EXTENDED POST - 21 Mins.
BY DC CUEVA
BY DC CUEVA
Every season, one of those burning questions you and every other fan has at the beginning of any new season of The Challenge and Ex On The Beach: "Who Are These Newbies?". This longstanding philosophy of ours has always been to make sure that you, our loyal readers, get to know every Challenge rookie and returning veteran competitor, and every non-MTV reality newcomer to the EOTB house, by giving them the proper welcome & respect they deserve and to ensure that you don't meet a new Challenger for the first time in the premiere. Through this manner, we have profiled 75 first-time competitors and returning veterans in the eleven Challenges we've blogged on here, and that number balloons up to what will ultimately be 86 people when the non-MTV reality stars who have come to EOTB USA, with part 2 of that series to be posted soon enough.
War of the Worlds is no exception when it comes to us here at DCBLOG giving the rookies their time in the spotlight and to offer some background, context, perspective and insight into those who are about to get their feet wet for the very first time in this, the fifth major pro sport. But Season 33 of The Challenge is also unique in its own way: for the fourth time dating back to Fresh Meat II in 2010, a single season will have 10 or more rookies donning the Under Armour uniform for the very first time. The last one came on Bloodlines in 2015 when Cory, Ex On The Beach single Nicole, Dario, Tony's brother Shane and Bananas' cousin Vince were the notables of a record 18 first-timers in the show's second trip to Turkey... the first one came on Battle of the Seasons II three years earlier when Nicole's cousin Nany and Zach made their debuts as part of a crop of 16 rookies.
This time out, Season 33 will bring in another group of sweet sixteen: that's the number of rookies who make up the class of "Prospects" who've been flown in from both the United States and around the world who eventually will be paired up with sixteen Challenge veterans and relative newcomers in a pairs season where the team who emerges victorious will grab the lions' share of $1 million. This class of newbies -- one that makes up for more than half of the total cast -- ranges from two who joined the MTV family by way of the American version of Ex On The Beach and several from the global Shore franchise including one who will fly straight from Florida for his first Challenge, to several players who made their debuts in the summertime on Big Brother, and two highly-touted rookies who in reality are seasoned veteran competitors.
As we always do here, we'll take the opportunity to introduce this field of newbies for you here with how their original series' bios described them when they began to dive into the reality field, what happened on their original and subsequent shows -- including offer clips of those shows, and any extra info on them that might be of particular interest. Because the rookie field for this season is larger than usual, just as we've done for Ex On The Beach Season 2, we will be splitting this post into two parts: part one -- this very post -- will cover the players coming from North America, while part two which comes shortly after this one will focus on the international contingent.
But... not every Prospect will be covered in these two posts: just as it was last season, we're giving a pass to those we've featured in previous WATN posts to spare us some time & expense. Thus, fellow rookies of this season, Bachelor Nation's Chase McNary and Big Brother alum Morgan Willett, will not be featured in this series after we profiled them during their season of Ex On The Beach along with Paulie... and to save space, we also combined two rookies into one section for the fact that they are siblings. And in case you're curious, simply search around to find out about the vets you're seeing for the first time if you're a newcomer to watching this series.
So, we're about to answer that question: "Who Are These Newbies of The Challenge: War of the Worlds?" After the jump, we'll commence our deep dive of fourteen of this season's rookie crop with a ladies man who has been roaming the streets of the Florida panhandle, and will have the luxury of continuing his 14-month MTV run continue by competing on his first Challenge and with someone who he knows very well as a resident of the same town they call home.
● GUS SMYRNIOS (Floribama Shore)
When we first met Gus Smyrnios on the premiere of Floribama Shore over a year ago, he was a Southern charmer from Perry, FL – the same hometown as Hunter Barfield – who prided himself on manners and respect for everyone, including women. The Greek American also had to get used to being an adult earlier than planned as when he was 17, he was kicked out of his house as he had an uneasy relationship with his parents. And even to this day, his family still disapproves of him being in the show, and several times he has broken down about his relationship with his family to his second family of the Floribama cast. And if you're wondering, yes he did go to the same high school as Hunter, forming an instant preseason alliance in the process.
Those who have watched him in his two seasons in PCB know that Gus has been having an on & off relationship with local girl Nilsa Prowant, one which has seen them lock lips and snuggle several times… it's the most prominent chapter in his ongoing quest to find the right lady and to wife up, which has also seen him hook up with many other girls in the clubs. He's also found himself in the middle of the battle with the guys and girls, like the time he and Aimee Hall got into it while the group was on a Mardi Gras trip to New Orleans, and when he let Kortni Gilson violate girl code with Nilsa by snuggling with him not once, but twice. And he's formed a strong bond with the guys, especially Jeremiah Buoni for which they now room together out in Arizona and putting in endless time in the gym and starting new fitness programs in the process.
