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BY DC CUEVA
To us here at this site, it's not officially a new season of either EOTB or The Challenge until we get to answer a burning question you and other fans have whenever we get to begin watching once again when it premieres: "Who Are These Newbies?" We feel that you, the fans, should get to know a bit more about anyone who crosses into MTV lines for the first time when they are cast on the "ultimate relations__ show" or if they're competing with TJ Lavin and friends as as a first-time rookie or as a returning veteran.
For Ex On The Beach, we've brought this preseason Challenge tradition over to this show to answer this question by informing you of anyone of particular interest that comes over from reality TV and the pop culture spectrum into the EOTB house. Like we do with the fifth major pro sport, we offer these people the proper welcome and the respect that they deserve, for which we have profiled over 100 of them in our years covering the MTV beat, most recently the international newcomers that came to the War of the Worlds Challenge, and with more to come in its sequel. And our goal is to help MTV fans like you get to know to them, show you who they are, what they're about and the backstory of their time on reality TV before they come to the EOTB house.
Anywhere you go, the Ex phenomenon often casts those from other reality series in the native homeland, as well as outside of what the Brits call "factual entertainment," all for the sake of putting them through hell for a few months for our viewing pleasure and enjoyment. And after featuring the new dad of the MTV Challenge family, a Teen Mom, a Big Brother houseguest turned Challenger and others, season 3 of the American adaptation of this format won't be any different. The cast here is once again over 20 of them in all - 25 to be exact, with over half of them having appeared on reality TV before and eight being familiar to MTV fans. But unlike last season, there's those who haven't appeared as yet on reality TV and are making their debuts here.
For our EOTB 2 Newbies posts last time out, we featured six singles (Chad, Cheyenne, Corey, Janelle, Maya and Morgan) and five exes (Murray, Cory, Jay, Monte and JD) - and as it was with War of the Worlds it was split into two parts. Here, we will have just this one post to profile five singles on their own, two other singles who as a pair of twins will count as one for the sake of this site, and one of the notable exes who came into the house straight off of a breakup.
But as is tradition, you will not be seeing those who came from other MTV Reality shows being profiled in this post. That includes two AYTO alumni with the same first name, one who was in love on her original Real World, and their related exes coming into the house at various points during this season... only if they cross over into The Challenge as a rookie do we get to write about them again. Do search around this site to learn about them, their progress and backstory.
So once again, we at DCBLOG are here to answer that question, "Who Are These Newbies?" ... this time it's for Season 3 of Ex On The Beach USA. And after the jump, we begin with the one who comes here with the biggest profile - both in the MTV world and in the mindset of the casual viewer.
At the start of the millennium, MTV Studios produced for ABC the first iteration of Making the Band, where later-deposed Orlando businessman Lou Pearlman (the one who discovered both the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync) put together a boy band still around 20 years later, O-Town. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs took over the realm in 2002, and during his reign he compiled a hybrid hip-hop & R&B troupe fittingly called Da Band, male R&B group Day 26, and discovered singer & producer Donnie Klang. And he will be at it again as Making the Band is the latest old MTV hit to be given a reboot next year during this golden era of returns of blasts from the past.
For the most notable era of MTB, the third & fourth generations of the show saw Diddy confront the task of putting together a girl group when Destiny's Child were queens and before there was Little Mix, Fifth Harmony and Black Pink. He and the team of choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, vocal trainer Doc Holiday and the man who managed the TRL heavyweights and New Kids on The Block, Johnny Wright, scoured America and sifted through auditions from 10,000 wannabes with the goal of coming to New York for a chance to be on his girl group. After a very long & hard process, five women were chosen at journey's end: Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, Aundrea Fimbres, and a girl Aundrea had a strong bond with during this quest.
In a similar scenario that would later see Camila Cabello break out on her own from 5H, it was clear that Aubrey was THE star of DK, with her fame and physique landing her greater exposure and posing for Blender and other male-oriented magazines. Puffy would then find himself second-guessing why he chose Aubrey in the first place because of her sexy image, and in 2008 she would find herself on the outside looking in as she was fired from the group in one of MTV's biggest reality moments ever... all as rumors were abound of a possible split or hiatus, which eventually came for Danity Kane in 2009 after their second album. A first reunion five years later had Twitter buzzing at the VMA's, only for a fight to bring their return to a halt... and now Aubrey, Shannon and Dawn are back together, once again, as they are touring this summer at the same time as EOTB 3.
In between her Danity Kane stints - and before this summer MTV homecoming, Aubrey has become a reality fan favorite: a controversial stint on season 5 of The Celebrity Apprentice, two seasons of Marriage Bootcamp, sharing quarters with MTV UK icon & Challenge newcomer Stephen Bear as well as Ariana Grande's brother Frankie on Celebity Big Brother UK, appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race and Dance Moms, and of course her famous fling with DJ Pauly D. on E!'s Famously Single (which also included Bachelor suitor and Champs vs. Stars alum Josh Murray and Real Housewives' Brandi Glanville). Below, two of those times where Aubrey had two shots at love with the Guido, a fight with a talk show host, and her & Pauly.
