21 Reality Stars That Should Join The Challenge

The biggest challenge for The Challenge? Finding new stars.

When the show first premiered in 1998, MTV simply brought together cast members from two of its most popular franchises—The Real World and Road Rules—to assemble an all-star reality TV cast. But with those shows no longer airing (the last Real World aired in 2017 and Road Rules veered off course 2007), The Challenge has had to evolve, first by pulling in Challengers from the network’s other shows, including Are You the One?, then opening up the casting pool to other franchises. Now, there are more Big Brother alums competing than veterans from The Real World, with The Challenge also discovering talent from international series as well. But not every newcomer is able to make the transition from their original show to the T.J. Lavin-hosted game, now in its 38th season. For every Kaycee Clark or Devin Walker, there’s a Nam Vo or Berna Canbeldek. Who? Exactly. 

So, what makes for a good prospective Challenger? Casting lead Skye Topic previously revealed to E! News what she looks for in a rookie. 

“A big part of it is how they pop in the interview sitdowns,” Topic explained in a 2021 interview. “I’ll do them pre-production and sometimes you’ll see someone pop on their show and then you’re like, ‘Oh, is this person a Challenger?’ You’ll realize maybe they’re not.”