all of that sort of looms in the back of your mind, like, fuck, I've made so many mistakes, Like I'm exhausted, and I
think I felt a lot of insecurity this season. But I think and I think a lot of that is a function on sort of thirty nine in USA, and I've played before and I don't know, not feeling quite worthy. And I think getting to this final made me made me feel a little bit more secure myself. So I think it was blessing truly.
Yeah, you stuck it out, you didn't quit. You stayed the race, and then we get to see the fruit of that because you're now in the final and girl tearing the final up. Okay, like you're not only in the final, you're tearing it up. But I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. I want to let's let's stay in order.
Right, we take all over the place, it's not gonna be an order about the end of this.
We continue.
Tell us about the ff sinister, because baby, I couldn't have did it.
I couldn't have did it.
So tell us what it was like something we may not have seen, like the smell.
I want to know all the things.
It was just deeply uncomfortable. That was like the overarching feeling of this sinister. I mean, you can kind of get the vibe of this, but there was just not a soft surface in the place. Everything is cold, hard metal. It's all dirty, so like you're trying to kind of rest, but there's nowhere to rest, and there's no The bathroom on board is a boat bathroom. There's just one, so you can kind of imagine what that's like. So I think I was a little bit more prepared for the
uncomfortability of the sinister because I've done Survivor. I do think that. Like when I was looking around, I'm like, everybody's bitching and I've heard how hard the final is. I felt like this was what it was going to be, so I was like, oh, duh, you know, but it was really interesting watching the meltdowns.
I mean, well, Day and I were talking last week too about how Bananas was hyping you guys up, and I think Jordan too, being like, oh, be careful, you know that final is going to be crazy, and I was saying that, while yes, they were trying to scare you, it's accurate, like it is one of those things you're excited to get to a final and then you realize in the final and then you're like, oh hell do you feel like everything they were saying previously the previous
episode was accurate around your first final experience.
No, I think that.
I don't know, I kind of I was enjoying it. I think you can see me like even when I'm I know that that sounds really crazy. I know, I know it does. And I definitely had like lows during it, for sure, but I was so grateful that there was like the light at the end of the tunnel, it's all I could think about. I was like, Okay, I have to suffer through this, but I know tomorrow this is going to be over.
Yeah.
And so for me, like knowing that having gone through Survivor and honestly the challenge, every time that I think that there's like a limit of what I can do, I like the challenge forces me to sort of push beyond that. Like that Mini final, to me, was harder than the final because we were so hot. We were literally right flowing our way in and dying. But obviously
that's such a shorter time frame. When you have that elongated time frame of the final, it's the wear down of like days and days of that sort of intensity. But yeah, I don't know. I expect when I hear Jordan and Banatis have done so many to be like it's the worst thing ever. I built it in my head, being like it's going to be the mini final just times like a thousand million. And I don't know.
Do you like swimming in general, Like, what's your.
I love to swim, but I do. I do think overarchingly, the heat thing has been a huge battle for me. Yeah, in this season, in every season I've ever been on I don't have I'm not I don't have like great breathing control, which makes me like, I'm sure you guys, when you work out in the gym, you know, if you're not doing the right breathing, you're sort of like dying. So I think I was so nervous about the heat. Just to be in the water to cool me down,
like really, it made me not panic as much. So when you start to get really hot, I start to really panic and I lose like my sensibility. So I think in that way, let me kind of keep my sanity a bit.
Speaking of sanity, did you keep it or lose it when you found out about the Karma points or the Karma vote?
Bruh, the fucking Karma vote, Like, I just feel like it's really I came in with a reputation from thirty nine. I thought even getting to the final was going to be impossible because of the way that people thought of me. And I felt like all the people who didn't really have an opportunity to get to know me, because the people on Era one were the people who don't know me or Era two, and those people are leaving really early.
A lot of the people who I already knew were kind of ran it with me a little bit deeper, and those are the people who are now in the final or whatever. So I felt like, and especially having put so many target bands on so many people's arms, I was like, I am responsible for so many people being over there voted out, and so it felt like I was just it was a kind of shit thing. It obviously favors people who have been in the game longer. I feel like, I don't know it. I'm not a huge fan of that.
