Hey friends, I'm Devin Simone and I'm Tory Deal and this is MTV's official Challenge podcast and we have.
An extra special long interview with our Challenge USA two winners, Dunta du Da. Okay, so we want to get right into that ACE app So we're gonna just do a quick dive into our gold Star and Timeouts tour. Let's start with you, man, who would you say is your gold star? Let's do the episode and then do have the season. Cool?
Okay, Okay, gold star? Yeah, gold star of the episode.
O God, I'm gonna give it to Corey Okay, because he came back from what looked like to be absolute destruction. Like it looked like he was not coming back from that five minute like deficit.
I thought he was toast so to even come in second place. And also we haven't had him on the podcast. So let's show Corey a little love right now. I'm going Corey give him my star for the episode what about You?
My star for the episode is actually TJ. And it's not his wardrobe, his support and energy the way you see TJ. People don't know this, but a lot of times I feel like in previous years, TJ really is supportive of the cast. He can be hard on us, but he's also like really rooting for you. But you don't get to see that all the time on the show just because there's only so many minutes in an episode.
But seeing him really cheer on and almost like giddy, like giddy TJ when Chris crossed the finish line and he's so excited about Daisy's winning, just everyone finishing is really beautiful to see because TJ is the dad, he's the dad for us all and the challenge and just making him proud and seeing him happy and really rooting for you, I think it's just super magical. And again, TJ's always so chill and cool, so seeing him like a giddy school boy is just great. So TJ is
my gold star of the episode what about You? For time Out of the episode?
Time Out goes to FeSi because he knew he missed that yax and he decided to just try to hide it. Yeah, if production doesn't have a thousand cameras on us, so listen. I think he had a great season all around, and I don't want to take anything away from him as a challenger, but on that moment right there, like the phrase if you're not cheating, you're not trying.
It did not pay off. Yes, it doesn't work in this game. Usually. I'm gonna have to agree with you on that timeout. Initially I was gonna say I had no timeouts, but actually I forgot about that one thousand percent right, He's definitely the timeout. Who I'll tell you my gold star of the season. My gold star of the season, actually, okay, is the entire cast. And this is why I think this. I said it from the beginning. I started feeling it early on. I say it to
everyone I meet out in like the real worlds now. Still, this is one of the best seasons. I think it was such a balanced cast. My emotions were everywhere the whole time. You guys really did a number on me. But because there are moments where it seemed like the bets were all going to be wiped out. There are moments where it seemed like the rookies were they're gonna be the ones you liked, We're gonna be wiped out. It's just every It was balanced. It was great. It
was smart gameplay. It was so good you couldn't easily predict or at least I couldn't who was going to make it to the end, and I really love that everyone gave it there all. There was some unnecessary screaming in the early episodes, but they got eliminated soon. But other than that, I feel like it was a really amazing season. So gold Star to the entire cast. What about you?
Yes, I think I'm going to give out a more specific gold Star, and I want to give it to two people who didn't actually get the chance to win. On the female side, I think Chanelle and Mikayla, also Desi as well, but she gets the whole truck. Yeah, so like we'll save the trophy for Desi. But also Mikayla and Chanell really absolutely dominated, and especially Mikayla for
leaving after the first elimination on her first season. For her to go all the way to the final like that is incredible and she really got to show how good of an athlete she is and how strong she is, And so I got to give it to Chanelle and Michaela and Howers.
Mikayla is through fear, right, I mean we saw she was paralyzed with fear and yet utilize that somehow to come out on top. That's really amazing. This was sort of a comeback story for both her and DESI really and an Encore. They're both queen of the Encores. Who's your time out of the season?
Oh god, this is tricky.
I don't know.
Do you know yours? I actually don't think there really is.
One, Like I feel like it was a good of anything. Actually, I would say, I want to see more behind the scenes. I want to see shit they should have shown. I want to see I want to see these funny moments. I want to see, you know, the story behind the scenes, stories like I love having everyone come on the podcast and having you like spill some of the tea. But I know there's more behind that and fun behind that, and so that's my time out. I want to make that happen. We want more, we want more.
Yes, And also, can we touch on your predictions from last week's episode, because you were fifty percent right?
I was.
That's pretty good.
That's kind of like what happens when I play the lottery. I win, but I win to go. I want to get all the numbers. But yes, I'm so excited for both winners. I think both well deserved. I honestly think everybody who made it to the final I was rooting for in some way or the other. DESI I don't know, just I she pulled on my heart strings with USA one. Like I said, I really did believe that she would
have been the winner. Not to take anything away from Sarah, but I certainly think it would have been neck and neck if she had been able to go further if it weren't for her partner. So seeing her and I know that affected her so much, and so seeing her come out on top, like my heart was just with it. I also felt like she played a pretty straight game from like a humble perspective the whole time, like she didn't really get into much, and so it was just
beautiful seeing her make it to that point. And then Chris, I mean, say what you want to say, like it was deserved because Chris took out half the cast, so at that point, damn, he should win. I'm very proud of Chris, and I definitely think he deserved to win.
I think so too.
Yeah, I'm excited to hear what they have to say because it was awesome to watch them in person. I didn't get to see the last leg of the final, but now I get to hear about it from them, So I say, we have them on and we just let them tell us.
How it went.
Ooh, and you guys, trust me, are not gonna want to miss this. There is all sorts of stuff there is. I mean, I know that, like Drake just came out with an album, but there's a song you're not gonna want to miss here, some behind the scenes, a lot of good stuff, and we really get to hear the stories from the winners of how they were feeling, how this journey was for them, and what it really meant to them. So if you're a Challenge fan at all, which of course you are because you're here, you are
not going to want to miss this interview. So stay tuned because coming right up, we have our challenge USAY Season two winners.
Woo.
We'll be right back after this. All right, everyone, please welcome your challenge USAY two champions, Chris Underwood and Daisy Williams. Yes, yo, guys, Oh my gosh, that was beautiful. Just hold on, it was beautiful. Good job games, well played, amazing. You both overcame so much. Did you realistically did you think you'd get here? Like, did you think that you'd make it to this point in this particular season as the champions.
I mean, I think we both came in hopeful.
I think a lot that was behind the scenes, and you can like tell me if I'm over sharing Chris, But Chris and I were kind of working together undercover from the very beginning of this game, Like as soon as we got to Croatia, we were like, the two of us can ride this thing all the way out. Let's have a secret alliance that nobody really knows about.
Wait. Wait, did you guys know each other before that? Like, were you close before this at all?
No?
We never We never met.
Now, so what what inspired this? Why did you two decide to link up so early in the game?
I personally, for me, I think that from watching the first season of the Challenge, I just I knew that Desie was a badass and if I could link arms up with her, it would be it would be in my favor. We come from Survivor. We you know, we
connected right off the bat. We had really good energy and you know from the from the get I and I kind of always had said this, there was there's really a couple of people that I in the beginning of the game as you're developing relationships, wanted to look out for as best as I could, And it was Desi, it was Michelle, and then it was Tory for for the a lot of the beginning of that game. And so I just I didn't have any necessarily going into
the game. Uh, I'm going to go be survivors strong, going to be like this other you know, I'm gonna go play with the vets I did. I was playing the middle game like I was. But yeah, one of them.
You hit it pretty well at times.
A very debatable toy.
Did you know Chris and Desi had this sort of underlying alliance.
Well, just to speak to what Chris was saying, in the very beginning of the game, we were on Blue Team together and he was trying to create an alliance between myself and Desi and Michaela and there was there's there was conversations with us trying to make that happen. It took a few battles for it to finally get there,
but I did know that they were working together. But then also once that the game shifted and everyone kind of turned their back on Chris, Desi was the person who was finally like, actually, I am going to look out for Chris.
So looking at it now.
