The Duel
With his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings, recent Penn State graduate John is
The Real World's answer to Ferris Bueller. An unpredictable mixture of craftiness, charisma, intelligence and kindness, he more than lives up to his old nickname, "Johnny Bananas." He was the loveable life of the party in Key West, despite some intoxicated fights with
Paula Walnuts. Will this Challenge newbie survive the cutthroat competition or
The Duel?
The Inferno 3
With his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings, recent Penn State graduate John is
The Real World's answer to Ferris Bueller. An unpredictable mixture of craftiness, charisma, intelligence and kindness, he more than lives up to his old nickname, "Johnny Bananas." He was the loveable life of the party in Key West, despite some intoxicated fights with
Paula Walnuts. Despite getting along famously with everyone (especially
Casey, wink wink) on
The Duel this Challenge rookie was the first to be sent home. This time around, now with a Challenge under his belt, will Johnny be able to stick it out until the end?
The Gauntlet III
The man affectionately known as "Johnny Bananas," Johnny already holds a seriously checkered Challenge past. On
The Duel, he was selected by his old roommate
Tyler to go into the Duel and was the first player shipped back to the States which leaves a big grudge where Johnny is concerned. Johnny often tries to take the lead during Challenges, but his lack of strength and size compared to many of the other men make him a popular topic of elimination discussion.
The Island
Johnny feels that he was prematurely eliminated from
The Gauntlet III, so he's back to prove that he can earn a challenge championship. With his good friends
Paula and
Kenny by his side, Johnny feels that he will be running the show this time around. But Johnny's loud and abrasive personality might rub others the wrong way and be his early ticket home. Will
The Island eat him alive?
The Ruins
Once the sweetheart from
The Real World: Key West, Johnny has transformed himself into the outspoken, controversial, "Johnny Bananas." This self-proclaimed "godfather" of
The Island has the chops to compete and the mind to manipulate, but he has one big problem that could ruin his game -- himself. Johnny's often candid remarks constantly landed him in hot water, especially with fellow competitors
Evelyn and
KellyAnne. But since leaving
The Island, Johnny insists that he has done some self-reflection and learned from his mistakes. Will Johnny be able to turn over a new leaf in
The Ruins? Or will his old habits die hard in his quest to take home the prize?
Cutthroat
Love him or hate him, Challenge smartass Johnny returns to the game, ready to talk some trash and make some cash. Having won both
The Island and
The Ruins, Johnny is confident that
Cutthroat will boost his bank account even further. However, without the aid of his usual cohorts,
Kenny and
Evan, Johnny will have to put some muscle behind his loud mouth, proclaiming, "I always had a safety net. This is my time to show that Johnny Bananas is one to be trifled with." With this ruthless competitor originally from
Real World: Key West in the house, expect to see Johnny take part in his favorite pastimes: lying, scheming, and conniving.
Rivals
Johnny was last seen suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of
CT on
Cutthroat. Reflecting on the astonishing elimination, Johnny notes, "I had the carpet pulled out from under me. But if you feed a banana to a gorilla, you shouldn't be that surprised by the results." Back to take another stab at the win, Johnny hopes to make the best of his
rival partner. We'll see if this loud mouth, two-time Challenge winner can capture a third victory.
Battle of the Exes
Camila became attracted to Johnny on
Cutthroat, but Johnny kept things friendly as he had a girlfriend at home. However, the rumor mill was abuzz that the twosome may have been more than friends. Camila describes their complicated relationship, "People like to talk about what they don't know, but me and Johnny, we're close. So I don't blame them!" Now a newly single man, Johnny definitely doesn't rule out exploring things more with Camila stating, "Circumstances have changed in my life and I basically have free rein to do things I wasn't able to do before!" Watch these two to see if their warming relationship will heat up, and how it may affect their game.
Rivals II
The stage is set for a clash of the egos as two of the most notorious personalities in Challenge history are thrust together. Although they had never met in person prior to their arrival in Thailand, Johnny and
Frank's rivalry grew out of a heated exchange on Twitter. Irked by the "Rookie Revolution" that propelled Frank's team to victory on
Battle of the Seasons, veteran Johnny downplayed Frank's win, claiming he "didn't scout Junior Varsity" when a fan asked his opinion of the game's new generation. Never one to let an insult slide by, Frank fired back at 30 year-old Bananas, snarking, "Maybe you should focus on a real job, old man!" While these two may need to earn each other's respect, four-time champion Johnny already recognizes their innate similarities, admitting, "One of the things that scares me the most about Frank is he reminds me a lot of myself." Johnny and Frank have the chops to emerge as a powerhouse pair, but will their massive egos prove to be their downfall?
Free Agents
Johnny Bananas may be one of the most legendary players in Challenge history, but this vet isn't sure he has enough gas left in his tank. After coming in second to his nemesis
CT on
Rivals II, four-time champion Bananas found it to be a humbling experience. He concedes, "You learn more in defeat than you do in victory. And, I learned a lot about myself." Arriving in Uruguay as a Free Agent with no alliance, Bananas knows he has an uphill battle ahead of him. Bananas confesses, "I'm just hoping that luck's on my side." His fellow Challengers may call him "Grandfather Bananas," but this wily veteran could still have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Battle of the Exes II
Rumored to have hooked up outside of
The Challenge, these undercover lovers managed to keep their rendezvous a secret - or so they thought. After a quick fling, the romance fizzled and this turbulent duo went their separate ways. Fresh off his win on
Free Agents, Bananas vows to keep focus on the game, "We're just better as friends. I've dabbled in this spicy Latina dish once or twice and I realized it's too hot for me." Until now, these two have done a good job dancing around the past and keeping their distance.
