'The Challenge 42' gets Paramount+ release date as new season teases game-changing twist
'The Challenge' is returning with a new season that continues its long-running mix of competition, strategy, and reality TV drama. The flagship series, which has been on air since 1998, is set to bring back familiar faces along with new contestants as they take on physical and mental challenges in a high-stakes environment. The show has now moved from MTV to Paramount+, where season 42 will premiere on August 5, with new episodes following a weekly release schedule dropping at 12 am PT and 3 am ET.
The 24 players will be divided into three teams, and a team must cross the final finish line together to receive a share of the money. Paramount+'s logline says nominated captains must balance their control of the game with loyalty to their teammates, while individual players must prove they can work within a group. The trailer reveals the main twist: the captain of the winning team will decide how the $500,000 is divided. The captain can split the money among the team or keep the full prize, meaning that crossing the finish line does not guarantee every finalist will be paid.
The title brings back the 'Cutthroat' format used during season 20 in 2010, although season 42 adds the captain-controlled prize decision. The earlier season also divided competitors into teams and included several moments that became part of the show's history. One was the elimination in which Chris 'CT' Tamburello carried Johnny 'Bananas' Devenanzio on his back during a challenge, an incident viewers refer to as the 'Johnny Bananas backpack.' Tamburello and Devenanzio are returning for season 42, while Brad Fiorenza, who won the original 'Cutthroat,' is also in the cast.
Cara Maria Sorbello and Tori Deal are among the other returning players named in the 24-person lineup. The cast also includes Cory Wharton, Michele Fitzgerald, Nurys Mateo, Sydney Segal, Nelson Thomas and Chris Underwood. Thomas is returning to the competition following the car accident that led to an amputation, while Underwood previously won both 'Survivor: Edge of Extinction' and 'The Challenge: USA 2'. The returning group includes players with experience in finals, eliminations and previous team-based seasons. The lineup also includes 'Big Brother' players Cedric Hodges, Keanu Soto and Reilly Smedley, as well as 'Love Island USA' names Deb Chubb, Josh Goldstein and Leonardo 'Leo' Dionicio. Cassidy Clark represents 'Survivor,' Anna Leigh Wilson comes from 'The Amazing Race,' and Alexis 'Lete' Lete joins after competing on 'Deal or No Deal Island.' Other cast members include Adrienne Naylor, Justin Hinsley, Isabella 'Izzy' Fairthorne and Will Gagnon.
T.J. Lavin returns as host for the Thailand-set season. Bunim/Murray Productions produces the series, with Julie Pizzi, Justin Booth and Jacob Lane serving as executive producers for the company. The move makes season 42 the first installment of the flagship 'Challenge' series to stream exclusively on Paramount+, although the service previously carried the first four seasons of 'The Challenge: All Stars.'
