Join Challenge vets, Tori Deal and Aneesa Ferreira, as they dig into the brand new season of The Challenge: Double Agents. In their very first episode, Tori and Aneesa discuss who to watch out for this season, go behind the scenes of that heated elimination, and share editing secrets you won't hear anywhere else. Plus, they interview Challenge Executive Producer Emer Harkin, and make sure you listen to the end for Challenge Confidential and listener questions.
Watch new episodes of The Challenge every Wednesday, and go behind the scenes with Tori and Aneesa the next morning, on MTV's Official Challenge Podcast.
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What's up everyone. I'm Tory and I'm Anissa, and this is the very first episode of MTV's official Challenge podcast, where we are going to go behind the scenes of the brand new season of The Challenge Double Agents, from what it's like to sign up for the season you know nothing about, to how the casting process works. You'll hear secrets on the episode that you won't hear anywhere else. Plus, we have a very exciting guest for our very first episode, and it's Emur Harken, the executive producer of The Challenge. I absolutely love Emur. This is so exciting. She's amazing, She is bad ass, and don't forget at the end, we're even going to be answering listener questions, so stick around for that. Okay, So should we begin, Anissa? Yeah girl, let's go? Oh yeah, all right, Anissa, Since you are the OG, you are my favorite Challenge bet of all ar why don't you start by introduced seeing yourself and telling all these mother efforts who you are. Well, I'm Anissa. This is my fourteenth Challenge, probably my twentieth show on MTV. I started this journey back in two thousand and one on Real World, Chicago. Amazing. Yeah, right, knock the dust off me to come back to this season for the Challenge. Yeah, so I've been doing it as long as they're calling your girl's going yes, and that's it and there's no reason not too. Oh my gosh, Like what a lifestyle to be on this show, to compete, to make friends, everything that we do. It's crazy. Yeah, twenty years later, I mean, and it brought me to you on Dirty thirty baby, that's right, Oh god, oh my gosh. I had done are You the One? I did are You the One? Second Chances? Then I got recruited to go on the Challenge pretty much right when people were like they were just starting to recruit outside shows. Are You the One was like the first outside show that was brought in, And so I got lucky enough to be swamped into that mess and I met you, and man, we had to we have the first season. I mean, we loved each other. We came up with that one song in the beginning Dirty Battle. Yeah, besides that one, the other one's circular motion. You won't get into that this episode, but another episode we'll get into songwriting by Tori and Asa, and I thought we really vibed. I thought you were amazing and funny and beautiful, and you know, you came in with your then boyfriend, So I'm all about interracial dating. I am a product of its. Girl. We're going to be best friends, and I vote you in or select you to go into your first elimination. You win, you come out. I'm the devil. You hate me. I'm still trying to love on you. It's not really working at all. Yeah, broke my heart and Nat here we are looking back. I just cringe up my reaction to all of that, because when you're a rookie on your first season, you don't realize like, oh, it's just the game. You can't take this ship personal, like it is what it is. But you were the first person you like took my challenge elimination virginity. You were the first person to ever vote me into something. I mean, someone's got to do. You were my first. So I like didn't know how to process that, and I think that's why I came back and I was like fuck nice, but like it literally could not keep us apart even when we were on Champs for Stars together. Like, I apologize so much. I almost wrote a letter, but I don't know if I should bring flowers to the challenges like gets out. I was so I wanted to be your friend. Oh, I want to be your friend too. I'm so happy. I'm I'm I've matured from that because I don't know what I was doing. It took me a little bit to grow up. It's okay, you're still young. I forget how young you are. Sometimes well younger than me. Yeah, it worked out well. And now you're right over the bridge from me, I know, and I can see you whenever I want without having to get on a plane or go through TSA. So now I have you in Jersey and Philly, fuck doing it, Yeah, right near each other. I mean, yeah, I'm really excited about Yeah. Yeah. For those of you guys who don't know, Jordan and I are going through a breakup, and I am thankful to be moving back to my family on the East Coast, and I get to have my friend Anissa over there in Philly. So there's so many beautiful things. And I'm also still really good friends with Jordan, so nobody worry about that too much. Is a very amicable breakup. But back to the challenge, because that's what we're here to talk about that is right now before we get into this episode, Anissa, we are going to do a quick fun segment called sixth House where we share a thirty six seconds, no filter, no questions asked reaction to this week's episode in honor of it being the thirty sixth season. So, Anissa, I'm starting your timer now where you go. Don't start it yet? Hurry No, I'm already. Oh god, we are started. Okay. So what happened was we moved to the house in Iceland. Then we show up at the challenge. It's double Agents. Then we have a hill we have to go up there. Then we get the capsule, then we have to decode it. Then I decoded it. I want. I got to pick my partner. The guy's winner was fussy, but it didn't matter because I made him by beat everybody by a whole minute, picked him than everybody else. Picked