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♥ MARK JANSEN (Big Brother 19)
One of those who spent summer 2017 in that California public fishbowl was Mark Jansen, who was a 26-year-old personal trainer from the Buffalo suburb of Grand Island, NY when he moved into the house. In spending much time in the gym and having experienced what it's like to be at an NFL combine as a former Div. 1 college footballer, it's no clue that he loves to lift weights and have plenty of protein every day in also being a bodybuilder, and who described himself in his BB bio as being "fun, strong, thoughtful" and whose life motto is "Fear none, regret less."
For someone who also admits to loving the game of chess, he told CBS.com that his strategy coming into BB19 was to read people and earn their trust but also be relatable to the houseguests while not getting caught up in everyone else's drama. And in the house, he found himself a target when he aligned with later married couple Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson, tried unsuccessfully to get Jason Dent to make a move against 2-time runner-up Paul Abrahamian and heard all that noise from Josh famously banging those pots & pans. Mark had a month-long run of winning competitions to avoid elimination before getting evicted in week 8 in the house.
♥ ELENA DAVIES (Big Brother 19) - Mark's Ex
In her BB bio, Elena saw leaving behind her inner circle of family & friends as well as living with strangers as her biggest challenge, while also taking a situational approach to the game strategy when it comes to fellow houseguests. She also saw herself as being "funny, abrasive, and charming," while also enjoying going to concerts and tailgating, going out whenever she's not catching up on sleep, and browsing through her Instagram timeline... staying true to her life's motto of not "going anywhere without a phone charger and beer koozies."
In the house, she was part of the aforementioned showmance alliance with her ex, Cody & Jessica up until she went elsewhere in the house but survived a week 6 eviction vote. Her aligning with her ex saw them become targets during a double elimination week, but later she would be given the pink slip in an almost-unanimous vote. Highlights are below, plus Elena got to spend time backstage at the Dallas stop on the 2015 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour with Camila Cabello, for whom season 1 ex Marco Delvecchio (Bachelor Nation's Jasmine Goode's ex) appeared in her VMA-winning video for "Havana," right as she began exploring her eventual breakout solo career post-Fifth Harmony.
THE EX-STORY: #Marlena
While in the jury house, the two began talking about plans to move in together, and Mark drove from the cool climate of Buffalo to be with Elena down in Dallas after BB19 wrapped up two years ago, and they became close with Jessica & Cody in the Metroplex including being at their wedding day... all as Marlena were plotting their future plans themselves. As was noted during her brief stay in the house, they broke up on Valentine's Day after a year that saw them argue quite a bit in their time together, but spurred on by the lease on their house in Texas being up. Below, highlights of their time together, and both discussing their breakup. And if you've seen their social media of late, there might be something that's up in the minds of a lot of BB fans... more in a later post.
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♥ MECHIE HARRIS - 4EY The Future
The man who calls himself "Mechie" also branched out on his own, earning an opening act gig for Meek Mill, and earning a greater status as a star on that mid-2010's social sensation known as Vine. Among his famous goodies that lasted all of six seconds included him dunking over and posterizing Rick Ross on a basketball court, singing along to the likes of Drake and Jeremih, and other clips of himself being not so serious and being ooh so silly off stage. That is Mechie So Crazy's large social following that numbers in at over 509,000 on Instagram and another 68k on Twitter.
After video was uncovered of Chyna doing that lap dance on him in this act of revenge porn, originally the then-single Mechie denied having a girl until a later post on his Insta saw him kiss the back of her neck... followed by him posting a cover of SZA's "The Weekend" on his account with accompanying laughing emojis that took a swipe at Rob and raised eyebrows about his relationship that saw the man at the heart of it not being pleased that his name was outed and dragged for the world to see... all as paparazzi took pictures of them regularly of, as Mechie told Romeo in the premiere, a "wild" ride until their split in August 2017.
Below, a sampling of the many sides of Mechie: him with Blac (and them dealing with paparazzi, the time he posterized Rick, a challenge involving a girl who we might see on the beach sometime soon, and his music.
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♥ CAMERON ARMSTRONG - ABC's Boy Band and The Rookie
A person who was in the running for the coveted throne(s) was Cameron Armstrong, a Charleston, SC native who grew up a star athlete, and whose dad was a Dallas Cowboys replacement LCB during the '87 strike-ridden season before turning to the military and religion. Cameron also practiced music with his mom, and when he was given choices to accept athletic scholarships at either his dad's alma mater or UCLA, or even pursuing a career in music or entertainment... he chose the third option much to his parents' surprise. A degree in performing arts from LA's ADMA Academy followed, along with being part of several commercials in a surging showbiz career.
