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If you have been with DCBLOG from the very beginning back in 2013, a tradition of ours that's been in our coverage of every season of The Challenge since Rivals II has been "Who Are These Newbies?" -- our obligatory introduction to first-time competitors and other MTV Reality show newcomers since then. This past week saw both the premiere of The Challenge: USA and the season 3 finale of All-Stars... but before we begin our weekly episode coverage here which usually appears on the weekend but pushed back for this reason, there's this fourth & final installment of this Newbies series for the former -- which you are finally finished reading this, you will have gotten to know all of the competitors.
Outside of the U.S., since the mid-2010's there is simply one show that has become the big thing when it comes to reality love: Love Island first came to British tellies back in 2005 with a celebrity version that had Jack@$$ star Steve-O among its entrants. But it was when it was relaunched a decade later that the Love Island everyone knows it began: every series begins with a group of single Islanders walking into the villa on Day 1, and must be coupled with another fellow contestant for love, money or friendship. Singles can re-couple by swapping partners or choosing someone from the secondary house on the property known as Casa Amor, or risk getting dumped if they decide to remain single... and when the final week comes, the public votes for their favorite and that couple wins a cash prize.
Love Island has become to Britain what Big Brother is to us here in America: the one TV show that dominates the morning-after water-cooler buzz when we are all in need to chill out in the summer sun. It has become the highest-rated TV show in the UK among the specialty digital channels of its public service broadcasters and across all of TV among young adults... not to mention it dominating the trending topics on social media there. And broadcaster ITV and its studios arm have franchised the format out to over twenty countries where, after being disrupted in 2020 by the pandemic, Love Island UK is currently in its eighth series across the pond, with two more seasons planned for next year -- both in its traditional summer spot and this coming winter... and right now it's streaming on Hulu.
The massive success of Love Island ignited a bidding war among the networks for an American version of it, and CBS won that battle in airing three seasons of the show. But next week, Love Island USA will perform its own recoupling of sorts, as a spiritual trade among the two media companies who share joint custody of Johnny Bananas will see the show shift from CBS & linear TV to NBCUniversal's streaming outlet Peacock. Sarah Hyland will translate her love for reality dating shows as Bachelor in Paradise bartender Wells Adams' girlfriend in taking over as host, while U.K. narrator Iain Stirling will join her in Southern California as off-camera co-host once Series 8 concludes matters in its iconic villa in Mallorca, Spain... and just now, the Season 4 cast for Love Island USA is being revealed on its social channels.
Just as it was a year earlier when The Challenge helped usher in Ex On The Beach here, the show got to herald the pending arrival of Love Island in America with two competitors from the same 3rd series of the UK show competing on War of the Worlds in 2019... and both made it to what's called the toughest Challenge final ever. Former sprinter and Team GB Olympic hopeful Theo Campbell hung in there in that tough final in Nambia to finish 2nd, while Georgia Harrison couldn't survive day 1 in the heat. They were followed in by fellow UK alumni Gabby Allen, Idris Virgo and Priscilla Anyabu, and Jeremiah White and Lauren Coogan of our version... not to mention many others on our Ex On The Beach.
Now, a handful of those who also got to enjoy time with the last two in that above list -- along with Ray Gantt, Caro Vie, Emily Salch and Sher on EOTB -- are making the transition from being in the Villa to being in a totally different game: a physical and mental competition rather than just looking for love. And just head, we shine the spotlight on Cashay, Cashel, Cely, Cinco, Javonny, Justine, Shannon and Kyra on the forth & last installment of The Challenge: USA series of "Who Are These Newbies?".
A couple things to begin the final post of this series: first, we bring into play a rule established here a few years back that makes our job a bit more easier on ourselves: if a particular cast member in any season makes their debut on any other MTV show, and they were profiled on this site previously, then they are given a pass from being featured in Who Are These Newbies? to save us time, space and effort.
And second: usually in these introductory posts we get to embed clips of these personalities' original shows in these profiles. But with Love Island USA's aforementioned change from CBS to Peacock, the show's YouTube page has been purged of footage from those first three seasons... and if you notice the lack of videos on here, then that's why -- perhaps with the change of networks the show here might want a fresh start in getting to offer more of the naughty stuff than it was at the Eye.
season 1 2019
CASHEL BARNETT
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 17
Cashel Barnett was a 27-year-old model & musician from Sacramento when he made that long flight from the west coast to the South Pacific three summers ago. His bio read, "Cashel is a romantic who wears his heart on his sleeve. He already has a ring and is looking for the perfect girl to give it too." He went to Fordham University, graduated with an English degree and a B.A. minor, and who loves to snowboard, skateboard and surf -- giving him that necessary competition cred. But when it comes to love, he handles it old school: preferring to meet ladies in person rather than on Tinder.