In hindsight, you can you can see what they're talking about. I just yeah, I don't think it was that obvious in the house though.
Yeah.
I mean, and that was all done purposefully because I had everybody else was like, Chris is sketched, and I was like, yeah, Chris is totally sketched.
Yes, Chris, but I'm not going to vote for him, right, Yeah.
So yeah, that was exacinitely something that I think we were hopeful that we could pull it out together. And we have a mutual friend. So I think going into the game, our mutual friend was like, Chris is a good guy. Like, don't listen to what everybody says about him, Like, Chris is a good guy. So I kind of, you know, trusted that friends judgment. I was like, I want to work with Chris. As he got further into the game, nep.
Friend DESI like, it's code you keep saying this friend that that mutual friend, who's the mutual his Bryce.
We'll give him a shout out. Bryce Isaiah isa Sis your wife you.
Know from the Purple Pants podcast.
Are you guys going to take Bryce to dinner or have you your he's.
Your mutual friend and I've seen Bryce since we've talked on the phone a toime. I haven't seen him yet, but he should be in LA in December.
I have to go to a dinner happen.
What did it feel like when you guys like finally, like that was a rough day the last elimination, Chris, you locked it in and DESSI you didn't have to go into the last elimination, but when you finally found out you were going back to the final DOSSI, what was it like for you to turn? And then Chris, what was it like for you to know that you were making it there after the ridiculous season you had to go through.
I guess Dasi will start with you.
Okay, yeah, I have.
I have the worst case of imposter syndrome, and I mean you see it throughout this entire season.
I'm just like, I'm here, but do I deserve to be here? I won? But do I deserve to win?
Like?
I don't know what in my.
Past has created that for me, but I think that was just another realization that I deserve to be there, like the first time, like it could have happened by chance. It could have been luck, but for it to happen two seasons in a row, it felt like I was where I was supposed to be. And I even went back and forth about whether or not to even do this season based upon Season one.
So it was it was a really true confirmation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
It was like, even though you crushed it so much in season one, challenge you to say season one, I mean, anyone looking at you, you you crushed it so much, and we're such a fighter, and obviously you can't control who you get partnered with all the time. That's kind of part of the game. You were doubting your ability or your desire to come back exactly.
Because you haven't made the challenge before.
I know, but that's the thing, is like you weren't the weaker one of the do You didn't quit, you didn't give up, and you made it so far. And I said last season or on season one of USA, that I thought that if you had made it, that there was a good chance you would have won. So to hear that you didn't jump at this sort of knowing already, I feel like you had an advantage in the sense you had a test run of just your
prowess and how strong you are. It's interesting to hear sort of the humility and maybe the lack of awareness, and I say this with kindness of just how talented you are and that you were potentially not even going to come on this season.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I appreciate you saying that, But I think there's also the flip side of that, where it's like, when you do so well your first season, then people expect you to always perform that well.
I had two finals and two seasons. I get it.
So then it's like, but if I don't make it to the final, and then everybody's like, see that you shouldn't have been there, you.
I mean, if you read the comments the fans can come up with, never anything.
Actually taught me that.
Ye. It's just brutal.
It's a brutal place to exist, and it doesn't belong in your mental matrix, you know, amen.
Chris, did you ever suffer from that at all where you felt like, I mean, we definitely saw your struggle and yours was a little different, it seemed because people turned on you right like people were coming at you I love in this episode when they show the montage and you say, you know, when you're trying to figure out the order of who got eliminated, and you're like, oh, well, you know, I can remember I got the ones unlock
of the ones I sent home. And then it's this montage of just these heavy hitters that are like, Chris eliminated them, Chris eliminated them, like all these people that you went through, which is just seriously, like, you should just take that clip and put it on your social media. That and of itself like speaks volumes forever. But did you ever have a moment of imposter syndrome or feeling like, you know, yeah, I look strong, Yes I'm doing all
these eliminations, But or were you? Were you more like was your struggle something all together different?
That's a great question. I think I just from the very beginning, I wanted to prove that I was a strong challenger. I was a strong competitor. Coming off of my Survivor's season was difficult, and I had to navigate that in my own way because I just I did feel very undeserving after that win. Coming into this season, I was trying to be my most authentic self as best I could. You know, obviously this is a game
of politicking, but I didn't hold anything back. And then as the season went on, it just got so it was really an emotionally taxing stethen. For me, it was really really hard because I did feel like my back was against the wall for so many days and then I mean, you just you're living in that like what the hell am I doing? Like what is this even worth it? And I was just going back It's like is this even worth it?
Like?
You know what I remembered though, is when I went out the season, all I wanted to do from the very beginning was like I just want to make it worth it. Every single experience, everything, opportunity, you know, all of this. I want to make it worth it because I'm leaving a lot to be here. I'm leaving a business. I'm leaving you know, as a father, as a husband,
is a lot of people who depend on me. It's just like every single day I made that decisions like no matter what, no matter how far I get, I'm going to give it every single bounce of energy, like I'm not coming back, Like this is my one and only season and I'm not coming back. So I'm going to make every single second worth it, and I'm going to I'm going to die out there, like I'm going to give it everything.
Is this your retirement season?
Yes? Say are you?
Are you now? Yeah? Who knows? There's so many Yeah, I'm sure down the road, you know, you may see me again. But it's just it's got to be calculated because I am you know, I do have so much going on back home. But I just played every day. I was like this is I'm playing like I'm not coming back. And and that's the thing of the challenge.
I think some people play like they're coming back, So you make strategies like you're coming back, and you make you know, you know, you make decisions based on who am I going to piss off or not piss off because I may see them two or five or next season. Like I just played like I'm not coming back, So I'm going to give it.
Why you were like if y'all in some of those episodes basically and not caring about it because you're like, I'm not coming back, so you can kick rocks? Is that you?
Yeah? Yeah? Yeah good? I mean whether that's a good a smart move or not a smart movie. Well, w I won, Yeah, I won. I just I needed to. I needed to tap into like my inner war year and I think I did that.
And Chris, you kind of went by like a landslide. I think you tell us, like, how how long were you at the top of the mountain before anybody else showed up?
It was you were there for a minute. I was.
I was there for a good twenty to thirty minutes. I made it my I wanted to crush their souls. I knew that I was ahead, and I, in spite of being pretty far ahead, I just put it. I have pictured bananas. I pictured the back the back of Banana's head one hundred yards in front of me the entire time.
So I was.
Chasing a may believe version of Corey and Bananas and Bessie in front of me by one hundred yards the entire race.
Amazing funny story after we after you know, I get purged on the axe driving around and we get back to the hotel where production holds us, and like the day goes by, and like we get a little information that possibly you won, but only because one of the camera operators was saying that the camera.
Guy following you.
Chris couldn't keep up because that's how fast you were pushing. And that says a lot because these camera operators are so talented.
They literally do the team.
Yeah, they do insane tracks and for you to be out running them, obviously they have a massive camera on them, but still like that just.
Goes I the rock the camera. I'm like, come on, cameraman, you gotta keep up.
Let's go, Let's go.
I'm like motivating the cameraman while I'm running up this mountain.
I love that, Chris, you mentioned throughout the season sort of and even when you first got on this interview about there being questions around whether or not you deserve to win survivor right, are you feeling maybe like others didn't think that you necessarily deserved to win and you really wanted to prove that you deserve to be here
and you deserve to win. How did you watching this episode and during the competition, seeing FESSI say in his talking head interview that Chris is proving himself time and time again and that you were, you know, the person he was concerned, like most concerned about. And then how did it feel hearing tjsay when you won. You deserve that, Like, what were those moments like for you?
They were? They really were priceless. The one thing I just one thing I love about FESSI is he's just one of those guys where like game respects game, and he knew that I was. My back was against the wall the entire time. And despite us having you know, this this front of an alliance, because I was, you know, I'm a rookie at it, I didn't go back and watch every single episode of the challenge before going out there.