Yes, oh yeah, do you feel like in knowing that, because like I said, you've been killing this final so far, do you feel like.
That makes you work harder?
Just in case?
Like maybe if my points are going to be low, at least I can make up for it in my performance.
One hundred percent. I was like, I literally have to do as best as it possibly can do because I think people, most people, even people who kind of maybe want me to do well, might have given me a neutral number, like I was not passionately anybody's real ally except like three people. So I was just like, I think I'm going to have a pretty neutral number. It might not be terrible, it might not be the best but if I perform well, hopefully the carnivo won't shift
me around too much if it's a neutral number. Yeah, so yeah, I mean.
Not who do you think was the most concerned? Like, of the finalists, who do you think was the most concerned?
Clearly Bananas? I mean, Bananas made so many enemies this game, But I really felt the same. I really felt the same for me. I felt like I was on the flip side of the coin for Bananas. He was throwing the girls in and burning a brit burning like an entire valley of enemies in his wake, and I felt like I was playing the same. I felt like me and him sort of both had the biggest detriment. I think Jenny as well, just because of her lack of connection.
I didn't really try Besides the angels, I don't feel like she really tried much to sort of mingle and connect with people. So I think us three. Maybe Jordan, just because people are like, who wants to see to win again? You know, Peace.
I don't even know what to put on Jordan. I don't know where to place him. I don't know what to put on Jordan. He's just in this crazy league of his.
Own but I did think that it.
Was great for us to see a clip of how they were doing the Karma votes.
How did you feel watching that back of.
What the people who had been eliminated had to say about you and how they voted for you?
Oh? What the hell did they say about me? That I already want one set? I already wanted to survive. But that's like my point, right, Like, I think my point is is that people who don't know me, like Brandon, are going to be like, why would we give her a Karma vote? Like why would we why would we be rooting for her? Whereas these people have so much history, there's so much more, like they have so much more weight for their votes. And I think, yeah, listen, I
don't I don't really give a fuck. I know what the people think about me. I see it all so karma. I don't know karma. It is what it is. I probably deserve some bad karma after some decisions that I've made, but I think ultimately I've tried to write a lot of my wrongs, and so I'm trying to remember that, like, no matter what people has voted me, as like, I think I've left in a better state for myself and my relationships like after this season.
Honestly, I appreciate the karma votes because I think it's a friendly reminder for challengers that you're playing a game. So this is game karma, not life karma. Don't take it home like it's game karma. It's not life karma. Like, don't take it home.
You know, Laurel gave me a two on criminal points, So that's progress. We've done something, right, Are you so proud?
Kidding?
Guys? Fuck the final I've already won.
We're good.
Okay, we have to take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this.
Okay, let's get back to the show.
If you had to give Jenny a karma point east off of her response to the counting of the coins, what would you give her?
I see everybody talk about negative, but I would have to give her negative Like it was so to be honest, I love Jenny, but it was fucking obnoxious, Like I am sitting next to you. Counting requires so much focus. We're counting thousands and thousands of coins.
Oh yeah, it was.
It was so insane. I really didn't expect it to be like such a mind fuck, but you know, I got into a rhythm. I tried to do every like hundred, I put the hundredth over so that then I'm just counting at the end all of those and that everybody sort of created their own system, except Jenny, who is just she literally is having a mental breakdown at this point. She's like, I'm just gonna shove them all and she's
talking a We're all like we need focus. We're all tired, we need focus, and like, at the same time, I'm sitting there being like, oh, you are literally at this point projected to win this final out of all of the girls, Like be grateful of your position, Like we're all tired and we all need this because we're trying to catch up to you. Like, it just seemed very privileged to like be in that position of having first place or like second place in every single one that
you've been in. And you're like complaining about that you're wet, Like, bitch, you're all wet.
I'm literally, oh we And we'll get back to that. And Jenny in a second, Okay, you won the first checkpoint.
That's huge.
Tell us about it.
Did you get like an additional confidence boost in that moment because you kind of I feel like you went into this final a little bit. It's weird to call you an underdog, because I don't really ever see you as one, but like a little bit when it comes to the because season forty is just one of such powerhouse and then yeah, you come out and you win the first checkpoint. So are you Are you feeling like, all right, I'm pretty solid.
