The new season of MTV’s The Challenge: Total Madness features fan favorites and several newcomers competing for big prize money.
That includes Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat, a former football player and Big Brother competitor now trying to outdo other competitors on MTV’s game show.
Here are more things to know about the newest competitor on The Challenge: Total Madness.
Faysal Shafaat goes from Big Brother to Total Madness
Faysal Shafaat, also known as Fessy, is a 28-year-old substitute teacher from Orlando, Florida.
He is in his first season of MTV’s The Challenge, but he’s no stranger to reality TV competition. He was part of Big Brother 20, which aired on CBS back in 2018.
Fessy didn’t win the show but survived 72 days in the house before his eviction. That was good for ninth place. He also had a relationship with housemate Haleigh during the season.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-qJ2itgkBD/
Three of his fellow BB20 competitors are also on The Challenge Season 35 as rookies with him. They are Swaggy C, Bayleigh Dayton, and Kaycee Clark.
That may, or may not, give Fessy some help in terms of an alliance or support while playing The Challenge: Total Madness.
Faysal Shafaat’s football days, family, and college
Big Brother 20 was just one part of Fessy’s resume. Faysal Shafaat was also a star football player at the collegiate level and earned a college degree.
He’s listed as a former 6-foot-5 tight end for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs. He played for the school from 2011 through 2014 and was a two-time All-American.
During his college football career, he started all four years, tallying 125 catches, a total of 1,204 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
That football bio gives us some other key details about Fessy, including the fact that he has a younger brother named Imran and a younger sister named Alia. His parents are Michelle and Rizvan Shafaat.
Happy Father’s Day ?? pic.twitter.com/8TqJ9UpChj
— FAYSAL SHAWN SHAFAAT (@fessyfitness) June 16, 2019
Fessy graduated in 2014 with a degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. That’s something else that may come in hand for a game like MTV’s The Challenge.
Fessy’s interests and where to follow him online
The Big Brother contestants give background information ahead of their arrival on the show. That helps fans get to know them better.
On Fessy’s BB20 bio, it stated that he enjoys workout out, playing sports, food, and music. He also admits he secretly loves Taylor Swift and also owned a blue-nosed pit bull.
Fessy also described himself as a “joker, hilarious, and confident.” Based on his towering appearance, it’s understandable where the confidence may come from. An Instagram post shows him walking next to longtime competitor Chris “CT” Tamburello.
He’s already shown himself to be among the strongest newcomers to MTV’s The Challenge, with other competitors realizing he could be tough to take out.
Faysal Shafaat uses social media to give fans updates on what he’s up to. His official Instagram page has 220,000 followers, as of this report.
In addition, Fessy has a Twitter account where he is live-tweeting during the episodes of The Challenge: Total Madness.
Based on his size, strength, and previous experience navigating the Big Brother house, it seems Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat will be a force to be reckoned with on this season of The Challenge and possibly many more.
Watch episodes of The Challenge: Total Madness Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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