Nany reveals, "Bananas and I usually tried to stay as far away from each other as possible on past Challenges, so the fact that now we are glued together, I don’t know how this is going to work out." However, when one of these vets has a change of heart and old feelings surface, the strength of their team will be put to the test. Will this power pair put their appetite to win above the desire of a lonely heart? Or will unrequited love derail their game?
Challenge champ, Johnny Bananas, returns to reclaim a victory and prove he still has what it takes to win. With the bitter taste of defeat still in his mouth from his devastating downfall in Battle of the Exes II, Bananas brings his rough and tough cousin, Vince, along to prove that greatness runs in the family. However, Vince's cocky attitude threatens to ignite political fires, and Bananas struggles to keep up his reputable veteran status as they make enemies quickly. Mindful of their weaknesses, Bananas stresses, "We both have egos that have trouble fitting inside the same room. But as long as we can keep our heads in the game and keep from killing each other, we're gonna work awesome as a team." Bananas quickly learns he must dig deep into his bag of tricks to keep him and Vince under the radar.
Rivals III
Bananas' wounds are still fresh from the vicious backstabbing he received at the hands of America's favorite optimist,
Sarah, on
Battle of the Exes II. The Queen of Enthusiasm is back and looking to re-claim her Challenge crown, but knows it won't be easy with a salty and scorned partner. She reflects, "I'm not working with a man. I'm working with a little boy and the little boy is having a temper tantrum! In order for Bananas to win, he's gotta let everything go." Once you've peeled a banana, though, you can't just put it back together! Bananas laments, "There's no way that I'm gonna be able to forgive her." Will Sarah be content letting Bananas make team decisions when she just proved how devastatingly successful her methods can be? And can Bananas patch up his tattered ego in time to get his head in the game?
Invasion of the Champions
Now returning as the most decorated champ in Challenge history, with $685,000 earned over 14 seasons, Bananas promises not to stop, "I want to spill some blood and some mud. I'm here to ride this thing until the wheels fall off." Many have wondered whether the notorious Johnny Bananas would return after pulling the most cunning and controversial move in Challenge history. However, this self-proclaimed "rotten banana" doesn’t spoil so easily. After he and
Sarah pummeled the competition last season on
Rivals III and seemingly mended their broken friendship, Bananas shocked everyone by claiming the ENTIRE $275,000 prize for himself, leaving Sarah with nothing but tears and an empty wallet. Will Bananas suffer any karmic blowback from his dastardly deed last season? Or will he shock everyone and make an even MORE scandalous move than his last?
XXX: Dirty 30
The most decorated Challenge champion always finds a way to use his mastery in "shady" to get the ultimate payback. The most well-known anecdote from the six-time victor's run: After getting burned by
Sarah on
Battle of the Exes II and being subsequent partners on
Rivals III, Bananas made the most devious and dirty move in Challenge history when he took all of the winnings from their No. 1 finish -- and left his partner with $0. Will Bananas be able to top this unprecedented dirty move during this historic season?
Champs vs. Stars (2017)
Many competitors have tried to walk away from the franchise as the leader of the pack, but no one has more victories to their name than Johnny 'Bananas.' Love him or hate him, this six-time champion brings his strong, athletic abilities and dynamic sense of humor to every season he appears in. 'Bananas' hasn’t run in a final since he famously "stole" the prize purse from
Sarah on
Rivals III, leaving many to wonder if he cursed himself, ending his days as king of
The Challenge forever. 'Bananas' is ready to take home a win on
Champs vs. Stars to ensure the crown stays where he believes it rightfully belongs.
Vendettas
The historic player continues to hold the record for most Challenge wins ever. But after a dirty move that involved taking his partner
Sarah's money during the finale of
Rivals III, this MTV vet has consistently added to his list of vendettas -- which includes
Cory,
Devin and
Nelson. Will he be able to reconcile his differences in order to pave a smooth road to another Challenge final? Or will his past (and
Jemmye's karma curse declaration) come back to haunt him?
Final Reckoning
For much of Challenge history,
Tony was like Bananas' little brother, looking to him for guidance and friendship while he navigated the treacherous waters of the game. But Tony eventually realized that he would never win it all unless he stepped out of Bananas' shadow, so on
The Challenge: Vendettas, he took matters into his own hands by pulling one of the all-time shocking backstabs in show history, sending a stunned Bananas into the elimination that doomed him. Somehow, some way, these former buddies turned enemies will have to figure out how to work together while still suffering from an open wound that hasn’t healed.
War of the Worlds
Johnny Bananas is true Challenge royalty, with 17 seasons and 6 wins under his belt – including his infamous
Rivals III victory, in which he opted to take the entire $275K prize rather than split it with his partner
Sarah. Notably, he hasn't made it to a final since then, though that may be more a testament to his ever-expanding list of enemies. After a
brutal backstabbing sent him into an elimination upset in
Vendettas, Bananas made it to the cusp of the finals in
Final Reckoning, only to be knocked out of the game by former flame
Natalie. His ultimate focus is on returning to the winner's circle and reaffirming his status as Challenge GOAT. In a game filled with enemies and hungry young upstarts gunning for his crown, this season may be Bananas' greatest test yet.
War of the Worlds 2
Bananas' sly politicking and athletic prowess once led to a run of success that no other competitor has come close to matching. Of course, that was before he backstabbed, spurned and feuded with enough of his fellow competitors to become the game's biggest target in every season he plays. It probably doesn't help that he can't seem to keep his mouth shut and will say and do anything to get under the skin of his biggest rivals. With so many longstanding enemies, will Bananas be able to put the bad blood aside and work together with his fellow U.S. teammates, or will pettiness and distrust extend what has become the legend's longest-ever Finals drought?