Yeah. I truly needed that, especially because that was such a big run, which for me was like, oh God, this is what these girls have on me, and they did, you know, I started with a bit of an advance on them, and then they all cut up, and you know, the puzzle obviously balance us out again, and then me and Jenny are neck and neck. So like, I realized that very early on in this final, if I can keep my wits about me on the land portion, I will always be able to make up time and do
well in the swim. So obviously he sees my fall from Grace the second one. I'm then in fourth because I don't keep my wits about me. But I do think at this point there is a bit of a learning curve to being in this final. I think all the other people have all the other girls have won before finals, and so I have to learn what it's
like doing back. It's basically a challenge and then another challenge right behind it, and another challenge right behind it, and realizing that you need to leave the one that you just did behind and focus on the money here and keep a level head. So I was very excited to win the first one, but very humbled.
You get to the number two, What was the Which one would you say was the easiest? This might sound like a sort of obvious question, given that you won the first checkpoint, but which checkpoint was the easiest for you? And of the ones that we've seen so far, which one do you feel was the hardest?
The second one was the easiest. I was so far ahead, and that's I think it's the one that you look back on and I like, literally sometimes have lost sleep over this one. I think that it's it was so obvious. I just don't understand. I wasn't tired the swim. I was doing fine on going under. I was able to hold my breath, and I worked through every single one, and I was like, what the fuck am I doing wrong? It was it just got me. It was so stupid
that but like physically that was the easiest one. But I thought the first one was the hardest because that run was probably like miles and the third one. At that point we were just exhausted. But and I don't mind this singing in the.
And okay, so back to now, Jinny in the singing and the coins and s okay. So you had a strategy, everyone else had a strategy.
Gosh, I will say, when I felt the end of the thirty minutes near it, I stopped counting at one hundred on the dot so that I would like all that smart. So yeah, like one hundred, because like, what's seventy one coins gonna get me? I'd rather I'd rather stop the hundred before and know exactly where I'm at. That's good, And to be honest with you, if I mean, there was probably a few situations where maybe I ended on a fifty and then you take a coin and
put it to the other side of the box. So like there was little like strategies and tricks that you could sort of do. And if you're one or two coins off with the massive coins that there are, it's not super huge, right, So getting to like a round number was really like the probably strategy.
That's good.
Yeah, that's so smart.
Could you sing the song for us?
I do know.
Let's hear it, show me the way to go home.
I'm tired and I want to go to bed. I had a little drink about an hour ago, and it's gone right to my head. Wherever I may roll on the land or see your phone, you will always hear me singing this song, show me the Way to go home.
Show It.
Sounds way better when it's just you, right, one person.
Let me tell you it is the vein of my exists. That song. I've actually never heard the real song. I'm not even heard Apparently it is a real song, but I have no idea. And kJ was just like loving it, and I was.
Like, what do you think at this moment? Is harder Survivor?
Ask?
Every season feels a little bit different, like the final. I think Survivor is harder. Really, I think just like the when when we're at the point of this where you're like so physically drained. There was points on Survivor like Day thirty nine, my first season, I was living off of snails and coconut and I remember walking through the sand. It was hard to like lift my legs to do it. So there's a there's a point where it's like you're so tired, like you're so starved that
your body like kind of fails on you. Yeah, And I was just grateful that I didn't feel like I was reaching that point yet. So it's different ways, Like Survivor challenges are nowhere near as tasting as a challenge, but I don't know, I felt like it did prepare me in a way, Like I was like, Jenny, go beyond Survivor, come back, You'll be fine girl. Yeah.
Was she the only one?
People were irritated, Like Bananas was so irritated. Banana's and engur and were so irritated at Jenny. The guys were a lot more irritated than the girls were. I think Torri's body was kind of failing her at this point and so physically she was like struggling, but I think she was trying to keep a happy face on Kyland was sort of dejected because he hasn't been performing well.
