To celebrate a milestone iteration, MTV and Bunim/Murray Productions went all out for The Challenge‘s 30th season with Dirty 30. They assembled some of the biggest names to ever compete on the show. But, they weren’t just high-profile figures in the Challenge universe; they were also some of the “dirtiest” competitors of all time, according to longtime host TJ Lavin.
“Usually this is the part of the show where I say, ‘You guys are looking good — bunch of good competitors,’” TJ said when he welcomed the reality stars into the game. “Well, not anymore. This is a little different. Right now, I’m looking at the shadiest, most unpredictable, conniving, and cunning players we could find. But, above all, the most downright dirty. With that being said, I’d like to welcome everybody to The Challenge: Dirty 30.”
The individual-based game featured 30 contestants (15 males and 15 females) competing in South America for their share of $1 million — the biggest prize pool in The Challenge’s history up to that point. Although they’d regularly compete alongside each other during daily challenges, the sexes were divided into two brackets that’d eventually produce one male and one female champion.
Dirty 30 followed the typical Challenge formula but with its own unique zest. The players competed in a daily that determined the winners and losers of each sex. The victors were immune from being sent into the “Presidio,” The Challenge XXX’s elimination grounds, and they also held the power to send one male and one female into the sand via a vote. At points, they also outright eliminated players.
The “Double-Cross Draw” would then take place when the cast arrived at the Presidio. The losers of the daily challenge stood in front of a table with hidden blocks inside. They’d take turns pulling a block out until someone secured the one with two “X’s,” symbolizing the “Double Cross.” Drawing the Double Cross immediately rendered them safe from elimination.
But, they also had to make a decision.
The Double-Cross wielder was charged with sending a competitor of the same sex into the Presidio game opposite the player who was voted in by the winner. They could only choose between the individuals standing beside them in front of the draw (the daily challenge’s losers).
Once the draw determined who the four competitors were, a duel ensued between them. The elimination games ranged from mind-bending puzzles to wrestling matches, and they’d result in one male and one female leaving the game; it was man versus man, and woman versus woman.
However, unannounced to the rest of the cast, the loser went to the “Redemption House,” where they awaited to compete in a sudden-death challenge later down the line for an opportunity to return to the game. All in all, three redemption challenges played out in Dirty 30.
Just like any Challenge season, the contestants battled all season to make it to TJ’s final challenge. The final three women and men traveled from Colombia to Argentina to finish out the game. And in the end, Camila Nakagawa and Jordan Wiseley walked away with $450,000 apiece and the first-place trophy. On the female side, Cara Maria Sorbello placed second and Tori Deal podiumed in third. Derrick Kosinski was the men’s runner-up and Chris “CT” Tamburello followed. Second place received $35,000 each and third got $15,000.
So, now that the format’s been explained, let’s dive further into the results of Dirty 30.
The game began with ‘The Purge,’ setting the tone for Dirty 30
The franchise’s brass immediately decided to cut down the bloated cast by introducing a loser-leaves-town challenge in episode 1. The players competed in “The Purge,” which included three heats that determined who was safe and who was still on the chopping block.
By the end of the second heat, most of the cast had secured their safety. The bottom five men and women faced off in a race as individuals. And as history has it, Cory Wharton and Jenna Compono came out on top of the third stage.
They were tasked with dashing the dreams of three contestants each, thus saving one player of each sex. Jenna eliminated Simone Kelly, Amanda Garcia, and LaToya Jackson, whereas Cory dismissed Devin Walker, Shane Raines, and Darrell Taylor.
Jenna’s decisions ultimately saved Jemmye Carroll and Cory’s saved Tony Raines.
The six players were given their walking papers and removed from the game. But, they were sent to the Redemption House and waited in the wings with vengeance on their minds.
Two rounds of season 30 played out before the first redemption battle.
Derrick Henry and Briana LaCuesta (who joined Dirty 30 in episode 2 after Ashley Mitchell quit), were the first two challengers taken out in the Presidio. It was courtesy of Cory, the winner’s pick, and Britni Thornton, the player chosen by the Double-Cross holder, Veronica Portillo.
Jenna and Tony were the next duo eliminated. Jenna was beaten by her best friend in the game, Kailah Casillas. In the biggest betrayal of the season, it was Jemmye who drew the Double Cross and pitted the two besties against each other even though Jenna saved her during The Purge. Kailah won and Ammo Hall bested Tony.
