The Challenge is one of the longest-running reality television programs. Thanks to the high-stakes competition and the individuals who battle it out season after season, fans simply can’t get enough of the show. The excitement of The Challenge is the clash of personalities coming together in the pressure cooker. But sometimes, this pressure cooker brings out the worst in individuals, making them straight-up mean.
The Challenge has been an MTV staple since 1998. First meant to give Road Rules and The Real World alum a chance to extend their fifteen minutes of fame, The Challenge has become one of the biggest shows of the genre. With huge personalities tossed in a house where alcohol flows and rivalries form, some individuals have allowed their mean side to show. These are some of the meanest Challengers from The Challenge.
10 Tina Barta
Coming off Road Rules: South Pacific, Tina Barta came in and made a flashy impact. Maybe not in the challenges themselves, but as one of the original mean girls. She was able to form a close bond with Veronica Portillo and Rachel Robinson, among others.
But as soon as the infamous clique was formed, Tina unleashed on many targets. Whether it was tormenting Tonya Cooley or literally sucker-punching Beth Stolarczyk, Tina lived up to her title as a mean girl. Tina was a loud-mouth with a strong opinion. If she didn’t agree with you, she’d let you know. Over time, Tina has simmered and pushed her reputation to the side. See? Mean girls can show growth as well.
9 Frank Sweeney
When Frank Sweeney arrived for his first season of The Challenge, he joined his roommates from The Real World: San Diego. The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons brought four alum from various seasons of The Real World to work as a team in order to win the prize at the end. For Team San Diego, they did end up winning in the end, but the journey to get there was anything but pleasant. Despite having a closeness on their original show, Frank targeted Sam McGinn, especially in the final challenge.
It’s one thing to be competitive with a desire to win. It’s another thing to literally push your teammates and berate them when they’re doing their best. It was not the best first impression upon joining The Challenge. Frank always had a catty demeanor, finding new rivals, like Johnny Bananas, in the process. Additionally, he hit low when he targeted Nany Gonzalez by using his sister’s drug addiction to attack her. It was pretty clear to viewers that Frank was certainly a villain in training.
8 Johnny Bananas
The man stole his partner’s money. Is there anything meaner? Johnny Bananas is a tried and true villain. Over the course of his nearly two dozen appearances, Bananas has been notorious for pushing buttons just for fun. To list every instance that Bananas was mean to someone, you’d need an entire list or two. Johnny Bananas arrived at The Challenge as a goofy, fun guy. He was even on the Good Guys team during The Inferno 3. But that all changed when he had his brush with power.
The newfound Johnny Bananas was overly confident and strived to make exceptional television. In the process of doing so, he taunted his rivals, mocked the weak, and imposed his dominance. His treatment of the women throughout the series has been difficult to watch. Did I mention that he stole his partner’s money? As mean as Johnny Bananas is, it helped define his place in The Challenge history books.
7 Ashley Mitchell
Remember how we just said Johnny Bananas stole his partner’s money? Well, Ashley Mitchell did the same! Though, some would say her reasoning had some justification. Ashley Mitchell had a rough reputation that never quite settled during her time on The Challenge. Despite being a two-time champion, many fellow competitors still diminished her success. Ashley Mitchell was always someone who would stand up for herself, even if it meant hitting below the belt with personal insults and physical altercations.
Between her combative personality and her lack of connections, she’s become a large target every time she touches foot in The Challenge house. She may have been pushed to the brink after the house constantly referred to her as “Smashley.” Ashley will forever be known for her worst moments, even if she does have a large sum of money in her bank account.
6 Laurel Stucky
Laurel Stucky is one of the greatest individual players to ever compete on The Challenge. Yet, her rise to the top often meant she would step on the throats of those in her way. While many will remember her longstanding feud with Cara Maria Sorbello, her claim to fame in the world of mean was her verbal assault against Eric “Big Easy” Banks. She hurled personal attacks toward him, calling him fat and unattractive.
