The Challenge: Battle of the Eras brought back many of MTV’s previous reality stars for an iconic cast, including The Real World: Portland’s Nia Moore.
Nia joined two of her former castmates, Jordan Wiseley and Averey Tressler, on the Era 2 team and felt, due to her connections, she had a good chance of sticking around for multiple episodes.
Due to that, she could explore a few potential showmances, including flirtations with Josh Martinez and Kyland Young.
The latter blossomed into something special, as they seemed to continue a showmance until Nia’s elimination in Episode 11.
Regarding Josh, Nia recently admitted in a podcast interview that her situation with him wasn’t as serious.
She opened up about what unfolded between her and Josh, mentioning he showed a surprising interest in her when they first met.
Nia said she and Josh were ‘never intimate’ during Season 40
According to Nia, she and Josh participated in “just a couple like innocent make-outs” during the Battle of the Eras. She told Johnny Bananas on his Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast that things never got too “hot and heavy,” as Bananas said.
“Yep, we, we never were intimate, we never slept together. I don’t even think it was ever going to go there. We just we’re like flirty and fun, and like we are both sensitive and like we connected in that way,” she said.
Nia also mentioned that Josh was “excited” to meet her before filming and that “he had this sparkle in his eye” during their first meeting.
She said she didn’t expect many of her new Season 40 castmates to know about her since she hadn’t been on the show in such a long time.
“And like, I mean, that is, that feels good, you know? So, like the fact that he was not being too cool for school, he was like making it clear that he was a fan and that he really liked me,” she said.
According to Nia, she wanted to have some fun during Season 40, but at one point, Josh gave her “cold feet” after initially showing interest in her. So she realized she had options with other castmates there.
Nia also recalled a funny moment when a “frisky” cast party occurred. She had her top off and decided to rinse off in the shower. She said she invited Josh to the shower to watch, and she “got naked,” but then “he freaked out and left.”
Nia moved on to Kyland Young in Season 40
One of the episodes during Season 40 presented the footage of Nia having fun with Josh and then randomly moving on to Kyland. However, she told Bananas there was “a day or two” between her and Josh’s situation, and then she hooked up with Kyland.
“I did find that weird that he was so emotional about that moment because I’m like ‘Josh, like I, as a courtesy, I left you alone because, like again, I know when a man is into me, and I know when he’s not,'” Nia said on Bananas’ podcast.
“And so I wasn’t going to beg him to f*****g choose me or want me,” she said.
Viewers saw Josh get emotional in a dramatic outburst when several castmates were joking around about Nia being with Kyland after she’d been having flirty fun with Josh.
That created an argument between Tori and Josh, with Josh telling Tori she wasn’t his friend. The castmates later patched things up. Meanwhile, Nia continued her showmance and hookups with Kyland.
After her elimination in Episode 11, Nia expressed excitement about seeing Kyland again after he finished filming for Season 40.
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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