The stage was then set for the first battle-back brawl. Tony, Darrell, Derrick H, and Devin competed against each other for one ticket back into the game, and Amanda, Briana, LaToya, and Jenna engaged in warfare as well.
Shane and Simone had been disqualified earlier due to an altercation with each other.
After wrestling on a platform suspended high above the water, Tony and Jenna received a second lifeline, and the rest were eliminated from Dirty 30. Now that the redemption challenge occurred, every contestant was aware of the twist and it played into their decision-making moving forward.
The game was officially in full force with the Redemption House residing in the background
The Redemption House once again started filling up with disgruntled-yet-optimistic reality stars. Ammo and Marie Roda were the next out after losing their respective “Striptease” Presidios to Jordan and Tori — Ammo quit Dirty 30 after needing medical attention following the elimination.
Kailah then picked up her second elimination victory of season 30 by ejecting longtime Challenge veteran Aneesa Ferreira from the game. Hunter Barfield also earned the first elimination win of his Challenge career by defeating Cory.
The next round of play featured the first time only two winners — one man and one woman — emerged from the daily challenge with safety and voting power. Camila represented the women, and Tony the men. Nelson Thomas and Nicole Ramos were subsequently voted in, which spelled the end of the latter’s time in the main game.
But, Nelson beat Hunter in one of the best physical elimination rounds of the season.
The recent set of Presidios led to the defeated housemates’ opportunity to get back into the game. And as quickly as he was sent out, Hunter returned. He beat Cory (Ammo was gone at this point) in a disgusting eating challenge, while Aneesa chewed her way to victory over Marie and Nicole.
Aneesa’s second chance was short-lived though. She and Dario Medrano bit the dust next thanks to Veronica and Tony shining in the “Web of Lies” Presidio.
Instant eliminations led to 4 Challenge champions moving into the Redemption House
The next daily challenge to occur was “Blackout,” a puzzle-type game that split the remaining contestants into three teams of five. After the Green team — comprised of Jordan, Tony, Kailah, Veronica, and Britni — solved the puzzle first, they were asked to instantly eliminate one woman and one man from the game.
They chose to offer up CT and Cara Maria to the Redemption House. Then at the Perdio’s grounds, Hunter fought to keep his second opportunity alive by halting Leroy Garrett in “Body Check” while Jemmye switched houses after losing to Camila.
Episode 14 once again featured instant eliminations. The daily challenge, coined “Backstabber,” played out as an individual-based competition. Hunter and Jenna, two redemption winners, were victorious. With the power to eliminate, Hunter took aim at Jordan, who was responsible for throwing him into the sand twice by pulling the Double Cross. Veronica was the other unlucky recipient of the boot.
The next Presidio was the last of Dirty 30. In a battle of Challenge legends, Derrick K defeated Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio. Camila ended Britni’s rookie run as well.
The final redemption rumble took place and the season closed out with the players finding out who won during a reunion special
Episode 15 delivered the final Redemption House squirmish of The Challenge XXX. Eliminated players were forced to memorize a code that unlocked puzzle pieces while poking their heads out of a hole and enduring smacks from a mallet — think “Whack-a-Mole.”
There were only roster spots for two men and one woman. And by showing off their championships mettle, Jordan, Cara Maria, and CT worked their way back into the hunt for the grand prize.
Everyone else was sent home and the Redemption House closed its doors for good.
Five females and five males remained at this point in the game, and a two-part purge series determined the final 6. In the first part, Cara Maria, Tori, CT, and Jordan all cashed their ticket to the final challenge, leaving the other six to stress about a sudden-death contest.
Hanging from ropes over two dozen feet above the water, the players had to race along a beam until they could cast themselves into the water and swim toward a buoy. Derrick won in the men’s rounds, ending Tony and Hunter’s games. And for the women, Camila beat out Kailah and Jenna.
With the final 6 established, the cast left Cartagena, Colombia, traveling to Salta, Argentina. They engaged in a six-stage final challenge that tested all facets of their abilities. Each checkpoint was timed and their totals were added up to produce the winners.
After they crossed the finish line, TJ delivered a video message stating that the challengers wouldn’t know the results of the final until the reunion special. The cast reassembled at a later date in New York where Jordan and Camila were revealed as Dirty 30’s king and queen. As mentioned, they were awarded $450,000, Derrick and Cara Maria got $35,000, and CT and Tori left with $15,000 apiece.
Dirty 30 ended after the two-part reunion special. But, it was the first iteration of a trilogy series as Vendettas and Final Reckoning followed soon after.
Published: Aug 4, 2023 05:46 pm