So everybody has their own sort of internal battles, but I think everybody's pretty the people who we see at the final like, listen, we have our flare ups and whatever, but we're all pretty like understand understand when to kind of like keep it in and internalize that because you know that everybody's a bit uncomfortable, and Jenny just couldn't read the room to kind of like manage her her emotions and feelings. And it was very difficult because we're all like on a hairpin trigger.
And right everybody's tired, everybody's hungry, everybody's like, you know.
She was on her period, so I know that that was irritating her, and she was really irritated that her hair was like all fucked up. She had her extensions in and they were like supernotted, and like she she was like really upset about it.
But I mean, that's that's challenge chair one.
I mean we that's while we're a wig, so I could take it all same.
That's why I wore wigs. Like no, I mean no, you just don't like that's like, come on, what it was.
It was a knot and then it became a snowball and then it became a boulder, and like everyone that it's growing. She's like her level of irritation and upsetness like grew with her hair direct correlation to how knotted her hair was so it was just like, this is just not the priority, Jenny, like that you are doing amazing, And honestly, I think a lot of us girls looked at it and was like, Okay, she's breaking, Like this is kind of what we need here because she's crushing it.
And Jenny, God, I know this is annoying, right, Like.
I would like to know at this point in the first episode of the final whose performance is like surprising you the most?
Honestly, Jenny's I think that I knew that she was always very strong and always gonna. She always performed while she always held her My experience with her was on a team, and I always felt like she held her own. But she wasn't as like in your face outstanding as I felt like her muscles would lead me to believe she was. She I don't think she's won any individual
daily Oh yeah she has. She I guess she has, but she just didn't like Tory Rachel like to me, they're just like these forces and Jenny is a bit like goofy, like we see her having this like so, I think it's easy to kind of underestimate her, and that's foolish. She's obviously performing really well, and I think I expected it on land. I wasn't exactly prepared for how dominating she would be in the water as well.
People talk about puzzles being the great equalizer, but I'd argue what we're seeing in this final is the water. We see Kylind, who going into this final i'd say, is a top contender and he is struggling. Understandably so because we had car on last week and even she was talking about like, look, she can swim, but like it's its own thing. Swimming is its own thing, and you can be decent at it, you can be great
at it, you can love it. Like the fact that you were like, oh, this final is great, I'm like, ah, you must love the water or like you just like exactly.
I'm a Jersey shore girl, you know, and that isn't advantage it truly is. I smam in high school. I'm obviously like I haven't really maintained that in my adult life. That was too long.
A lifeguard, I feel like I heard, yeah.
I lifeguarded, but I lifeguarded at like a community pool, and I really just did it because there was a really hot guy who I was trying to hook up but that was a senior.
Ship strategy. She was strategized at an early age.
I don't think I really like saved anyone besides my popularity that year. I really didn't look that out but no, but definitely got a little mouth mouth lifeguarding practice in there.
Can you show me how it's done again?
Please?
Yeah?
Exactly, sleeping right, No, But I love the water and I felt like, really blessed that my first final did have something that I felt really strongly in.
I think if it was a land heavy final, that's also an equalizer in a way, or if there's a strength portion, there's always going to be something that certain people are better, they prepare more for, and it always shakes out that way. But this one was I couldn't help. I was happy for myself, but I couldn't help but feel really bad for the people who put in the hours and like this is just something that they didn't
anticipate having to do that much. And you know, a Kara and Naya, they've all pulled me after they're like and I was like, thank god, you got me out, girl. I never would want to do that. And Cara kind of felt the same. It's like, do you really want to run a whole final through and just like be dying the whole way because it's not something I.
Mean to feel like running you can do, like as long as you could put one foot in front of the other. Now you may be slow as hell, but like you can go. I was so worried watching Kylin cramp in that water because for a moment I was like, he literally may not be able to keep going because of what you need just to safely swim, right like
at a baseline, what you will need. And so I feel like the water part is that much harder because even if you have the mental fortitude, you can't just rely on that even just to not quit, like you know, you get the wrong cramp or if you step on a sea urch or something like, you're kind of screwed.
So yeah, and.