partners, and then the house scott to vote in who they wanted against who we wanted. We voted in West, they voted in CT. We thought it was a guy's day, but oh it's a girl's day. It was Ashley versus Natalie. Ashley goes home Natalie's days. She's pissed off. She's the room with me. I'm nervous about that West pissed off. I don't really care. And now I made enemies. Okay, Okay, your god, damn, that was good. You got so much in thirty six seconds. I can't even damn. I'm gonna try to do it right now. I'm gonna try to hit on everything that you didn't touch on, which is gonna be okay, but that's the way you should go hard. Hurry, Tory, are you ready? You got thirty six seconds? Okay, here we go on the clock. Winner. We starting, and we are starting now. Okay, everybody, we arrive into Iceland. We all got nose brutalized. That's right. We got swabbed for COVID. None of us had COVID. Congratulations. We get to the challenge, we see Lolo Jones. We're like, fuck that ship. We get up the hill, I'm like, give me that, give me that canister, Grab that canister. I'm on the bottom of a dogpile and Nieces trying to have sex to me. No, it was that. It was really, honestly, just all fun and games. I'm trying to give you the ship you won the shit you're like on the winner you picked Bessy. He's looking sad, but Loki, he's happy because he knows that you're a real one. Then we get there, Leo's like, I want to go. I don't want to go into elimination ct I could flip dude bigger than you. We were all like, no way, he's like an ant picking up things that are twice his size. That's crazy. And then yeah, Astley actually goes home and we were all really happy about that the end. Okay, he's like an ant picking up stuff twice his size. Maybe he got the ant strength. He's like an ant. Oh my god, that way I gave me like hard palpitation that I'm hot. I mean, and I have to check. I mean the ant compliment and like in a compliment because antswer my favorite. Bugs man, those things are crazy. So that's a shout out until we know I love Aunt. He cleaned it up. However you want. Let's talk about the play of the day. Oh, come on, come on, we all know what it was. Shoot of the face. No, the play of the day was you winning and oh that's too but and stealing fetzy. Oh, I also thought it was very athletic for CT to fucking slam that shoe, wasn't. Oh my god, it is so good. Okay, and then alongside yours, Yeah, I mean the real play of the day. All right, all right, enough of that. Clearly we both have different perspectives on what happened, but let's just dive into the episode. Oh incredible, Oh my god, it's like an action movie. I mean everything. I mean, whoever did this outdid them totally. Editors, you guys are amazing. Whoever's in charge of music, You're incredible. I was blown away, like I had my stomach hurt, like I was there for the first totally. It riled me back up. First of all, seeing TJ is like it kind of gives me PTSD and it kind of also really hypes me up. It's like this like middle thing. I'm like, shit, what is it gonna make us do now? But at the same time, I'm like, damn it, like so hype. But I see him and how smooth he looked coming out of that helicopter. I know, he looked fine. I was like, okay, DJ, because I've been on the show with him since his first season, so he went from like you know, a fox T shirt, a hat and like board shorts and like flip flops in the sand to like a legitimate like wool blend coat getting out of a helicopter, sunglasses, Like he's a man man now, yeah, But then you know, like he looks good for a second and then he drops the bomb on what we're about to do. And then like we see this huge like going into the challenge, we see this mound of dirt in front of us. We're like looking out on the Icelandic Ocean. It's freezing outside. I don't think people understand like while we're trying to anticipate all of these nerves that are running through our head. TJ's like, oh yeah, fifteen of you guys are going out a time. Girls heat, then guy's heat, and you're gonna be lining up, racing up this hill, trying to get this capsule, then trying to decode this briefcase and basically punching in a code. And no one even understands that we're trying to like like basically deal with all that while it's rain on us freezing. Also, you know, them telling us the rules are like by the way, there are rocks in this mound, like, hey, don't like fall down the hill and like break something. I'm like, I'm not going up this fucking hill. Yeah, I've had bad experiences with uh just putting your all out there and then coming back with a limb that doesn't work. So this was not going to be the challenge that I was going to go out in. A lot of girls were saying that, and that was the smart move. Like we had discussed it. I was gonna go up there and I was gonna try to grab that capsule and bring it back down to you, right, And I also talked to Lolo about that. I'm like, Lolo, when we get up there, like, let's chill for a second, let's look at it before we bring it down, because we're the ones who worked are but to get up here. So when I run up that hill, like right behind Lolo, I'm yelling at her. And you don't even get to see this in the episode, but I'm younger, I'm like, Lolo, stop, WELLO read the capsule? Hello, stop and she just starts running with it. And that's when like this red light goes off in my head. I'm like, fuck it, I'm gonna snatch the baton from a fucking relayer in the Olympics. Baby, I'm in the Olympics. I snatch a shit out of her hand. I'm cracking Anissa, I'm cracking up on the atom of that dog pile. Wait. I literally told her, I'm like, throw it to me, low, low, like it was a football, and then you have it between your legs, jaws of life, Tory's legs of life wrapped around it. I'm Tory, You're my friend. Let me see the colors. I'm like, is it