Johnny Bananas formed a strong alliance on The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, but he got a surprise in a recent episode he probably didn’t know about while filming.
Season 40 brought all sorts of heavy hitters, former champions, and star cast members for the iconic season, with Bananas the winningest player in the MTV show’s history.
However, some of his allies from the Bananas Angels were also former champs with impressive skills on the competition show.
They included Aviv Melmed, Rachel Robinson, Jenny West, and Laurel Stucky, each of whom won at least one season of The Challenge.
Laurel’s Season 40 featured several dramatic incidents and altercations, the most notable of which was a confrontation with Cara Maria Sorbello.
Due to their alliance throughout the episodes, she didn’t seem to have any issues with Bananas. However, Laurel’s surprising exit in Episode 12 also brought a surprising decision involving Bananas.
Laurel made a surprising move against Bananas before her exit
Host TJ Lavin introduced a significant twist on Battle of the Eras Episode 12, as the competitors participated in a mini-final for their daily challenge. However, he also revealed it was a purge. That meant the last place male and female competitors would automatically go home.
Unfortunately, Laurel and Nehemiah Clark couldn’t outperform enough opponents, mainly when it came to the final aspect of the event, a memory puzzle.
Michele Fitzgerald and Theo Campbell finished second to last, eliminating Laurel and Nehemiah from Season 40.
With other departing cast members, the eliminated individuals get to make Karma votes, awarding one to five points to each remaining cast member. These points factor into who gets crowned as winners at the final.
TJ explained that eliminated cast members give Karma votes based on how they felt their castmates treated them or others in The Challenge house. For example, Laurel gave Michele a two.
It’s no surprise that Laurel scored some of her rivals and non-allies low, but it likely surprised her ally Bananas that she gave him a one-score during a confessional interview.
“Is it gonna show everything I say? Like if I say, ‘Bananas, I don’t think you’re gonna make it to the final, so I’m giving you a one?'” Laurel asked during her confessional.
Bananas reacted to Laurel’s surprising decision
A fan shared a five-second video clip on X and a message about how Bananas defended Laurel “non-stop in every single podcast,” but she “gave 1 Karma point” after working with him throughout the season.
“I thought you only worked with the ‘realest’ ? @johnnybananas,” the X message said.
“Thought I did too. This one is on me, I obviously trusted and went to bat for the wrong person. And while trust may be broken, this betrayal doesn’t change me. I stay true to who I am, regardless of who disappoints me. Fool me once…,” he wrote.
Bananas vehemently defended Laurel while talking to former castmate Wes Bergmann on his Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast.
He suggested that much footage involving Cara and Laurel didn’t appear in episodes. In addition, Bananas claimed Laurel “keeps on getting penalized for retaliating, but there’s no penalties going to Cara for antagonizing her before she reacts.”
Despite that, it’s clear that Laurel might not have been as strong an ally as Bananas initially thought.
Viewers saw what happens when Bananas feels someone betrayed him during The Challenge. In Rivals III, he created reality TV history with his infamous decision to keep the grand prize money for himself rather than share it with his teammate, Sarah Rice, who he felt wronged by in a previous season.
One must wonder if a similar fate awaits Laurel if she returns for another attempt at The Challenge.
The Challenge: Battle of the Eras airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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