And that was a huge blunder of mine, thinking that I could you know, infiltrate this this that alliance and kind of behind the scenes. That's something that I talked about a lot towards the end game. But as I continued to push myself and win elimination after elimination and then the last two individual challenge wins, to hear people like Bananas be like, dude, you're you're in uncharted territory, like this isn't this isn't normal, and you're you're doing
something special. And to hear FESTI like, dude, I threw you in time and time again, and you showed you showed me up and and respect and props to you, like you know, competitor to competitor, and then TJ in one of the eliminations, was like, Chris, you either have to win or you're going in. You win or go in and in referring to the arena, Yeah, at the end of the game. And that was just like that was my mindset in those last two individual Challenge wins.
So when I got to the top and TJ gives me this massive plug and he's like smiling ear to ear and like you're a real and teach this is this is special. This is like a special moment.
Yeah, it was absolutely beautiful. There's so so many questions about this whole thing, Tori, I have I have to ask you, how does it feel like my mouth dropped open when I saw TJ's little scribbled ask note that was like by the the game. How were you expecting that at all? Like what what was that feeling of going so hard getting there and then there just being a note kind of like, yeah.
This is my sixth final, and so you kind of know that every final is a little different, and I knew this one I was going.
Up against like some heavy hitters.
I mean literally Desi, Mikayla, and Chanelle dominated this whole season, so I think, you know, one little mistake of not hitting the acts and realizing that I had an extra mile tacked on to my trek. I knew at that point in less unless Chanelle missed it, because I saw a Desie makers, then I was toast.
So it was really.
About about It was a long run of me accepting it, which is why by the time I read the note, I was like, okay, like I'm either going to be upset right now where I'm going to be like very impressed with the women who and men who dominated this game. And I also like, unlike Chris, I've been playing so many seasons back to back, I can truly appreciate the storylines that get fulfilled over the course of the season.
So when you see Desi's coming from last season getting eliminated and then you see a storyline like Chris, it's like, I have so much respect and love for this game. I have that I love watching people experience what I had just experienced when they finally get that win. So it was really a mix of okay, like this one wasn't for me, and then a lot more of like wow, like history is about to be made for these two
people and they should be so proud. And yeah, now I'm just working on my ax throwing, so no big deal, Okay, like it's totally fine, but ultimately, like watching it back, I'm like, wow, I was shocked with DESI obviously Chrissy as well, but Dezi, you're before too.
Every single checkpoint.
Like the ability to lock in like that and to not be flustered, to read something calmly and then to execute like that is something that does you cannot teach somebody.
You have to have that.
So what was it like running in the final knowing? Especially because we started this day and MICHAELA and.
I were in the front right for maybe only a.
Little bit, like tiny, tiny bit, but like you still have that mindset of like okay, I have to catch up now, or so how did you walk up to each station with calmness?
Like what happens in your brain?
I'm really big on affirmations like huge one, I shouldn't say I haven't always been that way. Season one I was not, and so I was always flustered, Like mentally I never showed it, but always flustered, always stressed, always super anxious. So I knew if I was going to come back and play this game again, that I needed to figure out a way to get my emotions under control. So I just had a mantra of positive affirmations on repeat in my head, like that entire ten miles the same affirmations.
I didn't.
I said them to myself at least ten times a day every day we were in the house, and then that entire ten mile journey.
Can we get a sample?
Where's my little notebook? I think the other I think it's in the other room. But it's just like I deserve to be here. I am the strongest woman here. If it can be done, I can do it. There were seven of them, but just along along those lines, like yeah, just along those lines. So that's essentially what was running through my head is like I deserve to be here, I can do it. If it can be done, like why not me? And so that's just what was
on repeat in my head. And so I don't know how I got the axe throw the first like literally the first ax I picked up.
I've never touched an X my life. I threw it it stuck.
I was like, oh shit, that the affirmations through the ax.
Took the wheel.
They're like through me truly, she channeled, I've never I've never been so deep into affirmations until like prepping for this season. That's what I did more than anything to prep for the season was affirmations. And it made a world of a difference because I'm afraid of heights. Really, yeah, littles, and yeah, I'm afraid of heights. I don't really like to be in open water. I don't mind it so much.
But so there were there were a lot of moments where last season, like I would have like, there were moments where I was shaking from terror, and this season, I was just like, stay calm, you got this. God wouldn't put you here if you weren't supposed to be here. Yes, girl, that's so gracefully. That was kind of gracefully what got me through?
What did you guys think, Because another twist that we saw in this final that I thought was pretty cool was the double down rule. Right when you first were made aware when TJ and his tangerine colored shirt first said you know, hey, you have an opportunity to get a lead by doubling down. Immediate thought, let's start with you, Chris, like, what's your immediate thought when you hear.
That I My plan was to when I heard that, I had played a risky game from from day one, so I knew I was going to position myself to to the best of my abilities to double down on the spelling. I was like, I'm probably not going to finish an eating challenge. First, puzzles aren't necessarily my strong suit. I'm definitely probably not gonna win the strength challenge. Some gonna do spelling. But hearing that I had, I took. I had taken a lot of chances and made a
lot of risky moves leading up to that point. So another risky move for me is like, oh, this is you just you got you just yeah, you gotta do it. Is just just figure out which one that you're you know, is your strongest, you know, strong suit, and run with it. I didn't realize how I really watched spelling.
You guys know how to spell vengeance.
I can't say because I got I got it wrong, but I spelled it closer. It looks closer like vengeance than Corey's spelling. I was shocked when I won this with the strength. I really was that to me, was a huge confidence booster because going up against Fessi and Corey and even afterwards, Fest was like, let me feel those boxes and he like picked them up. He was like, all right, it's not that big of a difference. I was like, cool, good, good to know because it was
based on the body weight. So, you know, just having that first win just put me in a good mental headspace, you know, for the rest of the final.
Yeah, what about you, Desi, when you first heard it, were you excited about that sort of twist or were you like I would.
Say, I'm the opposite of Chris, where I am not a risk taker.
I don't like taking risks, and so I went back and forth in my head like am I going to double down? And I'm not going to double down. I talked to Chanelle about it. I was like, should I double down? She was like, I don't know, it's.
Kind of risky.
And then the moment I was like, I can spell pretty well, so let me just give it a shot, and I knew there was a chance i'd come and last for one of the other ones. I'm like, is that the order we did him? Did we do the puzzle before the strength?
Yeah? And then it was the spelling and then yeah, so yeah, I.
Was just like, I've come this far in this game. God's looked out from me as far, like the universe is on my side. If I'm feeling it in my gut, I'm just gonna double them hopeful.
A lot of trust, a lot of trust.
I love it.
Yeah, what about you, Tory Elizabeth Ann I'm a loser.
No, obviously, I'm not a risk taker either.
But once it got over to the skills, I think it was that's when I was like, let me double down because it's it's now an act of desperation, and thankfully it worked.
So yeah, and then you crushed the eating challenge, which but do we need to talk about your eating habits because we can do none of that looked good, toy, and uh, you really did eat that like you had just been taken on a five star date and shout out to TJ describing it like it was a Michelin restaurant with drizzle like that, look Nasty's health? Was that traumatic for each of you?
Tori?
I want to start with you, but what I know, you're dad ketchup and cheese, But seriously, how did you not throw it now.
That was like a serious thing, Like, I really my standards for food are really low.
I'm not kidding. Obviously, I eat vegan.
Once I found out it was vegan, it was a no brainer for me, Like, and I've done so many eating challenges on the challenge, this truly truly felt like a delicacy in comparison to some of the things that I've had. That's fair, so I think just knowing that, again, it's an experienced thing. But also like I was pretty shocked by how many people were throwing up because I really didn't think it.