She claimed no competitor would ever get with him. It was a cruel tirade that she never came back from. Laurel is an extremely competitive individual, who would often get the best of her. Even when she was in the heat of the moment, she would ridicule those she deemed inferior. She may be one of the best players of the game, but her reputation has been hit or miss for certain fans.
5 Zach Nichols
Unfortunately for someone like Zach Nichols, his true colors came out when he was surrounded by individuals who baited him. Like Frank Sweeney, he was not kind to his teammates during The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons. He earned a reputation for being misogynistic while ranting about how men were the “greater species.”
When he was engaged in romances with women in the game, the way he treated them was always questionable. Whether it was Jonna Mannion or Jenna Compono, who he is still together with, viewers weren’t pleased with how he spoke to them. Despite being a great and decorated competitor, he has been seen as straight-up mean.
4 Kailah Casillas
If there was ever the queen bee of The Challenge‘s new generation of mean girls, Kailah Casillas would be it. With a competitive edge and a temperamental spirit, Kailah never let a moment show her true colors pass her by. Speaking of colors, her favorite might be lavender as she was one of the members of the Lavender Ladies, a mean girl-esque clique that formed based on the room they shared. It included Kailah, Shane Landrum, Sylvia Elsrode, Amanda Garcia, and Ashley Mitchell.
Aside from her challenge prowess, Kailah may sadly be remembered for her infamous launch of Kayleigh Morris‘ belongings over the villa balcony. This was the launch point of her rivalry, that sent her over the edge. Kailah was sent home after getting into a physical altercation with Melissa Reeves during the first episode of The Challenge: Final Reckoning. Kailah has had a rough go during her tenure on the show. But she’s always been a strong player when she’s focused on the task at hand.
3 Camila Nakagawa
There’s a reason why she was named Camilanator. Camila Nakagawa was a fiery competitor who was able to hold her own, but when it came to personality, she was mean rather than feisty. Camila was a loose canon, often finding herself in the middle of fights when her buttons were pushed. Whether it was raw emotion or just the alcohol flowing, Camila was rarely able to control her temper.
When she did find herself in comfortable positions, she had no problem mocking those beneath her. Camila’s social prowess was never up to par compared to her challenge skills. With allegations stating that Camila is banned from the show for alleged racist comments and an incident during Dirty 30, it’s a longshot for her to ever return to the show that made her.
2 Kenny Santucci
It’s been a very long time since Kenny Santucci helped define the Fresh Meat era of The Challenge. For a while, it seemed that he and his cohort Evan Starkman would have the longevity that Johnny Bananas had, but after allegations of sexual assault toward Tonya Cooley surfaced, his time in the spotlight ended. During his tenure on The Challenge, Kenny was excellent at the game. And he was excellent at belittling and demeaning people he didn’t like.
The torment that he was part of towards Tonya prior to the incident was so cruel. Kenny was able to get away with murder because most of his nasty comments were paired with a smile and claims they were jokes. Kenny’s charisma may have won some over, but he owned his villain status.
1 Veronica Portillo
Veronica Portillo is the official mean girl of The Challenge. She owned that title like a badge of honor. Veronica was an instigator. Veronica was an antagonist. And she loved every moment of it. In the first era of the game, Veronica had a bond with Tina Barta, Rachel Robinson, Carol Smith, and others who would pick on certain women in the house. Whether it be Tonya Cooley, Katie Doyle, or Julie Stoffer, Veronica’s ability to provoke them with the greatest of ease took skill.
Though, she may have pushed Julie too far as she would get her revenge hundreds of feet above the ground. Her manipulative nature allowed her to find safety thanks to her strong politicking in the house. Veronica has come back and toned down her meanness over the years. She’s redeemed herself and allowed her status as a Challenge legend to take form.
.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "10 Best Mystery Movies of the Last 5 Years, Ranked")