Below, a clip of Gus making out with Nilsa in Season 2 as those in Poland got to see it in the Polish language, and him opening up about his family upbringing to his housemates, as well as him enjoying time with his mom on the beach. Also, just after filming for Season 2 ended & the group going on a New York press tour, he shared with Yahoo's Build series more on his family's disapproval of him on the show. And in something you have likely never seen, we've happened to uncover a YouTube reel of Gus playing a linebacker in high school football... an athletic prowess that he will have to go back and rely on as he goes about his first Challenge.
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● MATTIE LYNN BREAUX (CMT's Party Down South)
One of the castmates who spent their summers in South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and St. Petersburg, FL was Mattie Lynn Breaux, who came to PDS from Gheens, Louisiana not far from the hometown of Real World original Trishelle in nearby Cutoff. Mattie is a former beauty queen who stands 6'3" when her heels are included, and who now calls Nashville her home. She's one who's never shy to say what she thinks, and where being the center of attention is a fact of life for her as is partying. The CMT bio added, "Mattie truly defines 'hot mess' as her love life is always full of drama. She’s involved in an on-again off-again relationship back home, so this summer in Murrells will surely test its strength."
In being part of all five seasons of the series - where the press dubbed her the J-Woww of Party Down South and the equivalent of Kortni on Floribama, Mattie fit herself well nicely with the rest of the lovable bunch. This included finding herself in romances with Lyle A. Boudreaux and Walt Windhamm, eating chest hair during a drunken rampage, and the many times her drunken alter-ego "Mattie" came rolling along in the Southern night. And while filming for Season 2 took place, she had a bench arrest warrant issued when she was booked in summer 2012 for a prior DUI charge two years before being cast.
Below, some of Mattie's finest & not-so-finest moments from her time on Party Down South, which returned last year on site Rated Red in the form of YouTube shorts. As we previously featured on here before, thanks to her live episode tweets Mattie has been an interested viewer in Floribama, as is her PDS castmate Tiffany Heinen, and it's safe to say that she and Gus will form an instant Southern alliance in the house along with him and Hunter.
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● JOSH MARTINEZ (Big Brother 19)
When viewers met Cuban-American Josh Martinez in summer 2017 for BB19, he was a hair care salesman from Miami who called himself "ambitious, courageous and passionate." For someone who enjoys the south Florida way of life, he's athletic, loves to meet new people and open to new experiences - including having to spend a whole summer sheltered with everyone else in the house. And he also refers to himself by the nickname of "meatball," giving a new definition in the MTV dictionary to a couple ladies from the Jersey Shore.
Josh’s strategy going into the season, as he told the B.B. site, was to “lie, cheat, and manipulate. Lie and deceive all these meatballs into doing what I want as I win comps and make them think we're best friends. Also, find that one Houseguest I can completely trust and make it all the way to Final 2.” And there in the House, he became friends with Southerner Christmas Abbott and a few of the houseguests. But most notably, he found himself in plenty of drama: calling a housemate "a snake" and got into arguments with several others... and he used the chance at every opportunity to make some noise -- quite literally -- when he banged on pots and pans around the house to get into the ears of those detracted him.
In addition to Christmas, Josh aligned with a man who was a redemption mission of his own in the aforementioned Paul, who finished runner-up the previous summer to Nicole Franzel. The student got to follow in Paul's steps until finding out that the vet let the others do his dirty work for him, which led Josh to expose him and threatened to turn on Paul towards the end of the 100 days. But Josh decided to not pull the trigger and when he won the last Head of Household instead let Paul get another chance at the $500 G's thinking a jury who were weaker than BB 18 would have a big dislike of Paul than him or Christmas - who also made the final three with him. That strategy of taking Paul to the final would be a beneficial one: a 5-4 jury vote gave Josh the $500,000.
Below, a peek at Josh's casting tape, and some of his moments from his summer in SoCal.
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● JULIA NOLAN & LIZ NOLAN (Big Brother 17)
Months before the Bloodlines (including RW Ex-Plosion's Thomas Buell & brother Stephen, AYTO's Dario Medrano & twin Raphy, and Nany's cousin Nicole Ramos) invaded The Challenge, Big Brother 17 in summer 2015 included a Twin Twist, where our next two competitors eventually shared quarters with Da'Vonne Rogers, but unlike what happened in Turkey and with Alex & Morgan - they didn't come into the house at the same time.
Julia and Liz Nolan were 23 and living in Miami working in a marketing firm on the vibrant South Florida nightlife when they made the trek to California for BB17. Julia was an intern who saw herself as hilarious, enthusiastic and adventurous, while Liz also worked as a coordinator who liked being outgoing, determined and being likable. They not only shared a passion for nightlife, they also got matching breast argumentations on the same day. Julia likes to be athletic and calls herself a man-eater while also having to overcome leukemia at a young age, while Liz is the resident nerd and a true romantic in the love game.