Was that bad.
Note to anyone, don't eat it Tori's house.
Well, I will say that I feel like I saw you eat quite a few things like well in the house where I was.
Like what is she?
So I was second that Tori does not have high standing when it comes to food. She's like it's edible, it's vegan, all right, taste great, like yeah, or even like when we yeah, yeah, toy will eat anything.
The process tofu Strips says, came out breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and toris just like, oh this is my food, like yeah bad.
I'm like, this is actually disgusting.
Yeah, standards are low.
Yeah, I want to talk about Tori's little uh smoothie goateea.
I think that for me was the thank you so much.
Thank the handlebar so good.
Yeah, it was so like perfectly symmetrical.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm still looking for a boyfriend. So if anybody found that attracted an idea, thank you.
Be careful what you wish for. All Right, we've got to take a break, y'all already know, but we will be right back after this.
I think that we can all agree that the next morning, it was kind of waking up in that tent being like, okay, like today's the day, Like we all looked around.
We knew one of us was getting eliminated at that first station. We knew two of us were going to win.
And I mean, I just want to know what was going through your guys' heads, Like were you nervous going into the second day, especially knowing that actually no, you had advantages technically, so like what was going through your head?
I guess Chris will start with you.
I there's it's there's no other way to say that. I just I literally locked in. I mean I had I had tunnel vision on my goal and my goal was not only to win, but to dominate. And just like DESI I had. It's it's amazing the power of positive self talk. I mean it's it's unbelievable. And so my my mantra the entire time was like, you're an effing winner, You're an efing badass. You can go do hard things. You got this. And I was like, dude, I was cursing up a storm, like I was like
screaming to myself. They were like, like, dude, your psycho. I mean, I was, you know, talking to myself, you know, hyping myself up, yelling like I'm gonna take you down, bananas, like the whole way up. You know. It was I was, I was. I was in like savage warrior mode. It was. It was weird, but it was a culmination of all of my struggles to the seasons, like I'm not gonna that.
None of that wasn't in vain. None of that was done in vain, And this is my opportunity to really prove to myself that I can I can do incredibly hard things and come out on top.
With that said, Chris, looking back now where you are, would you change all the challenge, Like the I mean pun intended sort of the daily challenges you had to go through to get to this point. Because of those in the final arguably you had it the hardest or were one of one of the ones who you had
it the hardest. As an individual, I do think the Vets had it very hard in the beginning because you guys did such a great job as rookies of like putting the Vets on their back heels for the first few episodes, and it felt like it was an uphill battle for them. But ultimately, as an individual, I think Chris, you and Cassidy probably had it the hardest in terms
of the fight you had to do. Would you go back and change any of that now and just make it easier or do you feel like the win is that much sweeter because you had to go in and keep proving yourself into out competitors.
Yeah, I mean, the the the win was so was so sweet after that those struggles, and I feel like, I, you know, I feel like I proved myself. I feel like I, you know, I did what I needed to do with my back against the wall to come out on top. Now, from a you know, a gameplay, a strategy standpoint. I there there's a couple points in the game,
you know, looking back right, there were blenders. You know, when you're like when you're playing chess, you make a bad move, there's like there's bad moves, and then there's blenders. There's like game ending moves. And the first one was assuming that the Vets and that alliance, which behind the scenes, I did talk a lot about this Vet Alliance that was just an impenetrable wall, Like, you know, I thought
that I could play them. I thought I could play the middle with people on both sides, and you know, when it came down to it, I was going to protect on the girl's side, Desi, Tory, and Michelle, and then on the guy side Josh, which this was never showed, but Josh was my number one guy, and I was rooming with with with fest and with Corey, even Sebastian,
we're we're we're bros, like we're friends. But from a strategic game, plays like this is not his It is not going to get me farther in the game to a line closely strategically with Sebastian like he was yeah, like he was up to hug that with Tory, like if I go super toast on him. There's only two Survivor guys, there's five Survivor girls. Like, if it gets down to it, we're gonna eventually go in at each other.
And you know, even with with Toy, when when Torri and fest nominated me the first time, that's where my game shifted and I was a mess. I mean, Torri and Desie could admit I was a mess. I mean it was. It was. It was a you know, a tough one for me and I spiral to definitely spiral.
We saw it.
I was bad, and it was because I just felt like I was. I just felt like I was wrong because I was playing a game a lot like Michelle,
where you know, there was alliances on both sides. I was, you know, not not aware of, you know, the reality situations like if I would have gone back probably teaming up with you know, Mikayla and Desi and you know Monty and Tyler and Lewis from the very beginning would have been a better strategic game than trying to play a middle game like Michelle, but not have several seasons before me different.
Right, right, It's a delicate role, which is the difference.
So anytime. If it's me or Michelle on the chopping box, I'm going to go in. If it's Josh me on the topic, I'm going to go in.
It was like you submitted an application to an employer, but with no experience, you know.
What I mean, where Michelle was like, I have years of experiences.
And so it's not anything you can do about it. It's just truly the experience and the relationships built over the year. Like if we go back in next time, you're going to tell me that some new rookie isn't gonna come in a girl and she's gonna ask to work with you, Chris, and you're not gonna have Desi's back over.
Yeah, Like, it's just the way it goes. The way that it goes, it's the way that it goes in the in the challenge. And so then the second thing was that was part one. The second section of that downfall was really I because I was playing in the middle. It's either it's gonna work really well or it's gonna work terribly. And that was like, yeah, that was how kind of Michelle's in happened. And I was mad because the night at the bar, whenever I got that nomination.
Sebastian was pitching Cory, and I was like, this is a this is an attack, Like I didn't see that one coming. And then I asked, if anything that Michelle would just you know, put in make it a girl's stay, and like it just it wasn't in her best interest to do that, and I felt hurt by that. So then I was like, Cassidy, you've got you have two options to Probably they're gonna want to get Survivors out. You're probably you're not gonna have a good chance at
beating Tory in an elimination round. And it was and it happened. Yeah, but I mean even toy I told Tory multiple times like, hey, I'm voting for you because I'm not going to put in a Survivor girl, but I actually truly believe you're gonna win because you're so good at this and you're a badass. And I told her that ahead. I was like, I'm voting for you, and I'm so sorry, but I am actually confident you're gonna win. So but then at the end of the day,
it was always me. It's so funny though, because she was like, yep, good luck. And then it was all and I didn't see it coming. So that was just another you know, strategic mistake on my end. And I was like, you know what, I ain't got nothing but to just hear my stripes in these challenges and this emlanation because I got I got nobody, I mean other than DESI at the very end, after Michelle kind of had that, they had that falling out.
So I remember us having one conversation and this is where I think, like, you were like, it's just so weird to me because everybody else is lying and I haven't lied to anybody. I just haven't told the whole truth. And I was like, Chris, do you not understand that that's the same.
Thing as lying.
Yeah.
So it wasn't so much like we wanted to trust you, but it was like he's very clearly lying.
Yeah.
You definitely got messy in there for a while. I like, there was moments it was it was hard to root for you, bruh, because it got messy. Doi Chris speaks about feeling like he was kind of on an island at a certain point, sometimes by his own actions. Chris, but that towards the end of the game he felt that way whereas you came in with this band of rookie women sort of and you guys seem to hit it off from the jump. I started referring to you all as Destney's child and have all the way through.
And you make it to the final with that group, which we don't see often, particularly when it is a team of rookies, right, Like that were so tight from the jump. How did it feel going into that final? Like, what were the conversations had in the travel period that we don't get to see on the show, the behind the scenes realizing that you this sort of sisterhood has made it to the final and where does your relationship with the girls stand now?
Yeah?
Yeah, So I do want to say I did not come into this game like I'm going to work with Chanell.