When Cashel went onto that first Love Island excursion, the first impressions pairings that begin every season of the show saw him pair up with Caro. But by the first recoupling ceremony, he paired up with Kyra... and they stayed together the following week before he recoupled fellow Islander Katrina. But in the end, he opted to stay single, and he got dumped at Day 20... but he got back together with Kyra upon season's end... and they stayed together for a time before they called quits.
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season 2 2020
For the second act of Love Island in America, the situation as it stood that late summer of 2020 forced the show inland, and to that place where everyone goes to get married. And for a Las Vegas slowly reawakening from the two months' long enforced shutdown, boutique property The Cromwell (located across from Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Bally's) pitched in to serve as host -- its second time hosting a reality dating show that summer after season 2 of A Double Shot at Love with Pauly D. & Vinny.
This Love Island had to substitute for a regularly-scheduled UK season as it aired in its place across the pond... and we saw the aforementioned Lauren and Jeremiah there as they roamed the same hallways and the Drai's club as the Jersey bachelors, Nikki, Maria and Derynn. So did our next two islanders who actually lasted the full forty days on the Las Vegas Strip.
CELY VASQUEZ
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 40 RUNNER-UP
When it comes to love though, Cely also prefers to see her guys the pre-digital way in-person... and has never used online dating apps as she feels that it's, "... a whole other world that's honestly kinda scary." Her preference when it comes to love is to find someone who can make her laugh even when it might not appropriate to do so. But in Cely's last relationship prior to coming to Fiji, she and her man were not compatible matches because they got in many a dramatic argument.
As we told you here last week, this CBS Challenge show is going off at the same time that All-Star Shore is streaming on Paramount+, and the person who was her match in Vegas two summers ago is there in the Canaries with Angelina, Blake & co. Other than for an opening day's pairing up with Tre, Cely was matched the entire summer in the desert with Johnny Middlebrooks from that first recoupling night, through Casa Amor and onto finale night. The viewers voted them second best at summer's end, and Cely & Johnny stayed together for some time before breaking up at the beginning of 2021.
JUSTINE NDIBA
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 40 WINNER
Aged 27 when she entered the Season 3 villa, Justine now resides in Rockaway, NJ on the outskirts of the Big Apple and lives two lives: by day, she is a billing coordinator and at night, she's a part-time go-go dancer. Her preferences in a guy is one who's humble, respectful, kind, tall and Christian... and in her dating profile she wrote, "I'm a hot 27-year-old who's also got the brains. I take pride in my appearance, so working out is important to me, and would love someone I can work out with." And, she also looks to John Legend & Chrissy Teigen as her couples goals.
Before going into Love Island, this admitted superfan cut off her man after a 6-year on-and-off affair and came to Vegas wanting some lasting love. Once she arrived in the house, she was coupled with not just Tre but also Jeremiah in the first two weeks before being matched up for the first time with Day 5 latecomer Caleb Corprew from Oklahoma City. In the end, they were named king & queen of Sin City and were together for some time before breaking up.
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season 3 2021
Last year, Season 3 headed back to an actual island in the big island of Hawaii... and as we told you here back then, it was filmed in the same exact house that's not just a popular vacay spot for those like Justin Bieber, but was also the location for Season 1 of Ex On The Beach. That's where Cory & Taylor met, where Angela added more to her bad girl status, and where Paulie made his MTV debut. In the end, it was Alaska's Olivia Kaiser and Virginia Beach's Korey Gandy who became America's favorite couple in the EOTB 1/Love Island 3 house... and it has the largest representation here: four from one season.
JAVONNY VEGA
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 17
When it comes to Javonny the lover he told the country's most-read magazine, Sunday supplement Parade, of the three things he would like to have in his partner: "Low sex drive, a woman who doesn't care for her well-being and wants to be lazy, and a woman who doesn’t want to be great." But it hasn't always been smooth sailing: five years ago, police stopped Vega in his tracks, found 3 grams of pot in his back seat, and he later entered an acquittal plea on those charges.
