MTV’s The Challenge has become one of the most popular reality shows of all time since its inception nearly thirty years ago. MTV’s flagship series now has a spin-off on CBS, showing just how large the audience of the franchise is. The crossover it has with other reality shows is what really gives it an edge, as the cast is composed of legends and fan favorites from other reality series.
Are You The One? is another one of MTV’s most important and renowned reality shows, combining competitive elements with the classic reality dating show tropes. The show has seen 23 of its competitors take on the challenge of going on a new, and much more intense, show, and 11 of them had top six finishes on the show, which is not an easy feat whatsoever.
Christina LeBlanc And Nate Siebenmark – Sixth Place
Not every season of The Challenge featured contestants playing in pairs, but Rivals III, the 28th season, paired two rivals together to compete with one another. Christina and Nate had a bit of bad blood on Are You The One, but were able to put it aside and make it moderately far.
The two were able to make it to sixth place, which is even more impressive considering their inexperience on the show. This was Christina’s second season, and she fared significantly better than her last place effort in the prior season. It was Nate’s first and only season, so the top-half finish was nothing to be ashamed of for a newcomer.
Britini Thornton – Sixth Place
Britini Thornton joined Christina and Nate as sixth-place finishers from Are You The One, but with a completely different path. While Christina and Nate left the show after their season, Britini made it that far on XXX: Dirty Thirty, which happened to be her first appearance of three.
She tried to top her sixth place placement by competing on the two ensuing seasons, but was unable to find as much success. She came in fourteenth and last on the final two seasons of the “Revenge” trilogy. While she wasn’t able to surpass her initial height, coming in sixth is still pretty impressive on a show as intense as The Challenge.
Amanda Garcia – Fifth Place
Doubling Britini’s total of three appearances was Amanda Garcia, appearing in six seasons between seasons 28 and 37. Of these six tries, her highest placement was fifth place, which she was able to achieve twice, on Invasion Of The Champions and Spies, Lies, And Allies.
Her downfall on the show was her inability to win elimination challenges when her survival was on the line. She had a dismal 2-5 record in her seven attempts, ultimately destroying any chance she may have had to win any of her seasons.
Dario Medrano – Fourth Place
Dario Medrano got his start in reality tv by appearing on season 2 of Are You The One. His season is notorious for being one of the worst of the series, although there are some who love the season, an unpopular opinion amongst Are You The One fans.
He was able to rehabilitate his image, competing in four seasons of The Challenge. Of his four appearances, his best finish was on Rivals III. Medrano, alongside his partner Nicole Ramos, had their game end in fourth place, right behind two more AYTO contestants, Devin Walker and Cheyenne Floyd. His seasons were consecutive, so he really dedicated a lot to the series.
Cheyenne Floyd – Third Place
As the most popular Are You The One cast member on Instagram with approximately 1.7 million followers, it was a no-brainer to try and recruit Cheyenne Floyd to compete on The Challenge. She ended up finally competing in season 28, Rivals III. She and her partner, Devin Walker, made it all the way to the top three, earning themselves the third place prize of $25,000.
Despite the impressive finish on her first attempt, Cheyenne opted not to return for another shot at first, instead joining the other MTV reality series Teen Mom. Leaving with a split of twenty-five thousand dollars, in addition to the money she won along the way on the show, isn’t a bad haul for just one season, though.
Devin Walker – Third Place
Devin has the rare honor of being a superstar in the history of two reality shows, not only being one of the most memorable cast members on Are You The One, but also going down as a highly decorated competitor on The Challenge. He competed in seven different seasons thus far, coming in third twice.
He worked together with Cheyenne on Rivals III, before making it back to third place once again on Spies, Lies, And Allies. He was paired with Emy Alupei, a Romanian reality star, this time around. His seven seasons and two top-three finishes are both among the highest marks of anyone who originated on Are You The One.
Tori Deal – Second Place
Tori Deal left an impression on viewers during her time on Are You The One, forming one of the show’s best couples of all time alongside Morgan St. Pierre. She was able to create her own legacy on The Challenge, competing in a total of eight seasons.
Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, she was unable to take first place on any of these seasons so far. She was close many times though, making it to the final three times, most notably coming in second place on Spies, Lies, And Allies. She holds the record for most money won on the show without a victory, earning $68,000. Never winning is a bit of a disappointment, but winning that much money certainly softens the blow.
Kam Williams – Second Place
Kam Williams was an impressively good competitor on The Challenge, piling up tons of challenge wins over her six-season run. She made it to the finale half of the times she played, a very high success rate when compared to other contestants over the years. She was unable to ever get over the hump and win a season, but her resume remains impressive without the title of champion.
Her highest placement came on Double Agents, when she was the runner-up. Another impressive accomplishment she has is her 8-2 record in elimination challenges, with her eighty percent success rate being among the highest in show history.
Nelson Thomas – Second Place
Another Are You The One contestant who became a seasoned veteran on The Challenge, Nelson Thomas has appeared on eight seasons of The Challenge. He rose to the top quickly, finishing as the runner-up on his second season, Invasion of Champions. With six more tries, he was never able to beat his early top placement.
He made it to the final once again on Spies, Lies, And Allies, but was ousted prematurely once again. Still, his Challenge career stats of $36,250 in winnings, and a solid 9-5 record in elimination challenges, are very good.
Hunter Barfield – First Place
Of the twenty-three Are You The One alumni to make the switch to The Challenge, Hunter Barfield was the only one able to win the grand prize. He competed in four non-consecutive seasons, getting better as he gained more experience. He won his third season, Final Reckoning, before making it back to the finals on the next season, War Of The Worlds.
Back-to-back finale appearances is an impressive accomplishment, only matched by longtime fixtures of the show. He has not returned to the show since that dominant run.