I think once you cramp once, it's something that continuously happens. That's the vibe that I'm understanding. And we're all, you know, there the water's white capping, We're taking in a lot of salt water, and it's hard to sort of hydrate enough to kind of counterbalance all the things that you're doing. So once Kylon framps, it seemed to be a reoccurring thing. I think Bananas was also dealing with some cramping. I think the guys were having it a little bit harder.
I think the more muscle you have, the more difficult and extreme circumstance like that is. And I just felt so bad for Kylan, but in a lot of ways, I was honestly really proud of him. I felt like, yeah, it's very easy when you're put in a situation like that to be negative or have a meltdown, like you know, like a final meltdown where you're like, why the fuck am I here like this, I'm embarrassed, I'm gonna go, or whatever it is. And he's joking around, he's playing on this sign.
He could have kept that part, but yeah, yeah, I agree, But he honestly is showing a lot of grace and gratefulness to be there.
And I think he's obviously disappointed with what it requires of him, but I think he's just proud, like and I thought that that was such a great perspective to have. And when whenever I felt a little bit like my patience was fracturing or frying, I would look to Kylin and I'd be like Okay, he can keep it together right now. Emotionally, I surely can. I love that he was just so great. He was so great. Everybody at the final felt he was just such a great person to have with you just for morale.
So it was nice you were a great person too, Michelle, because when you figured out about the barrels on your puzzle, it was so beautiful when you came back and it looked like you told Derek.
It sounded like you told Bananas too.
It was like off, it was someone's We were watching from someone else's camera, so we couldn't see who you were speaking to. But when you were like, check the inside of the barrels, or check the inside of the barrels, and you just wanted to help. Can you tell us just a little bit about that really quick of what made you say screw it and why did you think it was important to help those guys at that stage in the game.
It was for Kyland, and it was for Kyland and Derek, two people who had had my back this entire game. And I think what I'm starting to realize at this point is that Jordan is so clearly coming away with the first place in every single thing and it feels to me that the battle now was for second place, and any sort of advantage that I can give two people who helped me throughout the entire game to secure that second place spot, I'm going to try to do.
And obviously with Kyland, it was just like get him there, anything to keep him more like in it, and I was trying to do that in every single facet of this final is just keep Kylon in it. And I tried to keep Derek Spirits up. There's like things that they didn't show that, Like we went in while we were like running in the water, we were like, let's take like a bathing break, just to take a second to like keep it fun, remind ourselves were the three people who have never ran a full final all the
way through. That's good, and so being like, hey, guys, like we can do this. It's I know it feels really deep and serious right now, but like we can help each other all get there. So they helped me in the game, and I could not be more proud to be at this point with them, and anything I can do, I will do. So I think we see that throughout. I think we see that throughout the final.
That's so beautiful, so much, anything else that you can tease about this next episode, but I'll say it too much because we don't want to know who won yet. Any little sum sum sum that you can give us to hold on too till next week.
Went out saying too much. Well, karma, karma is looming. I would say karma is definitely looming. I think we're going to see more. I think people really start to
sort of break and patience is shattered. So I think at the end, I will say, and I assume I can say this, but I was really really proud of the production team because they sent everybody off the boat besides the like two people like the EP, and they carried the cameras and they it was literally just our group and TJ and two producers and that's how they announced the lineup, and wow, just try to keep a
lid on it. And so it felt like really really like intimate and personal and already the final was such a personal experience as you're just going through the trenches with these people and you learn so much about yourself and each other and it's like a deeply like bonding experience. But that the end, it just being so small you're like looking around, You're like, holy shit, this is the
end of forty We have done it. It is like it just felt so powerful and so yeah, it was probably you're obviously not going to see that, but the the feeling behind it was that it was just like our little yeah, that's cool true, and it felt Yeah, it was. It was powerful moment. I'm just happy to fucking be there. I'm like, hey, guys, yeah, I'm a sing this little bitty and I'm gonna swim my heart out. And that's it.
Michelle.
You are officially a Challenge finalist.
You might be a winner.
We don't know, we don't have right now, you are, Michelle, a Challenge finalist.
Hout of that feel just that thank god.
Yeah.
I have seen so many things online where they're like and sixth time Challenger Challenge.
Lazer, Like I'm like, oh my god.