I'm gonna work with Mikayla. I had never had a conversation.
Now, I've met Chanel, but I knew Shechanelle was like really close with Tiffany, she was really goes close with the.
Like the Big Brother girls.
I did not think I was going to be able to work with her in his game. I had never met the Kayla before, and I think we sort of felt ostracized from like it became clear that Michelle was like doing some weird stuff. Like we wanted to be survivor strong. Michelle was doing weird stuff, Chris was doing weird stuff. Sevastian was doing fun stuff, just doing yeah, doing also weird different stuff, and Cassy was just like playing a bad social game. And so we kind of
got forced to work together and get really close. Even through like when Tiffany was still there, she was doing weird stuff, so we were like, she's in our room, Well, we can't really trust her. So we kind of just were forced to work together. And once we were forced to work together, we were like, we have to stay committed to this because.
Everybody's gonna have it out for us obviously.
But when the like when we all made it to the final, and I will say even like touring, I think she became a part of our alliance towards the end and there was a stronger alliance, And I kept trying to tell.
Michelle, like, how's it feel to be in the stronger alliance?
Michelle, because she's you know, sort of in it, like because she was so well protected in the house. But I think when the four of us like we had that conversation that we could be the four at the end and we'll just duke it out when we get there. I think to actually have said that and have it come true was like, yeah, that was crazy shit, Like, yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy.
Affirmation again this.
Yeah, this season was a lesson for me in that and more than one way. And how much self talk can just the way you know, the way you speak, can control the outcome.
Told you, But Chanelle said that she affirmed that she would be on the challenge like before she ever got the call. Before anything, she said, I want to do the challenge. I'm going to be on the challenge. She started like training for it and then she got the call. So the power of speaking it into existence. We've talked a bit about blunders for you guys and Tory, I would know this for you too. You all have had impressive moments this season. Was there one game move from
the season that you're most proud of? Let's start with you Desi and then do Tori and Chris. But what like game move all season you're most like, Yes, I owned that.
I would actually say it was the episode where Chris and I won the Daily because I was very torn up over the fact that I had like lied to Tori, I'd stabbed her in the back up or she'd save me. We're talking like episode What's that eleven twelve, Yeah, one of the last episodes where Chris and I won that puzzle challenge and I had a bad like I was crying that all day, just like having a really bad mental health day, feeling like this game was changing my sense of character.
I'm a person who has a lot of integrity.
I felt like like I let this game take my integrity away from me. Like I just felt like a horrible person and I couldn't recognize myself in the game, and it was like I don't even know if I should stay, Like should I go home? Should I even compete? So when Chris and I won that challenge and then, I mean I even said in my confessional, I had an opportunity to write that wrong put Michelle in because Michelle is the one who essentially was lying to everyone
at that point in time. And also just like pay Tory back for the several times and yeah, for the several.
Times she kept me out of the elimination ring.
For me, that was like a perfect episode, like all the survivors kind of worked together to make sure we had the eight puzzle pieces when nobody else had eight puzzle pieces. We Chris and I worked together to like nominate the perfect two people who were the most protected in the game. That was you know, Josh and Michelle were the most protective throughout the entire game, barely got
any balls ever in the hopper. And then for one person who I like truly was ready to go home, to go home, I was just like, this is this is perfect. Everything about this is perfect, And I just.
Want to say thank you DEGI for that because watching it, like we didn't really get to see the full conversation that we had, which I thought was like and how I really felt about it was so beautiful. A lot of people come into this game and don't play with their heart, and of course there's moments where a strategy can take over and it's just all fair in love and war and the challenge, it's just how it goes.
But it does show your character and how good of a person you are and also now a champ, and I do think that there's this karmic aspect of being a challenge champ and That's why it's also beautiful to see both of you two have that title because you see your growth through the entire season and these ups and downs, and you shared it so vulnerably that now it's so easy to root for you guys at the end, it's so easy to celebrate this win with you, Like it feels like a win for the viewers in a sense,
and especially for the people who have seen the journey, you know, firsthand. So I just want to say that that was really beautiful and I appreciate your heart so much because I was really touched by that. You didn't really owe me anything. You know, it's a game, but it showed a lot when you when you did.
That, well, thank you. I mean I felt like I had no choice.
I like could not live with myself that day, which I know that sounds crazy, like it is a game, but to me, it's like also.
A part of part of life. What about you, Chris, what move were you most proud of this season?
I was speaking to that that win with Daisy, I mean, that was such poetic justice for me, and she helped. She was the reason why I won that challenge because she did I mean, they and they showed it. She passed me. It's like, there's three more pieces down that tunnel, and so I was like, okay, So I went down to the bottom one, the second one, and then the one closest to the top, and then just had a
head start over the guys. So once I won that, I was sitting up on top of the castle just watching them walk back and see me sitting on top of my finished puzzle piece, smiling ear to ear, and you know, FESSI throws up right in front of me. I'm like sitting on my castle just and Banana like
this is too perfect. But I would honestly say my my biggest personal victory was the West elimination because I was in such a low point in that game where I was just I like had kind of just let go of control and was like, I'm not gonna fight myself out of this. No one is gonna trust me in this game. I'm going to tell them what I would like to happen, and then I'm just gonna see if it happens. And it again, speaking to the fact that they didn't really show my alliance with Josh, I
just asked him. I was like, if there's anyone to vote for, just please vote with Wes. And to me that was like such a I don't know, it was for his own game. He was doing it for his own reasons, But to me, I was like, at least someone said that they were going to do something, you know, and actually carried out. And to send Wes Holme with only three balls in the hopper and one of them
being mine against Wes, I was so nervous. I hadn't been really been nervous in the eliminations going up to that, but I was so nervous going up against Wes because
he's so good, he's such and he's strong. Like so when we saw this is gonna be a wrestling match in the air and I have a legitimate chance of losing to him, to come out with that win and then everyone in the house will be like, dude, you're like on a heater right now, man, like yeah, listen, yeah, like you got you got Wes out, and uh, you know he's got he's retiring now. It's like, whoa, this is again uncharted territory that I didn't effect for my season.
I just wanted to come into the season and make it worth it and and do everything I could to give it my all, and I was like, damn, all right, it's been worth it, Like I've made the season worth it. That was That was a special for me personally. That was super special.
That was iconic. Let's talk a little bit about this final and just some of the other players, because I'd love to get you guys' take on this quick. What did you guys think about Mikayla's decision to not stay and wake up? Does he's make an I was here to not stay and wait for the rocks, but to just run, Like how long did it even take for you guys to do the like each of you to kind of like do the rock thing. Was it a really long time? It didn't seem like it was that long.
That's what won me the game, if I'm being honest. I mean McKayla and I got to the scales at the same time. We read the thing out loud, and then she paused and she was like, Okay, what do we do now? And I was like, oh, you don't know what to do? So I picked up a rock and started doing it.
You did that, by the way, Yeah, I was like, you don't know what to do?
They said it was first come, first serve, so Garma put a rock in this basket. I was shocked that she decided to continue on because already at that point, I mean, I was dehydro from the day before. My legs were already starting to cramp. So for me, it was like, there's no way I'm running further than I have to run, knowing that we've got ten miles ahead, and we've already been climbing for probably two So anyway, it didn't take that long to do it. It probably fifteen minutes.
I also witnessed Bananas get it wrong. Yes, So for me, once I saw him get it wrong and they're like, oh no, you don't get the shortcut, then I really laser focused in and I was like, there is no way I'm going to screw this thing up.
Yeah, what was your strategy to know that it was balanced? Because Bananas is known as a strategy king, right in general, he's pretty good at things like that, and so for him to do it and be so far off you and you did it and did it kind of the most beautifully I think out of anyone. I mean, they were likely balanced. How did you do that?
