'Challenge' vets CT and Olivia reveal their partner picking strategies

USA Today

6 days ago

A new season of The Challenge kicks off on Wednesday, and the long-running reality franchise is adding some new faces to the mix. The Challenge: Vets & New Threats brings back some of the biggest names in the competition series, while also introducing a crop of freshman contenders for the 41st season.
Sixteen vets of the game will be paired up with 16 newcomers, joining the fray from shows like Survivor, Love Island UK, Big Brother, The Amazing Race and more. Among the vets are long-time Challenge contender and five-time champion Chris "CT" Tamburello and three-time participant Olivia Kaiser. Although Kaiser herself is a relative newbie when standing alongside challengers like Tamburello, Johnny Bananas and Aneesa Ferreira, she's gotten a lot of experience through those three seasons.
In her first two seasons, Kaiser made it 17 episodes, with the Love Island USA star finishing in fourth in her first season. That experience has been invaluable.
"I'm excited for this season, because although I still feel like a rookie, I feel like I have actually experienced almost more than some of the longtime vets," Kaiser told For The Win in a recent interview. "I feel like I really have put in the work. I'm proud of myself to be able to be called a vet, but at the same time, I'm still finding my bearings."
Both Kaiser and Tamburello enter new seasons with different strategies, with the long-time participant still just giddy to be included.
"I think for a long time I've kind of kind of forgot about like the simple things I used to take a granted," Tamburello said. "I always kind of feel like I'm Peter Pan slash Willy Wonka in the sense that I get to go back to Neverland whenever I get the invite. I want to show up at the airport, say my final good byes, hand over my phone, and then I get my golden ticket and that's when I find out where I'm gonna go. It's like Christmas."
Tamburello -- who has been part of some of the most iconic moments in Challenge history -- and Kaiser know how instrumental the right partner is on one of these seasons. For the 20-season veteran it's less about what the potential partner has than what they don't, trying to avoid drama and any enemies a partner might bring into the mix. "I don't want my partner to be XYZ," Tamburello explained. "The first thing I'm looking for is something I'm not looking for, if that makes sense."
Kaiser relies less on choosing the biggest or strongest or fastest partner (although those traits are important in a physical game) and instead looks at compatibility.
"I kind of just wanted someone that wanted to work with me, that we would have fun," she said. "You were with your partner all season, and I've been with a partner before, and I know how important that is for someone to motivate you. It's not about being the best, it's about being the best for your partner."
While it's a mixed bag how partnerships shake out over the course of a season, the vets can let out an exhale of relief over what the fresh meat is bringing for Season 41.
"I will say that this season, I am so impressed with every single rookie that showed up. It's literally insane," Kaiser said of the new crop of competitors. "I think all of us vets were kind of like, 'Oh my God. Thank God we're partnering with one of them.'"
The Challenge: Vets & New Threats airs Wednesday nights at 8 ET on MTV.