And then you see somebody like Fanatics, He's like I've been to twelve finals. I'm like, bitch, what a funk? Like I literally am on my sixth season and haven't or fifth season, haven't even like stepped a toe in the final yet. And some people have all of these wins under their belts. So like just being there, I was like, I.
Fucking in the finalist club. We love that. Yeah, I felt so.
I honestly felt so cool. I was like, get I get to see the end, Like I get to tell my family that I like finally didn't fuck it all up.
Michelle.
You are. It's been so lovely watching you season after season blossom and anytime you ever doubt yourself.
I hope, I hope. I hope you.
Hear our voices and I know many other fans of just what you represent and how inspiring you are to so many people. You are powerful beyond measure, so you know, use that wisely in your platform. But regardless of how this ends, hopefully it's it's your name called at the end, like we, like Day said, we don't know purposely, I don't like spoilers, so I want to like try and live in it like with the viewers. But it's just
been really remarkable, So please be proud of yourself. And and the bonus prize is you got Devin sleeping and in.
The hall exactly. No. I have to say, like I have had such a journey with the challenge and I left this one being like, no matter what, I like feel like I've seen myself evolve. I've went through all of the shit and like I've been the person who makes the dumb strategic moves, and I've been the person who plays shady and trying to adapt that survivor game
to the challenge. And I finally felt like I've found my groove this season, and I was rewarded with getting to the final and you know, fully winning it all. So I was just so truly, so grateful of the overall experience of forty and just to be honored to be one of the few people chosen on here four.
I'm so grateful for fans who want to keep up with you off the show and what you're doing.
Where can they find you on social.
I am miss underscore fit. It's a lot of Dog and Devin content, so I don't have a lot of my going on right now. H Yeah, that's about it. My Twitter got hacked, so that shit's deleted, and what a blessing. I encourage you all to delete your twitters and that's.
It amazing, Thank you so much. Yes, we appreciate it. We do.
We've been waiting to talk to you because you've been playing the mess out this season, so we're really really proud of you.
Yeah.
Thanks guys. This has been so fun and I am consistently bringing the mess so.
But in a good way, a good way or worse.
There is one thing you can always count on, and that is mess. Show was so uh that was so good.
Yes.
I love talking with Michelle. I love seeing the evolution of her in this game.
And I'm not.
Gonna lie as much as I you know, had feelings about people from other shows coming to the challenge and doing.
Well, I do. I just I love Michelle and like I'm rooting for her.
I mean, granted, I'm rooting for like pretty much everyone in the season forty cap finals because they're all seriously it's they're all amazing.
I feel like you can't go wrong with any of them. But like, I'm rooting for Michelle too because I love Michelle. What do you think, day I agree with that.
I love how you said about people from other shows and only mention Michelle. I'm going to put a note in that.
You know, because you said you're not coming back. We're still working on it. I've been ntal times already. I think that's enough.
If you do, if you do a fifth, I'll do a third.
Wow, let's move on quickly.
If you guys want to pressure Day and then coming back to the challenge, you don't know your voices can be heard Day. Where can they find you on social Where can they slide in those dms?
Yeah, don't unless you want to talk about the podcast. Okay, that's the only do that message me about going on the challenge. I'm not there, Okay, I will get her down. I love y'all so much. But you can find me on the social media at devon Diane underscore, Where can the people find you?
Devinsimone dot com.
They can find me at devinsimone dot com said with the wismother and I. You also can find me on the Today's Show. We're doing a little series I think with Hoda and Jenna coming up. And then you can also find me on Instagram and the Tickety Talk until January, I guess, I don't know, uh.
And snapchat you anyway.
It's all Devin Simone, all Devin with the Wisesmother and I OWE and Amazon Lives.
Of course.
We have so much fun over there, and I love the shout out challenge fans. Thank you guys for joining us for another episode of MTV's official Challenge podcast. Tell all your fellow Challenge fans to listen and make sure to leave us a five star review on Apple and Spotify, And of.
Course, you can join us Thursdays to hear brand new episodes of MTV's Official Challenge Podcast.
Available wherever you get your podcast.
Show me the Way to Go Home.
No ma'am, No ma'am, No ma'am.
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