That itch to try music again got to Cameron while out in SoCal... so, he decided to audition for Boy Band two years ago. In the audition for the first clip below, he covered Bruno Mars' "Treasure" in front of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Timbaland and Rita Ora, and it led the Brit to get up out of her seat. Cam looked to Bruno again when he joined contestants Jay "J Hype" Gilbert, Sergio Calderon, Devin Hayes, Drew Ramos and Marcus Pendleton to cover "That's What I Like" before being eliminated. But that was not the end to his time on ABC: last year he returned in spots on The Rookie as a nurse at an area hospital and then as a partner to the show's main character Jackson West, played by Titus Makin.
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♥ ALLIE & LEXI KAPLAN - Artists & Subjects on Netflix's Insta@Famous
Allie & Lexi Kaplan are both 26 years old and grew up in the Big Apple suburb of Short Hills, NJ, named America's richest city by Time Magazine. They first caught the eye of The New York Times back in fall 2005 when they made early appearances as 12-year-old's in shows & commercials that saw them launch a charitable clothing label while still in elementary school, but also being dubbed as "the new Olsen twins." Fast forward a decade later, and they had New York University degrees in on their walls in a different frame of mind: studio art, as they brought their talents to L.A. to pursue this profession on a full-time basis.
With their mom as their manager, The Kaplans have grown up with the rest of America in a generation born in the most rad decade ever of the 90's, and where those who lived through that time now dominate both our timelines and headlines. Allie & Lexi's fascinations with how the people's obsession with celebrities have evolved, including the role technology has in our digital world... and it was what they saw in browsing their social media apps that inspired the twins to do something a bit different than those who expected them to do something meaningful with those college diplomas.
Their paintings of leaked celebrity selfies and pictures of stars being naked in the name of what they call "sexploitation" have seen the twins garner much attention and controversy, including their revealing painting of Kim Kardashian which now adorns the walls of a major adult entertainment company. They also sold stuffed animals and superhero toys they claim to have slept with nightly for $333 a pop on Instagram. while last year the twins hosted a lavish 4th of July weekend party in the Hamptons where they displayed their fine works of art. Below, a sampling.
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♥ BILLY REILICH - E!'s What Happens at the Abbey, and "Nick the Gardener" on Ellen
Billy Reilich grew up in Dayton, Ohio where he had basketball in his blood playing in high school and college, and then coaching it after receiving his degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. But the big break for this farm boy would come not on the court or from a team either in the NBA system or overseas, but from a call that he would get from out west to come out to California. That offer was not to play for the Lakers, but receiving a recurring role on one of daytime TV's most-popular shows, The Ellen Degeneres Show... all thanks to a song he and his friends penned for the icon.
Billy would serve as "Nick the Gardener," and the title says what you need to know his role was: serving as the man who would water the plants around the set of the Queen of all things Kindness in our world. It's here that it would garner him viral attention for having those looks of that boy next door and garnering the aural and visual attention of those ladies who sit in Ellen's audience every day in taking off that tank top to reveal those Hulk-like abs of his. His stardom on Ellen helped him become a bodybuilder and a fitness model who has an Instagram following of over 60,000.
And when you get to show off those abs regularly, it's likely you'll get cast for a movie with strippers, and it was there that he performed alongside Channing Tatum as the fireman in the 2015 sequel of his hot stripping movie, Magic Mike XXL... the result of a call to Ellen by its leading man. And Billy then appeared in a few other series before going onto reality TV on the E! series, where he worked at the Abbey as perhaps its most notable VIP bottle server, for which clips of that and his other TV appearances are below.
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The biggest celebrity alum of this U.S. show yet linked to MTV's past and the present in the White House, a Big Brother showmance, one-half of a celebrity romance, a pair of twins, a singer/actor and a heartthrob. Aubrey, Mark, Elena, Mechie, Billy, Cameron and the Kaplan twins have had varied journeys in music, television and art that has brought them to join some of MTV's most notable names of late for Season 3 of Ex On The Beach... and with the season at just about its midway point each of these figures have generated some buzz, with much more to come. And if the rumors on the grapevine are true, those who will be on the next season will be just as juicy... stay tuned.
In the meantime, there is another group of newbies who, like this post, clock in at the number eight. That is the amount of new Challenge competitors that hail from the United Kingdom, and who will be joining the rest of Team U.K. for War of the Worlds 2. DCBLOG will be featuring them here next week as we turn the attention to covering the new season of the fifth major pro sport, starting with our season preview to come this weekend, along with the pulse of this week's EOTB and an appreciation of what we've done on here as we mark 1000 posts. See you tomorrow.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
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