Javonny's Love Island experience began, like the three others depicted in this last section, walking into that Hawaiian house on that first summer's afternoon and got paired up right at the beginning to Olivia. And they stayed together until Day 17 when she dumped him in favor of Kory, and they went on to become America's favorite at the end of both their summer and CBS' Love Island journey.
SHANNON ST. CLAIR
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 31
Those who love watching The Challenge know that we the fans aren't alone when it comes to the fandom that tunes in, and among the famous fans who watch any iteration of this show are those who work for Barstool Sports, which has its own Challenge podcast called No Quitters. Barstool's boss man is Dave Portnoy, who oversees the sports/pop culture juggernaut... and who over a year ago was linked romantically to Shannon after the failure a few years earlier of an 8-year relationship and marriage with his longtime girlfriend. The New York Post's gossip joint Page Six first reported of Dave hanging out with Shannon while down in Miami, but not much came about of that.
Obviously with that public profile, Shannon came onto Love Island looking for lasting love... and from when she entered Hawaii she clicked with another guy from Florida, former baseballer Josh Goldstein. They quickly connected to become the first official couple of the Island, but when they were on their way to perhaps win the $50,000 top prize they abruptly left on day 31. The reason was that Josh's sister had died suddenly, and they had to fly back home to tend to those matters... and Josh and Shannon stayed together for just about a year before last month, when they announced their amicable split.
CASHAY PROUDFOOT
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 32
On the love front, Cashay has a good understanding of what she wants in her man... and she came with high expectations for her Love Island campaign. But it did not get off on the right track to begin with: she was not picked by any of the guys in that first coupling... but soon enough she would become part of everyone's favorite dating show scenario. A love triangle ensued with her and one who we're seeing on All-Star Shore, Trina Njoroge, as they battled for the affection of the guy who appears below. Then, Cashay turned to Islander Isaiah... which put her into a second trifecta: this time with friend Aimee -- only for new guy Wes to take them on a date.
And, as we told you here two weeks ago, Cashay got into a Twitter beef with the aforementioned Trina after being in that triangle and after spilling plenty of tea during their public argument on there.
MELVIN "CINCO" HOLLAND, Jr.
♥ entered: day 1 / left: day 25
Melvin Holland, Jr. was a 26-year-old from Ashburn, Virginia (northwest of Washington, D.C.) when he came onto Love Island Hawaii last year. He has the smarts in two degrees: a bachelor's in business administration and master's in strategic business leadership... and he's translated that into starting his own fitness small business. When not working on that or being a delivery man, he's has done some bartending at the local Bowlero bowling alley... and he's also close to his dad, Melvin Sr.
For the reason why fellow blogger Allan Aguirre had Melvin in his top 3 of the men's power rankings for this Challenge it is that he, like Danny McCray, is a former football player... but Mel wasn't drafted by an NFL team. While pursuing his BA degree, he played for two seasons out of three at the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten (he redshirted his 2016 sophomore season, then transferred for senior year to Tennessee Tech in the non-Power 5 Ohio Valley Conference. While playing for the Gophers, he adopted the uniform number 5, hence his moniker "Cinco," and with his athletic skill, body type and his physical build, this rookie Challenge should propel him into the MTV big time.
When he took a break from being a delivery man in his post-football life to being on the Island last year, Cinco developed that ladies' man persona in as many as four women pursuing him -- two of them being the aforementioned Cashay and Trina. He matched up with the former in the days 2 and 5 coupling nights, and the ladder in the next recouplings before getting dumped from Hawaii at day 25. But all this was overshadowed by talk around the social sphere that he may have had a girlfriend before coming in -- an all-too-familiar thing after what we had with Dre on AYTO 1.
And below, Cinco, Cashay, Shannon, Javonny, Justine, Cely, Cashel and Kyra have the last word.
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Just to come: our weekly episode coverage resumes as we cover last week's premiere as seen on social media with the CBS Challenge cast... and a few of the names above will play a key role in transitioning from Islanders to competitors. We'll also cover the homestretch drive of Season 3 of All-Stars as a deep field vie for the $500 grand, and in between we'll feature the latest chapter in this site's most followed subject... one who hasn't been on these shows but who has made his mark in creating juicy content on YouTube: the latest project from Dre.Media. See you then...
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Photos Courtesy: MTV, CBS, Paramount and ITV Studios America
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