In the house itself, the Nolan twins competed & voted as a pair, switched a few times each week and kept each other up to date on house matters before both took up residency in the house as two separate houseguests. Liz had the better season when it came to competitions in being HoH three times while also dodging elimination four times... and she was in a romance with roommate Austin Matelson for some time after leaving the house. Julia, on the other hand, did not slightly fare as well as her twin upon her entering the house in Week 6 and eventually finished in 6th place, joined the final jury that ultimately saw Liz make it to the final two, falling to whiz kid Steve Moses.
Below, some of the Nolan twins' summer in Big Brother land, and the girls have their own YouTube channel with videos already up and, presumably they'll have a lot to say during this season.
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● NATALIE "NINJA" DURAN (American Ninja Warrior)
The one American prospect who bears the weight of being the most eagerly anticipated new female competitor this season is Natalie "Ninja" Duran, a professional rock climber and fitness model who first appeared on ANW in its fourth season in 2012. She then gave it another try four years later on season 8 in 2016 where she advanced to the finals of the Los Angeles regional -- one of the first women to do so as well as make it to a new Warped Wall on the series. Ninja then appeared on two spinoff series, Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja vs. Ninja, and just a few months ago set a Guinness World Record for recorded the fastest time in the 5-meter rope climb.
Duran has a 2013 UC Riverside diploma with a neuroscience degree, and when not doing what she does best is a clinical researcher at UCLA Health studying inflammatory bowel disease. When posing doing rock climbing as a fitness model, she got to wear an ostomy bag to help raise public awareness of a health condition that affects the colon and small intestine that, while not as widespread as others, is one that is not medically curable but still allows those who live with it to still live healthy lives.
Natalie has also been a pioneer in the world of online influencers: in 2006, she launched one of the first YouTube channels to feature daily vlog's, as her channel - NDTitanLady - has notched 16.5 million views in thirteen years and has a collective social media following of over 175,000 users across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And below, her submission video to ANW, her two L.A. qualifying runs, her on Ninja vs. Ninja, and her world record attempt.
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● SHALEEN SUTHERLAND (The Bachelor Canada) 🇨🇦
One of the many iterations of the global Bachelor franchise -- the same one that saw suitors and leading figures from eight nations gather for their own Winter Games last year -- came north of the border on The Bachelor Canada. Season 3 introduced the Canucks to Toronto native Shaleen Sunderland, who was one of twenty bachelorettes vying to land Montreal'er Chris Leroux, a former major league pitcher who threw for the Marlins, Pirates, Yankees, in Japan and on a Canadian team that beat the U.S. on a walkoff error to win 2015 Pan Am Games gold in Toronto.
The bio Global News (whose specialty cable network, W Network, aired Season 3 of Bachelor Canada) wrote of her read, "Shaleen has a gorgeous smile, goofy personality and a whole lot of sass. She likes to go after what she wants and she isn’t afraid to “pull out the claws” to get it. Confident in who she is, Shaleen is ready to take the plunge and fall in love." And below is Shaleen's casting interview - sadly it's the only clip we could find of her in relation to Bachelor Canada... the only other videos we found was of her appearing in a music video for a Canadian artist, and an interview she did during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013.
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● ALAN VALDEZ - Model & Telenovela Actor 🇲🇽
Alan Valdez is a fitness model born in Hermosillo in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, some 250 miles south of Tucson, AZ across the border. He is considered the most popular and successful fitness model to come from Mexico, and earned all-state honors in soccer, athletics and basketball eventually attending college in Monterrey. At age 20, Alan dropped out to pursue the American dream, and five years ago became a naturalized citizen who now calls Miami his casa.
Competition aside, modeling is where Alan is in the zone: he has been on the cover of several fitness magazines, and two times was crowned Model America, earned a 2012 Model Universe gold, and several other honors in the world of bodybuilding. Additionally, Alan has been in various commercials, music videos and TV shows, including several appearances on Spanish language soap operas - which are known to those you know the genre and to Da'Vonne as telenovelas.
Below, clips of Alan in fitness competitions and his everyday life as a fitness model... again there's not much out there on him but will nonetheless take great pride in being able to represent Mexico on The Challenge for the first time and see how he fares with the rest of the field. And as he notes on his Facebook page, he hopes to become a role model to those to take up a healthy & clean lifestyle.
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Coming up in Part 2 of the War of the Worlds installment of "Who Are These Newbies?", we shift the focus to the international field of competitors. We'll introduce you to a lad who has become the UK's equivalent of Cory Wharton in being an MTV staple in doing multiple shows, the root of the rivalry of two frenamies who were part of last year's British Invasion, and the season's most anticipated new competitor... one that will have his 600,000+ social media followers behind him all the way.
Join us for that in a few days as we near the season premiere next week, for which tonight we will get to know the newbies a bit more when MTV airs a season launch special for this new Challenge season... DCNOW will be offering that later at @DC408DxNow and at #DCChallenge. See you there, and talk to you then.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
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