positive or negative? Because the positive part was almost inside of you. I didn't know which side to go from. I'm like, you know what, I'm just going to and run back. I didn't even try and win, like that wasn't the point until I fell and you hear everybody go oh, and I'm like, oh, now, now your bitch has to win. I can't just fall in the middle of the challenge. I mean, I tripped myself. It clearly wasn't one of those majestic rocks on the on the beach was literally my feet. I think I was so excited that I was like I could memorize shit, which I knew I could, and I'm like, fuck it. When I get back, I'm like, well, you can't actually lose now, like you have to do well. I mean it's edited to look like we were neck and neck, but I finished, I mean minutes yeah before people you know, were done. Oh yeah, and Ashley's still going. I put I've closed my briefcase, not today, and I'll letting anyone pete that shit girl, you killed it, I mean, and that is what sets you up for basically an amazing first episode. But let's get into the boys round because this shit is incredible. Yeah. First of all, Michi just fires up that hill, like where the hell did he come from? Right then the shoe Listen that shoe, and I knew, I mean the shoe, the opera music. It couldn't have been more beautiful, I mean, majestic. What a moment, What a fucking moment that is going to play yeah for maybe years. I mean that is a response to many text messages where like somebody told me some shit that I don't understand. It's like a shoe in the face, or when I say something dumb, shoe in the face. Oh god, it was so good man, honestly, like and not because of any like beef I've ever had with West. That could have been pretty much anybody standing there. Oh my god, I would have it could have been me, It would have. It just was so good, Like it's never seen that. We all cracked up when we saw that. I mean you see our reactions and that was not We laughed for so long, so long, I mean so long. And West was furious. I mean he was so angry. And I'm like, when you watch this, you're gonna understand that one, Josh didn't do it right, and two it's funny, yeah, the challenge, but it's funny. Yeah, And just to touch on that one thing you just said about Josh, like it's not shown in the episode, but he was screaming at Josh right after that challenge because he really thought Josh did it. I'm like, oh, this is funny. Like people are all on Twitter and stuff all the time, and like, Josh West doesn't hate you, but the moment West could have blamed somebody, he blamed Josh. So don't let it fool you. That rivalry is out there and it is a two way street and West does it to Josh too, So it's not just Josh. Oh Man but it was wait till that's a couple rivals. Yeah, oh god, that would be so good, It would be so good. Oh my gosh. Yeah, that first challenge was crazy, but also that first elimination, like just try going through all of that politicking to try to get two big dogs against each other, trying to get Seat and West against each other, and then what happened. It's a girl's day, fucking girls. Like you should have seen the look on everybody's face when we found out this huge scheme that we were trying to make happ in these two major competitors to go against each other, and then it all just fell apart because it was a girl's day. And I feel so bed for Ashley, like she got dragged along in that and then she ended up going home because of something that we planned, something that we planned that didn't go in our way. Yeah, but I also felt like Ashley was aligning with all the rookies one and two. I don't know if I could trust her in that regard. I mean, she's I think she's so fun. But then you have Natalie, who was our roommate. She lived in a room with us, and Natalie was nothing but like honest and fun. Yeah, of course, one of the biggest threats in the house. Definitely. Personally, I think that she is one person to watch out for this season, and I think that she has possibility. Well, she's amazing, absolutely. I mean I watched that one episode on Survivor of her running to get logs in the heat while people are like emaciated and dying, and she's she can win. She's blow that girl can go. Then TJ hits us with a oh, well, Natalie, Now you can choose to stay with your partner. You can pick CT which would been an awesome team, yeah, or you could pick anybody in here but me and Fessie. Well, I can't wait to see what she does next week because that is gonna be wild. I'm telling you, we already know what she does, but it's gonna be wild when you guys watch it. My next questions for you, Aisa, just all about preparing and arriving to the seasons of the show, Like what goes through your mind or like what do you even like, what do you even think about before you go on a season? Before I'm like training seven times a week boxing and outdoor boot camps, and you know, doing as much as I could to kind of condition my body. But you really can't train. Yeah, you can't when you're gonna run up a hill. Ye, get a capsule in your workout? No, probably not. Yeah, you just know you don't do that. You can just do yourself a favor and like try to do math problems on a calculator, which is what I've without a calculator, which is what I've been doing because obviously I'm shit at math. So like I'll do stuff like that, or I'll like order tangrams on Amazon and I'll like try to play with those. But like, realistically, the puzzles are always so different than the equations that they give you. You can't. You can try to practice and prepare for it, but like you you don't know when you're gonna get it. You could be running down after six miles of something and then it's like do a math problem and you're like, fuck my life, you know, like four plus seven? What do you mean? But also the element of that is you can do that, you can