I mean I would just put it in, and I would step back affirms I mean affirmation, but also like I would, I did do it very methodically. So whereas people were like looking at the size of rocks, all those rocks were made of different materials. So just because the rock is the same size doesn't mean it weighs the same as the other rock. Like all rocks aren't created the same. Don't you guys remember that from third grade?
Right now?
Listeners, By the way, it's just weird.
To me that, like that's the strategy that people were using. So I just put it in, I take a step back, and like, does that look like it's perfectly balanced? If it didn't, then I would I just would keep going. And after seeing Banana screw it up, I just couldn't screw it up.
So I took as.
Much time as I needed to make sure I got that right, knowing that Michaela's on foot and there was no way I wasn't gonna make up time.
Right on an ATV. The trick is, if you see an ATV.
You don't run away from it, right run you try to work with it.
That is fast, that eliminates a ton of time and is basically effortless, like you have to have that as you know, as as as a rest opportunity.
Yeah, how much how long were you guys running in the at or not running? But like how long was the ATV portion of.
Like twenty minutes?
Maybe yeah, maybe I would say ten, Yeah, between ten and twenty of driving an ATV so max wow, running yeah, that same distance. You know.
It's like, dude, I ran so far. I ran through some guy's backyard. Meanwhile, I have this rock on Okay, so you did too. The guy was outside his house.
I have this.
Golden rock on my shoulder on running through.
He's like, and we're the middle of Croatia, Like there's really nobody here, and all I'm thinking is this is going to be a fairy tale in one hundred years. Like there was a woman running with the golden egg on her shoulder.
Like he had a plow, like he was old. He had like wow, Like we were running through Croatias.
And what was weird?
Like I think, Chrissy, because you were in first you had a cameraman with you the entire time, but for most of that final there were no cameramen around, so it was just me or probably you toy, like alone running through a man's backyard, Like am I going the right way?
Am I not going the right way? Like? Are we supposed to be seeing people?
Yeah?
I actually had somebody running with me, shout out to Val. He had a gimbal in his hand, and we were both like where are we?
Like like he didn't know where we were going either, So I was like, well.
This isn't a great start. So that's obviously when I was starting to accept my fate in the game. But ultimately, you know, at.
Least I'll be in a fairy tale in one hundred years. The girl passed down you can write it actually of Tory somewhere like museum in Croatia, like this girl with the long hair and a golden rock, just running.
All right, guys, we have to take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this.
Who were and this questions for all three of you. Who did you see as your biggest competitors going into the final and did it change at all throughout the final? Chris, let's start with you, but like who going in? So you guys have all made the final. Four guys, four girls, Who do you see as your biggest competition? Initially and then once we got about say halfway through, did that change for you or not?
Yeah, Before before heading into the final, Josh was I would say, for some reason, I just had a feeling like, if this is a long distance kind of endurance run, it's either gonna my biggest competitors either going to be
Bananas or Josh. Fessi and Core really strong. But they they were doing a lot more lifting throughout the season than they were doing you know hit like cardio CrossFit type exercises, where I was doing a lot of those with Josh, and that's probably why people were target like they were like, dude, this guy's actually in pretty good shape, like by the end of it, So Josh and then getting him out or putting him in a position where he was going up against fests in the very end,
partially was for my own you know, hubrist, Like I just wanted them to go at it against each other because they like they had screwed me over. It's like, well, yeah, no shame here. But I would say at that point then after that was Bananas. Bananas was going to be the guy that would have figured out a way to win. But those wrist stations were I mean it was make or break on each one, and they were equalized. They
really were. And if you got it right, like you had a really good shot at pulling ahead from some one who might have gotten it wrong. We saw that with Tory. You know, Tory, you ever want to you know, there are some strategy you know there is.
Like hold it with two hands, like.
It's like smacking sideways like the whole like, oh gosh. So those were some big those wrist stations. We were equalizers, So it was it really would have been. It could have been anyone's game. But for me, I was just in a weird like out of body, like automated. I was. I didn't even consider risk. It's just like I am doing these things. And for me, fortunately they the chips like the stars aligned kind of. It was just a domino effect, like I was Momentum after momentum just kept
me going personally. Once I had the head start, I was like, there is nobody catching me.
Yeah, You're like, I got this, I got this?
What about you?
DESI?
Who was your biggest competition sort of going into the final and then once you know, halfway through or so, did it switch up? Was there someone else you had your eye.
It's going to be an annoying answer, but I truly, because I was asked this before we started the final, who I thought my biggest competition is And I truly thought it was such an even playing field. Not only did we have the four like strongest women left in the game, but probably the four smartest women left in the game. So for me, it was like these all these women are strong, they're really smart, They've got great strategy, they've got a lot of heart. So for me starting
out the final, it truly could have been anyone. I didn't see anybody as having I mean, Tory obviously had won before, so maybe that's a slight advantage. But I truly felt like it was a super even playing field.
And I think we all knew that going into the final, and we all knew that we were taking a risk by bringing the other lady best of women, yeah to the final with this, but then obviously after it started, yeah yeah, I mean once it started, it was me and Mikayla like neck and net, so I knew that Mikayla was my biggest competition. There was a part of me that was like, where is Tory, Like, did we miss something is she Is there a chance she's ahead even with the gold today?
I thought that too until she showed up at the thing. I was like, oh, I forgot about Tori, and I say this is lovingly. I was like, oh, Toy, and then we saw the note and then yeah, yeah, and I said.
Before I thought Toy was gonna, I was like, told, I have a feeling like you or me or both of us are going to be at the top.
You know.
It's like yeah, Then that freaking acts like where's story?
And I never saw anybody else either, Like I never saw once I passed Mikayla, I never saw another woman again.
So I thought Tory was because I never saw Chanel.
What'd you say, I said, subtle flexed.
I mean, I guess yeah.
I didn't imagine like what I.
Mean, But there was always something in the back of my head that was like, what if I'm not in first place?
Because it's not right, it be told it's fair.
I didn't run most of the like I was so gassed. My legs were cramping, like I was very dehydrated. I empty out my my like backpack of water and I shouldn't have so like my legs were cramping, so I was thinking, like maybe somebody else, like, am I going the wrong way? There were just so many things in my head because there was nobody on the path with me. There was not a cameraman, there was not nothing around, so I'm like, I couldn't be going the wrong way.
I'd seen Bessie go the opposite way as me. When he got him, What.
Did you guys? Yes, did you guys think about that? And BESSI going do you think he really did do it on accident or do you think oh explained?
So what when after we had finished and we talked to him, he was like, yeah, my axe like stuck in there, and I thought it stayed and then it fell out, But that never happened, so he knew that it never actually.
Just thought he'd get away with Yeah, he thought he was sly, you know, But I don't blame him because well, I mean, listen, you you.
He already knew he was going to lose, like unless Corey didn't miss.
But like, dude, it like obviously people were making it, so I don't know.
We were out there were the three of us were at that together and we both bananas hit it and I hit it, and I didn't even think that. I I did not look back to check and I think that he's interesting. I was just it was just I was locked into what I was doing every point of the finals, so I didn't realize that fest had missed his He was running up. He was running the shortcut path with us, and like when I look back in the beginning before I pulled ahead, I thought that they
were both on it. But then come to find out that FESTI was slot trying to gamify it a little bit, like Oh, I thought it was supposed to thought it was going to stick. But they made him do the same distance just on the shortcut trail. Is why he had to go back.
He was doing and pulling an Angela allah Usa season one. I'm just trying to trying the game of system and it doesn't quite work like that. But I mean, good on him for taking that risk. All right, I want to know first calls. Okay, first calls, after it's all said and done, who did you call first? As he Let's start with you, who was the first and you got your phone back? Who was the first person you called?
