The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies season hasn’t reached the halfway point on MTV yet, but the Season 37 reunion will be filming soon.
As viewers have seen in the past, the reunion show comes after the season finale and features the key cast members speaking about what went down in the episodes.
However, one of the cast members who won’t be there is Cory Wharton, based on what he calls “strong-arming” due to one of the requirements for cast members.
Cory says ‘no Challenge reunion’ for him
Based on a since-deleted tweet from Cory Wharton, he won’t be a participant in The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies reunion.
According to his message, posted to his Twitter on Monday, September 20, Cory shared that the reason is due to his vaccination status.
“No challenge reunion for me, they said due to my vaccination status. They really are strong arming people now a days. Smh,” Cory tweeted.
A Challenge fan on Instagram shared a screenshot of Cory’s original comments below.
Cory is currently appearing in his ninth season of MTV’s The Challenge as one of 15 veterans who were part of the initially revealed cast.
As of this report, Cory’s still in the game. Spies, Lies & Allies will air its seventh episode on Wednesday, September 22.
Based on information circulating online, the rumored location for the Season 37 reunion is Amsterdam, with filming set to take place in late October.
According to information from the Netherlands government, there is an EU entry ban for travelers from “non-EU countries.” However, the website also states there are exemptions to the ban, including people traveling from certain countries who have been fully vaccinated.
Season 37 was postponed due to COVID-19
The latest season of The Challenge was filmed in Croatia but saw a disruption soon after filming began in late April. Production halted filming to quarantine the cast and crew due to several cast members testing positive for COVID-19.
While unconfirmed, there are rumors that Nam Vo left Season 37 due to getting seriously sick. His rookie castmate Berna Canbeldek also revealed in an Instagram Story update weeks ago that she had COVID-19 while the cast was in quarantine.
There’s speculation that as many as five Spies, Lies & Allies cast members tested positive for COVID-19. The season eventually resumed filming after the shutdown for quarantine, with Nam replaced by rookie Ed Eason.
Previous reunion in NYC, some cast appeared in-person
For the previous season’s reunion, Double Agents, cast members assembled in New York City. There were COVID-19 requirements, including testing for the cast members who appeared in person.
Several cast members appeared via Skype or Zoom videoconferencing from outside the United States, including Gabby Allen, Kyle Christie, and Big T Fazakerley. Nelson Thomas, who was in New York, also appeared on videoconference due to failing to show up for COVID-19 testing, per his castmate Tori Deal.
MTV also filmed last season’s Aftermath shows with the various cast members appearing via videoconferencing from their homes or other remote locations.
However, the Aftermath show for Spies, Lies & Allies has featured American cast members in person with host Devyn Simone. Those episodes were filmed in NYC, and Cory has appeared in person as part of several Aftermath shows.
As far as his reunion appearance goes, it’s unclear if he will participate in Season 37’s reunion via videoconferencing, can’t for some reason, or has told them he doesn’t want to appear at all.
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
The link above is an affiliate link. This means that for any qualifying purchase you make, we may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.