Cara Maria Sorbello didn’t hold back with her remarks about the opening for MTV’s newest season of The Challenge.
Season 41, known as Vets and New Threats, featured rookies and veterans in a mad race to reach the top of a mountain and then get to The Challenge house.
Those who finished earlier than others got to choose their room situation in the house. In addition, the order of finish set up a draft where the rookies and vets selected partners.
However, many viewers probably noticed an interesting detail from that opening race up the mountain.
Footage showed competitors dressed in everyday clothing, rather than wearing The Challenge gear.
As the episode had aired, Cara answered several questions on her Instagram Story about what happened and shared some gripes about the start of the season.
Cara calls out The Challenge and TJ after Season 41’s opening run
In her IG Story video, Cara explained that production gave the opening challenge to the cast members after they’d gotten off the plane. So, everyone went to that mountain run wearing whatever they’d worn on the plane and at the airport.
That’s why viewers saw Nia Moore in jeans, and others wearing expensive outfits. It was indeed a different vibe than other challenges, where everyone was suited up for their first mission or task.
“But let me just say, so we were wearing whatever we were wearing…that’s why nobody was normal. It was not good. Not ideal at all,” Cara said, adding, “At least we were able to put sneakers on, which was nice.”
“At this point in my life of being on The Challenge, wouldn’t it have been better just to have us veterans, just give us a break? Let us just be in the house picking our room, drinking our margaritas, and then looking out the window for whatever new kid comes through the door first?” she asked.
“That would’ve been so much better. I feel like when we showed up, and the disrespect of TJ just being like, ‘You just have to run up this mountain. F*** you vets,’ that was rude. That…was…rude,” she said, pointing at the screen.
In another slide that Cara shared on her IG Story, she said the opening mountain run “took hours,” featured a STEEEP incline,” and was “Brutal especially on the way down.”
“Slipped on rocks. Ripped pants. Rolled ankles. Just treacherous and painful as expected,” Cara wrote in her remarks.
Cara didn’t want to partner with a rookie for Season 41 either
There wasn’t any significant drama in the special episode. Instead, it was more of an introduction to the various rookies from Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother, and other reality TV shows.
Some of the newcomers included America Lopez, Blue Kim, Cedrick Hodges, Adrienne Naylor, Yeremi Hykel, Sydney Segal, and Dee Valladares.
As mentioned, the competitors participated in a draft process called “The Selection” during the Day Zero special. During this segment, cast members had the opportunity to choose their partners. The pairs consisted of one rookie and one veteran, and they had to be male-female pairs.
During the episode, Cara expressed excitement when TJ revealed they’d work in pairs. Rookie Jake Cornish (Love Island UK 7) selected Cara as his teammate fifth overall.
Someone asked Cara in her IG Story who she’d been planning to choose as a partner for Season 41. However, Cara revealed she wanted to pair up with a vet, not a rookie.
“It was a wash to me. Whatever was gonna happen, I would just figure it out. I put zero thought into it,” she told fans.
Fans of The Challenge, did you think the vets got disrespected by having to participate in that Day Zero run? Also, do you like the format of pairing a rookie with a veteran as teammates?
The Challenge: Vets and New Threats airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
