The Challenge USA is returning with season 2 so let’s meet the cast of 2023 and where the season 1 winner is now.
The Challenge is on a roll with its 2023 programming as a third series will be airing this year following the conclusion of Ride Or Dies, and World Championships. Season 2 of The Challenge USA unites alumni from various CBS reality show so here’s everything we know about it – from the familiar cast members to the release schedule.
How does The Challenge USA work?
The series is a spinoff of MTV‘s The Challenge, a reality competition series that sees alumni from the TV network compete against each other in various extreme challenges to avoid elimination.
Tasks include jumping from car to car while suspended in the air and submerging themselves in freezing water with the potential of hypothermia.
In season 1, each contestant was given $1000 to start. To advance into the final, the cast would need to have at least $5000. Money was earned by winning an elimination or one of the physical challenges.
The competitors were randomly paired up each week by an algorithm, making strategies and alliances more complicated. It’s unknown whether the same twist will return in season 2.
A staggering $500,000 is up for grabs, which will be shared between one male and female winner.
The Challenge USA season 2 trailer
The trailer promises “the fiercest competition yet” as CBS’ reality titans take on veterans of MTV’s The Challenge. Grueling tasks include wrestling, trampolining on a moving 10-wheeler truck, and walking between hot air balloons meters in the air.
It wouldn’t be a reality show without some romance as two cast members are seen smooching – but is it really a good idea to get cozy with your opponent?
The Challenge USA season 2 release date confirmed for summer 2023
The Challenge: USA two-part premiere airs on Thursday, August 10 at 10 pm ET, following the first eviction of Big Brother 25. Part 2 will follow on Sunday, August 13 at 9 pm ET.
After the premiere, the show will air twice a week for the first three weeks on CBS. Each one-hour episode will run on Thursdays at 10 pm and Sundays at 9 pm. Starting on Thursday, August 31, the show will air only one episode per week in the Thursday slot until the end of the season.
It will be available to watch and stream live on CBS and Paramount Plus. Catch up on-demand on Paramount Plus.
The exact finale date has yet to be confirmed. Season 1 ran for 12 episodes, so expect the second season finale to air around the end of September or the beginning of October.
A familiar face returns to host the 2023 edition
TJ Lavin will host The Challenge: USA season 2. The BMX rider has presented the original MTV version since 2005, as well as the Paramount+ spinoff The Challenge: All-Stars.
The Challenge USA season 2 full cast list
Season 2 takes place in Croatia as CBS stars challenge six fan-favorite contestants from the original MTV series at their own game.
Here are the 24 contestants and the shows that shot them to fame:
How is The Challenge USA different from the original MTV series?
The major feature that sets the USA edition apart from the original MTV show is that all of the contestants are from CBS’ reality shows, including Love Island USA, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Big Brother.
As the title suggests, the spinoff features only stars from US shows, while The Challenge recruits members from any international MTV show as well. Previous competitors have hailed from Brazil and the UK’s Ex On The Beach, and Geordie Shore.
Another twist is the algorithm selecting new pairs for each challenge. Players will not be teaming up more than once so everyone will be pitted against each other.
HERE WE GOOOOO 👏 Cheer on your faves when #TheChallengeUSA premieres THURS AUG 10 on @CBS 😈 pic.twitter.com/JEYKzeW5Iv
— The Challenge (@TheChallenge) July 11, 2023What happened in the season 1 finale?
Survivor stars Danny McCray and Sarah Lacina won The Challenge USA in the September 2022 finale after two disqualifications and three quitters.
Ben Driebergen was disqualified from The Challenge after a gnarly fall led to a shoulder injury before the tasks even began, leaving the final line-up: Danny, Dom Abbate, Tyson Apostol, Enzo Palumbo, Sarah, Cayla Platt, Justine Ndiba, Angela Rummans, and Desi Williams.
After three missions consisting of a freezing swim, a gross eating challenge of pungent foods, and a memory test, the algorithm leaves Angela alone for the overnight mission. Pairs must move a mound of dirt while their teammate rests.
Solo Angela, who sits in second place at 12 points, opts to sleep as her strategy to increase her day 2 chances. In the morning, however, TJ says she’s done and is DQed for not completing the overnight checkpoint. Angela was not notified that giving up the checkpoint was officially quitting.
The final challenge is an intense race to the top of a snowy mountain, with a few puzzles to complicate things on the way. Tyson and Justine lead the groups to a sudoku puzzle, but Danny takes over from Tyson thanks to his prior puzzle studies.
Justine, Dom, and Tyson accept defeat and quit after realizing their sudoku puzzles are wrong, meaning they’d have to start over. At the same time, sudoku-enthusiast Cayla arrives but eventually drops out when she can’t feel her fingers anymore.
Sarah trails behind but is the only female left in the game. Danny reaches the flag at the finish line, securing himself a share of the $500K.
His remaining opponent, Sarah, finally arrives at the sudoku and solves it. She continues the trek assuming she has no chance to win, but aims to complete the journey anyway. Sarah crosses the finish line with no other contestant in sight, so she believes she’s finished far behind everyone else and has no idea about her victory.
She learns that only two people completed the race and they both returned home with the six-figure prize money.
The Challenge: USA season 1 winners now
Danny McCray
Former Dallas Cowboys player Danny returned to the franchise in 2023 on The Challenge: World Championship. He placed second with Tori Deal, who will appear in USA season 2.
If he’s not promoting the show on Instagram, he’s gushing about his daughter Zoe, and his wife of four years, Kiki.
Sarah Lacina
Police officer Sarah also competed in World Championship, but came fourth. In her spare time, Lacina can be found training in the gym, or making memories with her husband and eight-year-old son.
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