I mean, I'm engaged, so obviously I called my fiance like I couldn't call anybody else, And unfortunately he had already like heard the spoilers, so I didn't really Actually he texted me before I called him because we have to wait and like do our you know, of course, our exit press, our exit interviews all that. So when I got my phone back, like I saw text message from him that he was like I heard the news.
Is it true? Question Mark? And I was like, who's boy?
I know, because I was going to.
Kind of keep it from like we're planning a wedding. He's supposed to pay for it. I was like, I don't know anything.
So who just had a wedding? Let me tell you those suckers.
Yeah, So I was like I would just hide by two hundred and fifty thousand until after the wedding.
But no such luck.
Chris, Who did you call? I'm assuming your wife, but tell us what that call was?
Like, Yeah, I mean I called her and was like, hey, we're you know, we we're at the end. It's like but I don't want to I want to wait till I get home and before I tell you what happened, Like, you know, we had planned a little trip. We were going to go to Greece together. It was it was awesome. We had a great time in Greece after I got after the show ended. But it was funny because she FaceTime me and with a look on her face like
jaw dropped. She was like, Bryce told me something and I was like, oh, Bryan spoiled it for.
Like that, like bry So, now you don't need to take him to dinner. Yeah, that was that neutral.
Yeah, you're like, oh my god, Like I think for what she told me, it's like, oh my god, I'm so sorry. I spoiled it for you. I spoiled it for you. But I thought that. I mean, I wanted to tell her, but but Bryce told my wife before I could.
Brice, we take half of that shout out back earlier. But that is so amazing and so exciting, Dosi, we heard what you're gonna use the money for now? Because you can't keep it a secret, girl, sis, I mean, he is your fiance anyway, You've got to share things. If you get stressed or need any tips, call me. I'm still suffering from the PTSD of planning, but I'm here to help you with that I have. But Chris, what are you gonna you some of that money for so.
We're probably I wanted to build a house. We want to you know, purchase land here in South Carolina and build and so I'm always kind of just like business minded, I guess so, but we want to have you know, we want to have a home. And that still rings true. So it's going to be you know, tucked away and and eventually we're going to purchase some land and you know, build a home.
I love that, and then maybe one day you'll have a girl with a golden rock.
Golden egg.
DESI are you still investing in because you have a medical business, don't you.
Yeah.
I have like a home health agency, and.
That's something that I think that like we don't really get to like hear a lot about too, Like Chris, I love hearing about your business all of our business endeavors because we are challengers.
But like the truth is outside of this, when we're not competing for all of the months.
That we're not, we do have things going on outside. So like, are you investing any of the money into your business?
I mean, like yes and no.
So what it has allowed me to do is I was working in my business and working as the administrator of the company as well, So I was like literally burning the candle at both ends. So what it does allow me to do is like take a step back. I'm not doing this much clinical work and I'm mostly just doing administrative work because now I've got a little will room. So it has allowed me to like breathe a sense of relief and not have to work like sixteen hour days, which is nice.
Yes, that's amazing. What do you guys plan to do after this?
Like?
Are you gonna come back to the challenge? Are you really retiring? Chris Daisy?
Like, I feel like you got more in you.
Are we gonna make it a three pet So I'm not totally against it. I'm open. Let me say I'm open, but I will never say never. Like when I got called for season one, I didn't think like that was shocking to me. I was on Survivor five years before that, So never in a million years that I think I'd play this this game. So I won't say never, but we'll see what the future holds.
You guys should see the smirk she's doing. First of all, her angles are fabulous, but also she definitely has this evil smirk of never say never. But it's very much like, yeah, they're gonna go ass again. Is for those who don't have the visuals, I'm trying to share it, Chris, what about you?
Are you tiring?
I I will say that right now I'm in a just like my heart is full. I'm in a really good place as a as a person outside of reality television, like I'm in a got a beautiful, you know, beautiful family, like I'm you know, I feel that my my work is is meaningful and impactful and and I'm you know, impacting lines outside of the challenge. And you know, I think I get yeah, I mean, and I think I
get a pass every few years. So you know, maybe the time will come where I can step away and I can I can play this you know, incredible game again. But it's it's really cool. I will say, like, it's really cool that I am right now, you know, two for two on me. It's pretty cool.
So I'm to be on a T shirt, a hat, a bumpers or something like anytime anyone gives you trouble, Chris, Just I feel like you don't even have to say anything, Like it's just like a check the record thing, an ultimate eye drop. That's pretty bad.
Yeah, it is to risk, you know, to risk spoiling that.
I like that.
I'm living in that right now. It's it's really awesome and I'm just super proud of myself. So three for three would be would be pretty cool. But right now I'm like, I'm happy take on the.
Goats Man, take on the go go on the next Great British baking show or something really well rounded, well round. You know.
Yeah, I think that if I go I mean, this is just the the mindset that I as a as a competitors that go in as when I've played in sports before, I try so much harder to beat the person that's gotten a lot of credit or is the top dog or like the you know, the best guy
in the league. And so me coming into another season is I'm I might need a little bit of time to maybe people maybe forget some because I just know like when I go back into it, they're gonna be like, oh, Chris thought he was big and bad and he had a great rookie season, Like we're gonna show him, Chris, and they.
Were trying to show you.
So I'm like mentally at a point where if I go back it's a I'd have to completely reset and put myself into like this dark place where I, like, you know, am angry and I want to just like I'm out for blood, because it's just that's how it is. Like I'm either going to have really good alliances and people are gonna want to work with me because I know I'm a strong competitor and you know I.
Might have that this time. I think yourself, so sure, I think that you. I think, look, there's always some hazing of the rookies right there, just is there, just is. So I think a part of that was thrown your way because you're rookie, because you were a survivor winner, and then because you did lie by omission sometimes and some stuff you were saying. But Deasy was waiting for that when she was like like, yeah, yeah, I get to that last part this time. Seeing how much respect
you gain even from your biggest adversaries. I really think that when you come back, if you stick straight forward to whatever it is you say you're going to do, I actually think you'd be able to really rally a solid alliance and team around you. I really do.
Yeah.
But if you try that and it doesn't work.
Keep that I'll talk that one away. I'll tuck that one away.
All right. You guys have been amazing. Congratulations again. It was beautiful seeing you guys win. You both absolutely deserved it and I know that you're going to do such good and I bet you there are so many people who have watched that or are watching it and are inspired by each of you all's journeys and getting there. So thank you for being vulnerable, open, human and kicking ass.
For the win.
So excited for you all. For those who want to continue following along or just be nosy because you know that's how people are sometimes. Where can they find you on social media? Does you start with you?
Yeah?
Please be nosy.
My Instagram is at dozy J Williams, d E s I J Williams And that's probably where I'm most active. I'm happy you too, It's not that exciting. I have a TikTok exciting. So call me on Instagram.
I love that one about you, Chris.
Yeah, you can find me at Chris dot under dot Wood. That's where I'm definitely most active on Instagram. Uh, if you want me to. And this is a you know, selfish plug, but I love inspiring I love motivating part of my business. I talk to sales teams, you know, all of the country and uh so if you you know, you're like, hey, you got a cool story, like would love to you know, have you come work? You're be a part of our organization for an event. So'm I love that type of stuff. So love that.
Yes, get that plug, get busy.
Yeah sure, I mean I also do public speaking. If I mean, I've I've done a lot of things in my lifetime. Obviously I came from pageants. For my entire career was doing public speaking. Yeah, and I'm it's a professor. So also, if you want to book me, give me an email.
I'd be happy to come.
Motivate love And also you're a great beat boxer.
So I'm gonna need we got to finish with this one.
God, yes, we.
Actually need the rap.
I'm good.
Yeah, Chris, Chris was not a fan of the rep.
Wait, Chris, do you not like rap music or do you not like Toris rap music.
Is fair?
Yeah?
