Johnny Bananas Sends Urgent Plea to ‘The Challenge’ Fans Ahead of Season 42

Amanda Bell Tue, August 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM UTC

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Johnny Bananas - Paramount+

Johnny “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio has been sounding the alarm about what he perceives to be a tenuous future for The Challengesince before the flagship MTV series moved to Paramount+.

Back in October 2025, the winningest show veteran told fellow alum Leroy Garrett (via TikTok), “This is going to be one of the most important seasons as far as just viability is concerned. We are going to have to go show up and show out to prove to our new parents, Skydance, that we are worth keeping around.”

So, when TV Insider caught up with Bananas to get a preview of what’s ahead in Season 42, subtitled The Challenge: Cutthroats, we had to ask what message he wanted to send to fans who wish to see the show continue indefinitely.

“How about not making all these crazy snap judgments about the season when all they’ve seen is a cast list and a trailer,” he then said. “Here’s what blows my mind: You’ve got so many tea pages, fans, just old-school cast members whose entire existence is based on The Challenge. And then the second it comes out, the second they drop a trailer, it’s like, ‘How many negative things can we point out about this?’ Someone said something about the filter on the trailer, and it’s like, guys, give it a chance. Watch the show, and then pass judgment after. So, that’s what I would say.”

Bananas then cheekily added, “Also, I would say stop saying negative things about me.”

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Fellow long-timer and “GOAT” candidate Chris “C.T.” Tamburello had a sunnier outlook, however.

“Well, they’ve been saying that The Challenge is going to end for about, shoot, 10 years now. I don’t think it will, and I’m not just saying this… This new generation of kids that are coming through, they’re giving me old Challenge vibes, and I believe that The Challenge is going to be in a much better place with Paramount+… It almost feels like the old style of Challenges.”

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Tamburello added, “Look, The Challenge is never going to be America’s fifth major sport. We’re here to entertain and have fun, and I think maybe The Challenge is getting away from what made The Challenge [what it is]. And it’s nice that these new kids are coming in with some fresh blood and enjoying themselves. It’s not just about the game.”

The Challenge, Season 42 Premiere, August 5, Paramount+

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”