Get ready for an All Star season like never before!
Variety announced this week that Season 5 of The Challenge: All Stars will premiere next month and, for the first time since its 2021 debut, the spinoff will air on MTV instead of the Paramount+ streaming service. In addition to the new network, the upcoming season will also feature a fan-favorite theme, as revealed in the show’s title: The Challenge All Stars: Rivals.
As longtime fans of The Challenge may remember, “Rivals” was first introduced within the franchise in 2011, with Rivals II and Rivals III later airing in 2013 and 2016, respectively. As in past ‘Rivals’ seasons, the upcoming season of ‘All Stars’ will see competitors with “murky pasts” paired up and forced to work together.
This week, fans met the competitors slated to appear on Season 5, including Frank Sweeney, who went on to issue a statement after receiving backlash on social media for his past behavior towards fellow competitor Sam McGinn on 2012’s The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons.
Fans may remember Frank and Sam appearing together on The Real World: San Diego (2011) and ‘Battle of the Seasons’– the latter of which, the two ended up winning. Despite taking home a ‘Challenge’ win together, Frank– who has feuded with other cast mates in the past– was infamously mean to Sam during the 2012 season, particularly during the final, ultimately causing a rift between the two.
After it was announced this week that Frank and Sam will be paired together for ‘All Stars: Rivals,’ Frank took to social media to respond to the criticism he was receiving from fans of the show, claiming he was “exhausted” of having his name associated with terms like “psycho” and “abuse.” Frank insisted that he has apologized in the past for the way he behaved in his early twenties, behavior he insists was “fueled by deep-seated insecurity, alcohol, and a platform I didn’t have the wherewithal to respectfully uphold.”
Frank went on to say that he would not tolerate “any narrative that’s false,” adding that, “outside of that very specific setting,” he has never been “explicitly rude, angry or outlandish.”
“ … I am incredibly sorry for the way that I spoke to Sam, and my overall treatment of her,” he wrote. “But never did I have any intention, EVER, of causing physical harm to her, nor would I ever. Sam asked me to ‘drag her dead body across the finish line,’ – we were in a highly competitive setting … and I grossly overstepped boundaries and took her request far too literally. I am sorry today, was sorry then ….
“I’ve grown, I’m matured and I’m sorry for the wrongdoings of my past – they certainly don’t define my present or my future,” he continued.
Sam later confirmed in the comment section of a post by @challengeteaa that she has forgiven Frank for what happened years ago.
Meet the rest of the Season 5 cast below:
Adam Larson & Steve Meinke: Adam and Steve had a falling out during Season 3 of ‘The Challenge: All Stars.’
Da’Vonne Rogers & Shane Landrum: Da’Vonne and Shane’s feud occurred during 2018’s The Challenge: Final Reckoning.
Nany González & Turbo Çamkıran: Nany and Turbo were partners on 2019’s The Challenge: War of the Worlds, but the pair later went head-to-head on The Challenge: Ride or Dies in 2022.
Amber Borzotra & Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat: Amber and Fessy had a fallout after Amber was “blindsided” by Fessy on 2021’s The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies.
Aneesa Ferreira & Ashley Mitchell: While Aneesa and Ashley don’t appear to have any bad blood (at least, not that The Ashley could remember), this season marks Ashley’s first return to ‘The Challenge’ since 2021.
Devin Walker & Leroy Garrett: Fans saw Devin and Leroy butt heads during Season 40, The Challenge: Battle of the Eras.
Katie Cooley & Veronica Portillo: Katie and Veronica were involved in an infamous screaming match during 2004’s The Challenge: Inferno.
Beth Stolarczyk & Jonna Mannion: As viewers may remember, Beth quit Season 2 of ‘The Challenge: All Stars’ right before she was slated to go up against Jonna.
Big T & Corey Lay: Big T and Corey engaged in some feuding both during and after Season 39, The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion.
KellyAnne Judd & Sylvia Elsrode: KellyAnne and Sylvia appeared on Season 4 of ‘The Challenge: All Stars,’ where they didn’t get along due to the sabotage.
Ashley Kelsey & Dario Medrano: Ashley and Dario are exes, who dated during 2017’s The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions.
Melissa Reeves & Nicole Zanatta: Melissa and Nicole hooked up in 2018 during The Challenge: Vendettas.
‘The Challenge All Stars: Rivals’ premieres Wednesday, January 29, on MTV.
(Photos: MTV; Instagram; YouTube)
3 Responses
I have no clue why they keep casting Veronica. She never does well in challenges and she fades into the background. They keep bringing Aneesa back too & I don’t know why. Frank and Shane were downright abusive towards multiple people. Ironically Frank’s little rant sounds angry so I guess we will see. Frank was horrible to Sam but so was Zach. I guess all is forgiven with Ashley Mitchell? Whatever she said/did was so bad she was kicked off and no one knows specifically what happened.
I’m glad it’s on MTV
Glad Beth is back!