prepare for these things, but under pressure, yeah a million dollars, can you do it? Yeah? Because Tory, we've done it together where we're like twenty nine plus. Yeah, like easy shit, Yeah, easy shit for those I mean, you know, for those who could do math, easy stuff. It seems easy easy, but it's not. Yeah, it is not. That element of pressure is really hard. And also it's the unknown. Like before we go on a challenge, we really don't know anything. We don't know where we're going, we don't know who's going to be on cast. We really don't reach out to one another because if you do, honestly, you kind of rub yourself off as somebody who's trying to overpolitic too early, and honestly, you can really stress yourself out thinking about that stuff. It's better to just work on you be the best version you can and then when you arrive on location, you just kind of soak it all in. And this season arriving was way crazier than any other season for me because of COVID in the world. It was just so much no no swabbing and quarantining, and like it was, we were drained by the time we got there. It was different, you know, like my first season, what did I do? I went to Jamaica, I lived on a resort, I had a cell phone, we lived in a villa. Oh yeah, we had a cell phone for two people. It was amazing. I mean it was a flip phone, so it did it had like it couldn't do anything but play a snake. But we had access to the internet like everything. I want to go back then. Now it's like I want to I want to go back in time and I want to be on the Duel two with you would have killed It looked so much fun. Like when I was in quarantine in the hotel, I just rewatched all of the seasons like I had. I just had to get myself hyped up for the show, and I watched them and I was like, I want to go on this season and have fun like they did. But then when we get there and you see how cut throat it is, it's like so hard to like differentiate between fun and like survival. Right, I want to know this, what made you want to go on the Challenge? Somebody put a gun to my head? No, No, my roommate. Actually, my roommate Joey, who was this amazing girl. She was a huge Challenge fan. She literally said this to me. She was like, Tori, you need to apply for Are you the one you need to go on Are You the One? You need to be funny and you need to get recruited for the challenge. I swear to God before I ever stepped foot on are You the One? Before I ever watched an episode. That's what she told me. And I was like, no way, I don't watch reality TV. Never, never, never, never, I watched one. I watched Devin's season of Are the One. I had a huge crush on Devon. Swear to God, this is not a lie, and I still crush on Devon, and I was like, all right, I'll give it a shot. So then yeah, went on are You the One? And that was a history shot. I never knew that. Yeah, all because of Joey, because a good time partying as well. Yeah, she's phenomenal. Yeah, I definitely. I mean it's definitely different back then because it was like you go on Real World or road Rules and then you just go on the challenge. It's like almost part of your oh really yeah, because it was because they only pulled from Real World and road Rules and they had to look at other other places. Totally dude, Oh my god, it's just crazy. Like like I said, I watched the seasons, you've lived them. And like just seeing how much they've changed, it's just mind blowing. That's why I'm so happy that we have Emur here because Emer's the showrunner now. She was a producer on Dirty thirty, so we've and I know you've seen her grow in the ranks. Yeah, I feel like em was a breath when we were doing it and she I would get out of the water and she's like, oh, you didn't fall. I'm like, no, I got past the first and second. She's just one of those like tough love, in your face, strong asked women that to be honest, I wouldn't want to see her on the challenge I wipe. I'm so happy she's a producer and that she's not a competitor because she doesn't give a shit. No, she is savage, but honestly she needs to be because we're like wrangling a bunch of big kindergarteners who should probably be in jail. That's honestly what her job is, to wrangle us. But not only that, not anymore. And now she's the show owner. She runs it, so I'm so excited to dive into some questions with her for you and for us. Okay, people, we are going to take a quick break, but when we get back, we are going to be talking to the infamous Imur Harkins. So, folks, we are back, and I am so pleased to intr produced an interview this person. She is a badass, which um, clearly we're only going to have badasses on this show. She is now our executive producer. Her name is Emur Harkin. Ye, so lovely to have you here, and I cannot wait to grill you. I am dreading every second of this, although delighted to tell to you both, but dreading your worst. Gotta worry we won't be that bad. She honestly, hearing your voice is so lovely, but Loki does give me PTSD not gonna lie like I feel like I'm feel like I'm getting eliminated right now talking to you. No, really, Emur. We were discussing this earlier that like you only see Emur when she introduces that, like says hello, I'm emer you never see her again unless something goes wrong. It's like or you're going home, you know, you're like with the Wizard of Us, like yeah, man, behind, yeah exact, Yeah, I just placed just looming over our heads, like don't do this. EMO is going to see well, don't. I always know what's going on, but I just rather stay in the background because you guys don't need to see and hear from me all the time. I just prefer to get everything done. And then, like you say, it's only really if there's a problem that you should hear from me or see me, which is probably great for you guys. The more infrequent the better. And it wasn't always