The Challenge: Battle of the Exes is the 22nd season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. It took place in the Dominican Republic and Iceland, with cast members from The Real World, Road Rules and The Challenge competing. A launch special, "The Pre-Game," premiered on January 11, 2012, explaining the history behind the couples. The season premiered on January 25, 2012, and concluded on April 4, 2012, with the Reunion special.
This is the first edition of the Battle of the Exes series, with Battle of the Exes II following in 2015.
Format Each team participates in numerous challenges (sometimes called "missions"), which are followed by an elimination round — "The Dome". The winning team of each challenge earns the title of "Power Couple," as well as immunity from entering The Dome, while the last-place finisher is automatically sent to The Dome. The "Power Couple" also earns the right of choosing the team that has to face the last-place finisher in The Dome (from Episode 6, the "Power Couple" was also awarded a $2,500 prize, in addition to their immunity and nomination power). The team who wins the elimination round returns to the game and has a shot at a $300,000 prize, while the losing team is eliminated from the game.
At the end of the season, three teams compete in the final challenge. The first-place finisher wins $150,000, second-place wins $100,000 and third-place wins $40,000.
Contestants Male contestantsOriginal seasonFinishJohnny Devenanzio The Real World: Key West WinnerChris "CT" Tamburello The Real World: Paris Runner-up Ty Ruff The Real World: D.C.Third place Mark LongRoad Rules: USA – The First AdventureEpisode 9 Dunbar Merrill The Real World: Sydney Episode 8 Abram Boise Road Rules: South Pacific Episode 5 Tyrie Ballard The Real World: Denver Episode 4 Leroy Garrett The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) Episode 3 Dustin Zito The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) Episode 3 Wes Bergmann The Real World: Austin Episode 2 Vinny Foti The Challenge: Fresh Meat IIEpisode 2 Nate Stodghill The Real World: San Diego (2011) Episode 1Female contestantsOriginal seasonFinish Camila Nakagawa Spring Break Challenge Winner Diem BrownReal World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Runner-up Emily Schromm The Real World: D.C.Third place Robin Hibbard The Real World: San Diego (2004)Episode 9 Paula Meronek The Real World: Key West Episode 8 Aneesa Ferreira The Real World: Chicago Episode 6 Rachel Robinson Road Rules: Campus Crawl Episode 6 Cara Maria Sorbello The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 5 Jasmine Reynaud The Real World: Cancun Episode 4 Naomi Defensor The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) Episode 3 Heather Marter The Real World: Las Vegas (2011)Episode 3 Mandi Moyer The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 2 Sarah Rice The Real World: BrooklynEpisode 2 Priscilla Mendez The Real World: San Diego (2011) Episode 1
Teams TeamPartner 1Partner 2 Cara Maria & AbramAbram BoiseCara Maria Sorbello Aneesa & RachelAneesa FerreiraRachel Robinson Diem & CTChris "CT" TamburelloDiem Brown Dunbar & PaulaDunbar MerrillPaula Meronek Dustin & HeatherDustin ZitoHeather Marter Johnny & CamilaJohnny DevenanzioCamila Nakagawa Leroy & NaomiLeroy GarrettNaomi Defensor Mark & RobinMark LongRobin Hibbard Nate & PriscillaNate StodghillPriscilla Mendez Ty & EmilyTy RuffEmily Schromm Tyrie & JasmineTyrie BallardJasmine Reynaud Vinny & SarahVinny FotiSarah Rice Wes & MandiWes Bergmann Mandi Moyer
Pre-season romantic backgrounds Abram & Cara Maria: The two met on Cutthroat and began to show affection for each other throughout the entire season of The Challenge. After the show ended, the two continued to date, and Abram provided moral support to Cara Maria over the phone during her stint on Rivals. However, the two separated after Abram was arrested following a disturbing and highly publicized brush with the law. Aneesa & Rachel: The two met on Battle of the Sexes and developed a relationship after the show, which was unknown to most viewers until this relationship was revealed during The Duel II, where tension occurred between Aneesa, Rachel, and Rachel's newest partner at the time, Jenn Grijalva. CT & Diem: The two met on The Duel, where CT instantly developed a crush on Diem, who, at the time, was dealing with the side-effects of her chemotherapy resulting from her battle with ovarian cancer. CT had helped Diem to feel confident with herself by the end of her time on The Challenge, and the two began dating after. The two were still dating as of The Gauntlet III, but after the show, Diem decided she wanted to pursue a career and felt that a relationship would interfere. Diem broke up with CT prior to the reunion.NOTE: Though CT and Diem were not present at the Gauntlet III reunion, Katie Doyle mentioned this at the reunion. In The Duel II, Diem indicated that she believed she would marry CT, but that she wanted to put her career first at that time. CT was removed from the show after engaging in an ugly brawl with Adam King relating to CT's and Diem's relationship. CT also mentioned in the season premiere that Diem did not go to the wake after his brother died. Dunbar & Paula: The two had a relationship based upon fighting with each other, and kissing and making up throughout The Island and The Duel II. It was revealed on The Duel II Reunion that the two did have sexual intercourse after leaving New Zealand. After feeling betrayed by Dunbar before her elimination on Cutthroat, Paula felt as if she could no longer trust him, and Dunbar stated that he was done with Paula. Dustin & Heather: The two were season sweethearts on their season of The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) and dated, until shocking revelations about Dustin's past tore their relationship apart. They later got back together in an on-and-off relationship. Johnny & Camila: Camila had stated that she had a crush on Johnny and that she would marry him on Cutthroat, but nothing much was shown happening between the two of them. A possible fling was hinted at during the season's "The S#!