MTV has really mastered the art of creating reality TV concepts that appeal to their young demographic, and their dating series Are You The One? is no exception.
AYTO has a unique premise. The contestants enter each season with their “perfect match,” a partner chosen for them by professional matchmakers. But the catch is that the castmates need to figure out who their ideal counterpart is on their own in order to win the game.
AYTO has had some standout players in each and every season, but most fans remember these particular cast members for their unforgettable storylines, for their appearances on other reality TV shows, and for their success in the mainstream entertainment world.
Giovanni Rivera
There is typically no shortage of hotheads on any reality TV show, but Gio really took the cake in terms of fiery AYTO contestants.
His super fast and intense relationship with Kaylen really dominated the early half of season 4, but Gio’s feelings for her pretty abruptly switched. He then started getting into it with a lot of the other people on the series, to the point where he and fellow castmate Stephen got into a physical altercation during a match-up ceremony.
Amanda Garcia
Amanda is recognized for her stint on Are You The One? for some unpleasant reasons. She certainly displayed her very distinct short temper throughout the season, but her horrible relationship ended with Mike pushing her onto a bed and getting kicked off the show. That moment might just be the worst that ever made it to air in the show’s history.
But Amanda returned to MTV to compete on The Challenge and became a star on that series both for her performance and her willingness to speak her mind at every turn.
Hunter Barfield
Every season of AYTO has its charms, but the show’s third outing is undoubtedly one of the most dramatic and entertaining, and unsurprisingly it’s home to many of the show’s most memorable personalities.
Hunter didn’t actually stand out that much on his original season, but since then he has become a mainstay on The Challenge as a member of “Team Young Bucks” (the other said bucks being season 3 castmate Nelson Thomas and The Real World‘s Cory Wharton).
Ryan Malaty
Most of the unforgettable cast members from Are You The One? made their mark both on the series itself and have moved on to work on one of the many other MTV reality shows that loves to recycle its stars. But season 1’s Ryan Malaty is one of the unusual exceptions to that rule.
Malaty stood out from the crowd in his AYTO season essentially because he seemed like a truly nice person, and since then he’s gone on to have a successful acting career. His most high-profile work has been in the leading role of Luke in the TV series My Dead Ex.
Tyler Colon
Transitioning from an appearance on an MTV dating series to success in the mainstream entertainment industry is no easy feat, which is why it’s so impressive that more than one AYTO alum managed to do it.
Tyler Colon was remembered for his sense of humor and his music skills on season 6 of the reality TV show, and that seemed to be a hint at his future achievements. Colon is now a successful musician who releases music under the stage name Tai Verdes.
Cheyenne Floyd
Cheyenne made her debut in the third season of Are You The One?, and in a cast that was filled with drama, she seemed to mostly stay laid back and keep a level head. Her relationship with Nelson was a highlight (or lowlight) of her appearance, but her impassioned speech about the bad behavior of the guys during a match-up ceremony was particularly memorable.
Chey has gone on to appear in The Challenge, but is best known now as the star of another MTV series, Teen Mom.
Nelson Thomas
Nelson was probably remembered on season 3 of the romance series for his relationship with Cheyenne. Like many AYTO flings, they started off cute but quickly went toxic, and Chey was understandably put off by Nelson’s violently angry reaction to her rejection.
But Nelson transformed into scuba Nelly T on The Challenge, and while he is often known for his hilarious “Nelson-isms,” what really makes him stand out as a competitor is his heart in the game and his loyalty to his friends.
Tori Deal
Obviously there’s a running theme with a lot of the best castmates from Are You The One? They typically managed to distinguish themselves on their own season of the matchmaking series, but they’ve often found even greater success on other MTV shows.
The Challenge is really the juggernaut of MTV reality television, and while Tori seemed like a very charming and fun contestant on AYTO, she absolutely came into her own on The Challenge and has become a series mainstay since her debut.
Kam Williams
Even though Kam left the house for the honeymoon suite not even halfway through season 5, she was definitely memorable for the way she carried herself. She seemed very level-headed and mature on AYTO, and she has only proven herself to be just that in her career on The Challenge.
She has become one of the most successful alums to cross over to The Challenge, both in terms of her competitive ability and when it comes to her popularity with fans. Although she hasn’t won yet, she probably will someday.
Devin Walker
Devin was one of the most memorable cast members on his season of Are You The One? for all the wrong reasons. His relationship with his no-match Kiki quickly went toxic, and his behavior towards a few of the girls on the show was not a great look for him.
However, he managed to pretty fully redeem himself on The Challenge. He has become a regular on the competition series and has seemingly brought all of the better qualities he displayed on AYTO while leaving behind the worst, and he was really the star of the show’s most recent season, Double Agents.