like that though, because like on Dirty thirty, you were a producer on the show, so we would see you frequently. It's just crazy to see how much you've transitioned and grown in this field. I know, but before that Free Agents, before I mean, when was your first season? My first season was due to in Queenstown, New Zealand. Then traveled with the show around the world. I think it's like up to upwards of twenty countries now. I was an ape in the challenge department. Then I was a challenge producer, as you guys would have gotten to know me then that way, and yes, always screaming the rules and telling you what rules, what to abide by, what not to do. And then I became a supervising producer. I had a little jaunt into story producing in thirty thirty, as Tory said, and then I was Koe p And now yeah, I'm the EP showrunner this season. So it's yeah, quite so amazing quite the decade. Yeah, it's been mental, but it's amazing. I can't believe you came on Duel two like I've never gotten a pad on the back. That was a great season for me. I of course you were amazing. I was on top of the mountain in Queenstown Hill with you when you were finishing. It was amazing. I did not think, seriously, that was two thousand and eight, Anissa, and it's not nearly twenty twenty one. It's crazy, crazy here we all are. But the beauty of the day, no, and look, the beauty of it is. I think the reason that the show is so like, it's so intoxicating for all of us is that the things that we get to see and do are just beyond comprehension. You know, we get access to places in the world that we would never see otherwise. You know, I'm not sure if you guys are aware of that, but like the challenge locations are all out, you know, largely off the beaten path. You would never stumble upon them as a traveler, like when if you were just there randomly. So you know, we've we've seen the best or the best around the world and it's pretty awesome and we've done it together. Isn't that crazy? I travel with you guys more than I do with my family. So how do you actually find the locations then if they're so remote? Well, it all, I guess it all starts the initial conversation. We'll start with, you know, what do we want the season to be about? So years ago, you know, traditionally we thought like we liked X's or it was rivals or so on and so forth. But like as you guys have seen over the last couple of years, we keep wanting to kick things up a notch. And you know, I tell you guys all the time, like we're only there because of you. We treat you, guys as like our superstars. We want you to feel like it. We want you to feel like action heroes often and we you know, have you doing things that make you action heroes. So we've kind of started emulating these movie words. So you know, War of the World one was like Mad Max and then or of the World's two was kind of Laura Croft tomb Raider, and then we kind of got into this like crazy post apocalyptic, you know, total madness last season and so now this season we're doing double Agents and it's that kind of like spy, spionage thriller type vibe. So we that's where we start, So we try and figure out, like what theme there's an appetite for what the show needs. I know, so that's a lot of fun, you know, I didn't know that. Yeah, So like that's where I start. That's I you know, I'm a movie lover, so I'll think about, you know, what have I been inspired by, what have I what has taken me somewhere else, and what would be a fun thing to recreate for you guys. And then that will naturally quittle down the list of countries that we can go to and that we can shoot in, and then the process becomes, you know, getting partnerships with countries and making sure we can go there. I scout, I make sure that it's a viable option for everything that our production involves. So that's that's a massive undertaking to start with something so huge and quitt let down to exactly what we need. But it's it's pretty incredible to to do. It's a lot of fun. How long does that take, you, guys to do? I feel like even buzzing out two of these a year, which is like typically what is done if there's not Corona in the world, But like, do you immediately start planning for the next one months the other one's wrapped filming. I'm not telling you, but yes, it's like it's quick. It takes a long time, you guys, It's like months of work, you know. Then then as you say it to or you throw COVID in the next and it's like it was Bunker. So last year, you know, Double Agents took a lot longer than it would traditionally take. I was working on the show for like over ten months in total. Oh yeah, the prep was a lot longer because you know, there were very few countries that we could take, you guys too, so it was pretty crazy. And it was two cold seasons back to back. Man, it was you know, Bunker. Then we were in Lison. When you're a little thicker affect you the same. So I was like, who I don't wear a bikini, thank you lord. I was like give me a wetsuit. I don't care what I looked like. Yeah, it looked like a condom and a seal for the season stop. I don't I always job, Oh my gosh, But like, did you guys, because like this season we did some crazy challenges and I'm like, there's some people got really hurt. I'm obviously not going to go into that stuff, but like there are people who got really cold during some of them. Do you guys test every single challenge that we do or y? No, God No, We've got a We've got this team of testers that we will hire wherever we go, so we'll find people that are like a really representative cross section of you guys. So we'll have like small girls, big girls, and toll guys, short guys, like a cross like different people of different way it's different capabilities, so that we're testing the game in multiple ways. So we and we do the same with the elimination. So