% They Should've Shown" special, where Johnny and Camila were suspected of hooking up in the house bathroom and averting detection by having Camila possibly leave through the room's window. Johnny was in a relationship at the time, and in interviews for the special, he and Jenn Grijalva denied any fling between Johnny and Camila, however, RW: Cancun alumna Jonna Mannion hinted on Derrick Kosinski's Ultimate Challenge Radio podcast that a fling between the two did occur during Rivals.NOTE: Jonna mentions this about four minutes into the podcast. Leroy & Naomi: The two were "friends with benefits" during their season of The Real World: Las Vegas (2011), but only got together at night if neither had found someone else that day. During this time, Naomi had a medical scare where she believed she might either be pregnant or have contracted an STD, which stressed their casual relationship. Mark & Robin: The two met on Battle of the Sexes 2, where the two began a relationship that lasted even after the season had ended. On The Inferno II, Robin and Tonya got into an argument over Mark. In the first episode of The Duel, Robin revealed that she was single, and was no longer dating Mark. Nate & Priscilla: Due to Priscilla's underage status during her time on The Real World: San Diego (2011), she was unable to enter the bars and clubs with her 21+ year-old roommates, and one night, Nate stayed home with her, and the two made out while alone in the house. Nothing more occurred after this instance, despite an attempt by an intoxicated Priscilla during a group trip to Cabo San Lucas. Ty & Emily: The two quickly connected and began a relationship on their original season of The Real World: DC, but during the season the relationship turned bad when Ty's behavior became too much for Emily to handle, and she became wary of entering a serious relationship with him. Ty and Emily later got into a tumultuous argument on Cutthroat. Tyrie & Jasmine: The two began a relationship in the first episode of Rivals, despite Jasmine having a boyfriend at the time. Vinny & Sarah: The two were partners on Fresh Meat II, and began a relationship in that season's second episode. On Cutthroat, after Sarah stated that she would be voting Vinny into the Gulag, he expressed that he was done with any kind of friendship with her. Wes & Mandi: The two were teammates on Fresh Meat II, but would later hook up on Rivals after CT no longer expressed any interest in Mandi.
Gameplay Challenge games Give Me Some Honey: Players walk on a beam, from a platform that is suspended above water, from one side to the other, and have to soak themselves in a bathtub filled with honey. The players have to transfer honey to their partners only using their bodies. Once a player has soaked himself/herself with honey, that player has to walk back on the beam to their partner and have their partner scrub off the honey into a bucket. The other partner does the same, and the process repeats for ten minutes or until the bucket is completely filled with honey before the ten-minute time limit expires. The two teams with the most honey then face off in a five-minute competition to determine the winner, while the team with the least honey is automatically sent to "The Dome." Winners: Johnny & Camila Hook Up: Teams have to make it from one end of a platform to another that is suspended 30 feet above the water. The platform contains six beams. Players use a metal hook, and have to hang it from rings suspended above them in order to swing from beam to beam. Teams are disqualified if one or both players fall into the water. The teams with the two best performances will then face off in a competition, in which the team that clears the most beams wins, while the team who clears the fewest beams is automatically sent to "The Dome." Winners: Vinny & Sarah Mental Connection: T. J. Lavin will ask each team a series of questions, ranging from pop culture to past challenges, while laying on a platform forty feet in the air. If a player gets the question wrong, they will be dropped into the water. Even if one player drops, their teammate can continue to compete, and rack up points for their team. The two teams that have the most points at the end will compete against each other to become the power couple, while the team with the fewest points is automatically sent to "The Dome." Winners: Dunbar & Paula Rolling in the Deep: Teams have to hold onto a log that is suspended above water, and will be spun around in circles until players fall into water. Once players fall into the water, they have to swim toward the opposite side of a lagoon, and both players have to ring a bell. The two teams with the fastest time will compete against each other to become the power couple, while the team with the slowest time is automatically sent to "The Dome." Winners: Johnny & Camila Don't Rock the Boat: Teams have to climb rigging onto ascending masts to the top of a shipwrecked boat, and ring a bell at the crow's nest. Connected to safety harnesses, the teams must jump from mast to mast but can only do so after both partners are standing or sitting on each. The two teams with the fastest times will compete against each other to become the power couple, while the team with the slowest time is automatically sent to "The Dome." Winners: Mark & Robin