The Challenge Season 40 will bring a Battle of the Eras, as well as new friendships and showmances between castmates.
Viewers saw Nurys Mateo and Horacio Gutierrez link up during the previous MTV season, Battle For a New Champion.
They’ll see one of their castmates find serious love during Season 40, as Johnny Bananas recently teased a showmance during his podcast.
It’s not his showmance, as he’s sworn off those when it comes to his appearances on The Challenge.
Bananas previously appeared in Season 38, aka Ride or Dies, where he and castmate Moriah Jadea had a showmance. However, things didn’t work out between them, as viewers learned in Season 39.
However, he mentioned two of his newer castmates hooking up, which the Season 40 Launch Special hinted at.
Bananas said viewers see the start of castmates’ ‘love affair’ in Season 40
During the Death, Taxes, and Bananas show on The Ringer Reality TV podcast, the seven-time champion spoke about the upcoming Battle of the Eras season.
He discussed each of the four teams grouped by the eras they represent for MTV’s competition series. The newcomers to the MTV show are the Era 4 team.
“Era 4. We got Theo [Campbell], Paulie [Calafiore], Olivia [Kaiser], Josh [Martinez], Kaycee [Clark], Michele [Fitzgerald], Jenny [West], Nurys [Mateo], Horacio [Gutierrez], and Kyland [Young],” he said.
He mentioned that one of the “standout storylines” for Era 4 would be the fallout after the previous season when Olivia betrayed Nurys during the voting.
The other significant story also involves Olivia, as Johnny mentioned the former Love Island star finding love on The Challenge.
“And how long is it going to take for Olivia to jump into bed with Theo?” Bananas asked.
“I mean, listen, everyone out there knows I’m not giving any spoilers. They’re thicker than thieves these days. She even got his name tattooed on his neck,” he said.
He told fans they would see where the “love affair began” between the two former Love Island stars. Both cast members are returning for their third season of MTV’s The Challenge, although Theo also competed in the spinoff, The Challenge: World Championship, on Paramount+.
Two Season 40 showmances were teased in Launch Special
During MTV’s Launch Special, viewers got reacquainted with all of the cast members from The Challenge, past and present. A pool scene featured Olivia standing poolside in her swimsuit as Theo flirted with her while he was in the water.
That was likely a small hint about what fans will see unfold between them as they participate in the game as part of the newcomers to The Challenge in Era 4.
That pool also provided a teaser for another showmance. Some of the male cast members decided to go skinny dipping, with Devin Walker hamming things up after stripping near the pool.
A confessional interview featured Michele, who admitted she’s always found Devin funny.
By now, many fans have seen Michele post photos on social media where she’s cozied up to Devin away from filming for The Challenge 40, indicating they’re dating.
The same seems to be true for Theo and Olivia, although they are quite a distance from one another. Once the reunion films and airs, an update will likely arrive regarding their situation.
Until then, fans will see how these showmances begin and blossom through The Challenge: Battle of the Eras episodes.
The Challenge: Battle of the Eras premieres Wednesday, August 14 at 8/7c on MTV.
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