for the challenges and the elimbs, we will play them out in multiple ways. So if it was like Anissa verse tory, this is how it would go if it was you know, X verse. Why. So there's a real rigorous process that goes into it. We have got you guys covered, Are you well looked after? Are you testing them like right before we do them? Or is there is that in like the months leading up to because it looks like such an extensive like setup, like so long and tedious, like I would like with the first one. Obviously not as as crazy you know, set up amount of dirt with sure anywhere, but for the like heights ones that we do or you know, with like all the scaffolding or you have this stuff that they're they're so intricate, like are they you know, I know that they're planned ahead of time? Are they tested ahead of time too, or is that like closer to shooting. Well, we prototype everything pretty early on to make sure that that's actually you know, that it's a real and that it's executable really, you know. So we'll prototype things, will refine the game, and then we'll do rehearsals in the days previous. We also will try and do rehearsals in different conditions. So let's say it's today before a challenge and it's particularly windy, we'll rehearse the challenge in wind and we'll also rehearse it and rains can so that we can see how it lays, because you know, if you guys are at a height, if you guys are on rope that gets wet, anything like that, the game will then play differently. So we try to test it all out. But in terms of the the accurate rehearsal that's done in a couple of days prior to shooting. And what people don't know is that you guys used to test the stuff out. Yes, we did, which made me feel I got so much better. I'm like, at least they know what I'm going through because it's cold or high or it sucks totally. Do you remember an said, you remember that game in New Zealand where it was like this ladder and the wrongs got farther and farther apart as we climbed that it was swung over a cliff. It was this giant, giant ladder tory. It was like fifty feet tall and there might be like ten feet between each of the wrongs, and I tech that was the first and we were like, we were like four hundred feet off the edge of a cliff and that's the first I ever tested And oh my sified. I was terrified. I was never yeah, and it would look it was amazing. But I was never good for the water and the falls. I was useless everybody, you know, and that that gets me. It's funny. I can cliff on a skyscraper and I'd be okay, but it was a waterfall that was my you know, we all really Yeah, I didn't shocker, you're a shoe. I was like, oh, I remember when you were in when we were in Turkey and you were under the water with us, and I could see you because you were like in your scuba gear amurs in like a bikini, and like, oh, I see these little pale legs. I'm like, okay on something. I don't know they were scared of anything. Look, it's awesome. But like I say, you know, if I if my back's against the wall and I'll do whatever. You know, I've done a lot of crazy stuff for this show, but like I say that, the falls don't really get me very excited. Yeah, definitely, not wow nor any stuff. I'm fine, but I'm getting better at falling now. Sure I started to not give as much of a shit now that I'm older. Something happened where I just stopped caring. That's funny. I think I went the opposite way. I think, I you know, I never cared and now when I'm like, but it's kind of like I have to do it, I'm looking and I'm looking at it now like I have to do it. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But like, if we have to do something scary, I'm not gonna be like, no, I'm not going to do it because I've quit before once for more so for gameplay. But it's just like you just gotta get in there and go that's right, but you've just nailed it. And that's why we stopped testing largely and why we started bringing in testers, because like, sure, I can test a game, but for you guys, like we want to see people who are really you know, they're being paid, they're being paid to perform just like you guys are. So it's like, you know, it makes sense to have to have you know, real real body doubles for you guys. I give you guys a lot of credit because even though you have to set all of these challenges up early, I mean, you really keep everything such a secret. We are completely left in the dark. We don't know anything that's going to happen. I mean, how do you guys keep that on lock? So well? Are there just a lot of people on the cast or on the crew who don't know what's going to happen the next day? I tell no one anything unless absolutely necessary. And what about TJ? How much does TJ know before he he'll largely know what's going on. TJ and I like to talk about things. TJ and I are super close. We're good bugs, and he likes he likes to know what's coming up. He likes to get in the zone and everything. So yeah, we talk and then TJ knows what challenges are coming up, We talk about it. We talk about like how it's going to go, how we think it's going to play. So yeah, he's involved. He make bets on who you think is gonna win left right? I know they do, oh, I mean big teammate bets and she was a part of the cast. Yeah. People, I definitely gave away some money this season. Definitely lost a couple of bets. It's fine, It's really fine. Um. So with that being said, I know that like back when you when you first started, Yeah, it was basically pulled from Real World and road rules, and now we're getting all of these other people. I feel like this season in particular was super special. I mean it was the most diverse cast I've ever been on UM, which I think was amazing just for the storytelling alone. Like everybody shared like its gradir issues. Um. I mean, we talked about mental health, which