I didn't. I didn't like this wrap. It was it was a vulnerable point in the game for me, and I was like, oh, this is a roast wrap.
I don't like you Okay, it came out just as his whole game imploded in front of his face.
Okay, a roast wrap.
It's so good. It's so good.
And for the record, I wasn't even the one who originally did this rap. I just wrote it with Mikayla and actually Alyssa s.
Performed it, which made it.
So wait.
Just try to imagine this and alyssas his voice, yes.
Not Tori being the ghost writer I advocate.
And it was also the timing in the game, Like Chris was pissed about this rap?
Who else did?
He didn't want even want to listen to it, Like he tried to gather everyone for his performance, and there were people who knew that they were about to get roasted.
Who were like, no, don't want to be a part of it.
This is my face shaking my head right now.
Yeah, Chris wants you to know, Chris does not prove this is exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And also you'll know you'll know by what point we were in the game by who's mentioned in the raps exactly.
Okay, all right, all right, does it have a name? Does this song have a name?
It doesn't, it's just the boys distrapped.
The wrap of the season, bananas and pajamas, jumping down the stairs.
He tells a lot of stories, but nobody cares.
Hey, hey, ho.
Then there Scry with his curly hair. Don't let him near your girl. He's got babies everywhere.
Hey oh hey, no.
Now we have Fessel. He thinks that he's a man.
He wants to be a Vet, but he's just a West fan. Hey oh, hey, speaking on West, he's not that bad. His wife is three must pregnant. Are you sure that he's a dad?
Hey? Oh, hey, talking about dads, let's talk about Chris.
You tried to run a boat, but the whole thing wasn't missed. Hey hey, let's talk about Josh. He'd be getting loud, but until you win a daily better sit.
Your eyes down.
Hey oh hey, I'm just making jokes. Don't blame it on me. Y'all need to look at Minty because he sits in winy peace.
Hey.
Hey see that's kind of cute. See that's kind of fine.
Why story his only storyline? Hey? Hey, that was really fun.
Now I gotta go. Wait did I miss a guy?
Oh?
Tyler's on the show.
Hey hey, it was a bird.
It was so good.
It was so good.
It was a.
Bird drop Mike drop, y'all did it you want? Chris? How do you feel about it? Now? Here?
I can laugh about it now. And it might have been like, well, some mother roads were worse than mine. I'll take it.
I mean, Monty's business is now all out there.
That's not true.
For the record, what happened. Let me just give the backstore on that. For two seconds.
We were watching a movie night and the when they turn all the lights off in the house, you can't actually use switches in the bathroom.
So Monty had to pee, but he cracked the door open a.
Little bit, so I didn't know he was in there. And so instead of getting pee all over which I'll give him credit for, he in the dark sat down and he because he didn't want to get pee all over the place.
But I walked in on it.
And so that's that's just a mess, just.
Really.
Yeah, we didn't hate each other.
We had a lot of fun.
Yes, we love, but we love the mess and live for the mess. Hey, so thank you guys.
Looky right now, Chris, Yes, Chris, Yes, the.
Interview that's ass is not going to be out for long. Little c is going to be in his house. Yeah, sure, but when you arrive, I just asked that next time you come with the fake big gold chain, Chris, some sunglasses. Okay, just roll up on day one.
Please don't forget the Nike. Don't forget the Nike.
Boots, the Nike boots, the Corey's chain, Bessie's jacket. Called me. Yeah, I've evolved. The Blue Room has changed me from the inside out.
So much amazing.
You guys are amazing and your Challenge champs, congratulations, love you guys.
Wow.
I mean, like, I know how good it felt to win, but hearing them talk about it and being able to witness that, I think everybody can agree watching this season that those two people deserve to win. Desi and Chris, like without a doubt. So it was just so beautiful and they're so they're so sweet. Yeah, that was so fun. They're so fun. They can come back anytime, anytime.
But in the meantime, while we're waiting for them to come back, if people want to follow you toy on socials or get a copy of that new book of yours, how can they do that? Thank you so much?
Yes, guys, I might be failed a Challenge Finals.
But I'm pretty good at poetry and apparently pretty good at ghostwriting wraps too. So if you want to support my new book, it's called The Soul Spill. It would mean the world to me. You can find it on my Instagram. Just go to at Tory underscore deal and take a.
Look at it.
Let me know what you think. And Devin, where can they follow you? How can they support you? What Amazon clothes should they purchase?
Some of all the details? You guys want to support me? Or if you're single and you want to be matched, because you know I'm a matchmaker and I have had some Challenge fans come on as clients recently, so shout out to you guys. But you can go to my website devinsimone dot com. It's Devin with a Y Simone with an I dot com. At the top you'll see a matchmaking tab. Just click that. If you scroll to
the bottom, you'll see my socials. I'm most active on Amazon, as Tory mentioned for that, you can just google Devin Simone and Amazon and you'll get all the tea in the scoop. And I like to like point out what's on sale, So if you like sales. Definitely hit the follow button for me on Amazon, but also my Instagram is where I'm most active, so that's Devin's own altogether. It's consistent across socials, Twitter, TikTok, you name it, then you can find me there. Yeah, for a grand old.
Time, everybody, go comment Devin some pictures of fuzzy coats and stuff, the things that she likes to sell on Amazon, and let's spam her.
Feed with it. It'll be funny.
And then whoever sends like the most emojis that I see, I'll follow them back. I think it'll just be a really great time to spam Devin's account.
I mean you have finally.
I like that. I mean I say that I like it. Now we will see that will be hilarious, especially for the people who don't know to go in and see a bunch of random spammy And can I just say, by the way, we've heard Toy talk about her book that is available for pre order. But the cover is beautiful. I bet you it's going to be amazing, So make sure you go and check that out as well. You maybe I'll do a giveaway if you guys's book. Wait, Okay, so I think we'll do. We'll do a little giveaway,
so or pre order Tory's book when it's out. We'll figure out how that. Centori and I'll talk about it. But then I'll do a little giveaway on my ig.
So I love that.
Well, I'm not the only one who launched something. Actually, MTV also recently launched a mental health initiative that we're really excited to talk about here on the Challenge podcast. So we're going to share a little bit of info that they sent over to us.
Have you ever had a friend come to you with the problem and felt like you had no idea how to help them? You're definitely not alone. MTV's mental health is Health just did a study and found that while people are most likely to turn to a friend or family member when they're struggling, nearly seventy percent of us don't feel like we know how to help. That's a huge problem, then, isn't it, especially with mental health issues on the rise.
So MTV worked with Active Minds, a leading mental health and nonprofit, and came up with a super simple way to help a friend or a loved one when they need it.
Ask.
It's an acronym that stands for A acknowledge, s support and K keep in touch ask ASK.
Here's how it works. A acknowledged the person's feelings and recognize the courage it took to come to you. S support by asking how you can help by sharing resources for coping methods or assist them in finding professional help, and KA keep in touch to show you really care.
Ask is a valuable tool that can really make a difference in the lives of people you love most. So go to ask to help dot com. That's ask too help dot com to learn more because the best way to help a friend.
Is to ask.
Love it very happy we were able to share that with you guys. Thanks for listening to this entire season. We've had the best time with you tour. I've had the best time with you too. And if you liked this season, I know, and this podcast and this episode, we would really, really, really, really really appreciate it if you would rate and review us on Spotify or Apple
Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure you tell all your friends because they can binge sharing is caring, all right, And we don't believe in overshire? What was our theme? Tory?
Don't Overthink, over Think, overshare that includes this podcast.
Overshare it to everyone you know.
Yes, and the Challenge and the Official Challenge Podcast will be back so soon.
So make sure you stay subscribed and we'll see you back here right after for a brand new episode of MTV's Official Challenge podcast.
Hey Hey, Try