isn't talked about a lot um in our community. It's just you know, just like you know, a lot of pressure to be a certain wet Like it was just amazing and I hadn't um, I hadn't seen that before. So thank you, well, no, thank you, thank you guys all and spice this season. Oh look, it's all about you guys. I think I'm really proud of that. I'm so happy that you've said that because I think, you know, ultimately it's what we're all interested in, is everybody's story, Like what we're all about, what makes us tick. And when everybody was being so raw and so honest and so open and to have all of those real conversations and be it from like race to any kind of you know, mental health issue, like you say, it was just we're all human, we all struggle, and I think that you guys sharing those struggles so openly and so honestly will be really important to our viewers. And I think that it's awesome. So I commend everybody on their honesty and they're you know, bringing their a game. I think it's really really special. Yeah, I feel like we're slowly getting not that real worldwide, but that like dig a little deeper into the human like, right, have the because these episodes used to be twenty two minutes and you guys unpack them full of stuff, and now we have an hour and a half and I'm like you, you know, you can still sneak in these very real, vulnerable, open, honest, scary moments for people and make us even more relatable. These are humans, These are people that are still struggling, like now, like the challenges used to be the challenge, Like I feel now we've added another layer of Oh these people have stories. Yeah, and these are relatable stories. I just got chillsblut. I'm really really happy about that. Oh well, I'm glad you're happy. Yes, But you guys have a platform and to use it, you know, to use it wisely. And I think that it's I think it's it's an awesome platform and I think it's it's Yeah, it's really special this season. Yeah, and that conversation between you and Essa and Cam that first episode like setting the tone emotionally for this season. Like, I think that first episode had every bit that it needed to have in it. It had the emotional aspect, that conversation, it was so beautiful and opening, and then we had the competition, which was incredible, and then we had that killer elimination. Like that first episode was just so amazing to watch. It was amazing. I've never been in shock and awe from a from a premiere for a challenge in a long time. I mean, Tory and I are watching it like, oh my god, what's going on? James Bond movie? What the fuck? I know? I mean, the music was incredible. I mean just the pictures of us on the screen with TJ. I'm like, you guys put in fucking yeah. We did mean so much and you can tell like you guys cared so much. Don't care, but like it is like this, it just looks like everybody just tried their asses off. Yeah, and crew are like, it's really funny that you mentioned that cold open, because like that initial minute and a half, you know, it's like the ode to TJ Lave and then he comes in and he fits in the thumb drive and all the data is you know, I sing and everything. I mean, I had, like, you know, I picture in my head how it's going to open, and then you know, you pitch what I what you what you write and and so when we talk it through together with the network, and it was literally sentenced by sentence what I had written on a page month ago. So to actually watch it, I was just like, Wow, it was. It was really impressional actually, and I'm so glad you guys liked it, but it's yeah, we haven't. I felt sick. I felt like I had won. I felt like I was about to go compete again. I felt like I made I was like, I'm in a movie, mom, in a fucking movie. I like it. Figure. It felt like that, And it felt like we hadn't even done it yet, Like yeah, I was excited all over to you want to go run somewhere like I didn't know what. I didn't know what to do with myself. I thought it was absolutely incredible. I mean, I can't wait to see the rest of the season. It is. Yeah, well you guys, hold up, you guys nailed it. Yeah, I did. For Amur. We can't thank you enough. It's honestly a pleasure to do these shows with you and have all these moments to laugh about and honestly thank you for everything you do and for coming out of this podcast and opening up with us. Thank you, you guys. I love you both. You're amazing thing at me. I love them with you always. I know, I know you always say that to be honest, it wouldn't It would not be our relationship if you didn't laugh sometimes I would feel weird about it. No that I won't change I wouldn't change anything. I am so grateful for the opportunity. I am so grateful that because of you, I challenge myself just showing up as a challenge, you know, So thank you for you know that I can eat, so thank you for the job, thank you for the experience. Tori is one of my closest friends, So thank you for that. Like it's just thank you for taking me to all of these beautiful places and just allowing me to push myself to do shit I never ever would even pay to do. Well. I am pride of you. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you both every day and I'm so grateful for being part of this based it is amazing. You guys are wonderful to many more to come. Yes, thank you so much, Mury later, Bye, bye bye. Our next segment is called Challenge Confidential. We're going to share a secret from the episode and I want to talk about something in editing that looks way different than happened in real life. And that's the order of the challenge. That's the order that we played the game. Like the guys went first, yeah, and then they show us going first. I'm like, my win was supposed to be second and climactic. Fuck, why are we watching the guys second? Yeah? You know, I think it was because the guys went first. I think they went so hard the girls got freaked out. And that's why you have in our group where Nicole was kind of throwing words to hello and Cam is like trying to figure out. She's not like attacking anybody for it, but she's listening to people like people are playing softer and smarter instead of harder like the way the guys played. So I think that's the reason why the girls played softer in the second round, but the guys got. They played so much harder that it's almost more fun to watch. And that's why I think they aired them second, or they could have shown like, oh, well, the girls definitely went slower, so like a Finissa one who probably didn't beat FESSI by that much. I mean I thought about all of this. Yeah, and so I was watching it. But here's another Can I share another secret? Oh yeah, the guys usually always go first in the first elimination. Yeah, so that was a big like ladies first moment. And for me, I'm like, chivalry could have died just for today if they got to just let the guys go first. I would have patriarchy any other day. But let it, let them, let the mails go first and lead us into victory. I would have let them go down. We would have had an amazing matchup. It would have been ct for West like that would have been like hanging upside down by ends and feet in the ankles and wrists in the most vulnerable position, and we would have gotten. But we didn't. But no, we did not. All right, Tory, let's talk about what's in our mail bag, which the mail bag includes a bunch of questions from people out there who want to know more about us and what goes on in the Challenge house. All right, so let's do it. One of the questions that we got from one of the fans is how did this season change with coronavirus R wea so many COVID tests. I feel like a cute tip. I feel like a cute tip. There was a lot of nasal brutality. Oh my god. Before we even got to the location. We had to pass the first two tests. Then we had to get tested right when we got into Iceland, and Tory can tell you how wonderful her test went. It was terrible. I literally walking into Iceland, this woman like took this thing, this qute tip, and shoved its so deep in my nose. I had never felt like a cute tip in my brain before I grabbed her by the wrist and I'm like, I moved my head. She's like, don't thattch me. I'm like shaking my head in agony, literally with this huge stick out of my nose. Like I opened my eyes and I see it that first one in Ice, and I was like, these people don't give a fuck over here. Yeah, but that's why they have no cases. Oh yeah, because they give a fuck, and your nearest neighbors as sheep like sixteen wild horses. God it was. It definitely changed. But you know what was really cool. We got so many hugs, which was nice because I hadn't had a hug and so long. Definitely was a change. Yeah, and we couldn't go out the season, you know. So they built us a club in the backyard, and that club got so many different names. Oh my god. We called it the cligloo because it looks like a club igloo. But production hated when they called us that, so they made us call it the ice Dome and all of our interviews and we were like, it's the cligloo. Yeah, And I thought it was the click glue and that's why they're calling it the cligloo. I thought maybe Nelson it made up that name because he calls it a click and not a click. That's another secret today, but Nelson calls a click a click, and I thought, that's why we're calling it the click blue. And Tory let me go on and say because she knew, but that's what I thought it was, and did not correct me. I can't thought laughing right, I'm crying. You did that oh fuck, Okay, let's get off this question before I keep laughing. All right, well, then I'll ask the next question so you could get it together. Thank you. So someone wanted to know how far in advance do you find out what the challenge is? Bitch? When you arrive on set, you don't know any You still don't know. You don't know until TJ says it totally, because you can arrive at the challenge and you could be like, I think it's this, I think we're gonna do this, and you could be completely wrong. You'll never know. I don't think I've ever known what it was from twenty years ago today. No. Yeah, that makes sense because they want to get genuine reactions, and it also gives us no time to plan on how we're gonna do it. We just have to get there and everyone has the same amount of time to strategize. Yeah. Yeah, Well, listen, this was an amazing first episode. You crushed it, Anissa. You are the MVP girl. I'm so happy that you got your first challenge daily win and thank you. I'm sure there are more to come this season, so let's hope for that. We shall seem all right, girl, where can we follow you Anissa so we can. DM. You can tell you that UQ and Anissa MTV everywhere. That's a n E s a MTV. Yeah, that's Twitter, that is Instagram. Please, I'm not gonna give up Snapchat because I don't want to crazy shit in there, and I know y'all all send it. Thank you, but thank you. Yeah, what's yours? Tory? You guys can follow me at Tory Underscore deal And I'm not on Twitter anymore because the trolls are too too fucking crazy. I'm over it. On Snapchat, I have eleven followers, a Nissa's one of them. I want to keep it that way, So just follow me on Instagram. DM, mean, let me know what's going on in your life. Don't set me know. Dick pis nothing crazy like that unless it's huge. No, but really, if you have any questions, make sure you send them in because you never know we may be discussing them. They may be in our next mailbag. Yes, yes, yes, So that's it for this week's episode, but we'll be back next week. Guys. Make sure to watch the new episodes of the Challenge every Wednesday and go behind the scenes with us the next morning. On MTV's official Challenge podcast,