Johnny Bananas and Other Challenge Stars Reveal Why the Victory Means More Than the Cash Prize

For some stars of The Challenge, feeling like a million bucks means more than pocketing it. 

"Pride is a hell of a thing," Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio mused in an exclusive interview with E! News' Francesca Amiker. "Being able to raise that trophy and being able to say you won, to me, goes a lot further than the money at the end."

Not that he hasn't appreciated the roughly $1.1 million he's earned from his franchise-best seven wins. 

"That's obviously nice," The Real World: Key West alum acknowledged. "But people don't understand how absolutely mind-numbingly difficult this show is, not just from a physical standpoint, but from a mental standpoint, an emotional standpoint. There has to be an element of luck every single season, because there's no way you're making it to a final without some luck falling in your favor."

Noting the obstacles competitors have to face even before running host T.J. Lavin's notoriously brutal finals, Johnny continued, "Being able to hoist that trophy up at the end, it's one of the most difficult things you can do on Earth. So not to say that money isn't great, but the satisfaction of winning is much more gratifying."

It's why relative newcomer Olivia Kaiser has felt the hunger since having her championship dreams dashed in her very first season—a freak accident in 2023's Ride or Dies final sending a golf ball careening directly toward her face. 

"I mean, there's only so many seasons, right?" she reasoned to E! News. "And there's usually one to two winners, so it's really hard to be a champion. You always can make more money in life doing something, but to be crowned a Challenge champ, it's hard as hell, and it's rare. So I would like to win."

Not that every contestant who sat down with E! to discuss The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras—which sees vets competing alongside other stars from their particular era of the franchise—was willing to put pride before the cash payout. 

Big Brother vet Kyland Young—who made his debut in 2022's The Challenge: USA—quipped, "I forget that there's a prize to be honest." And Emily Schromm, making her return after more than a decade away, insisted, "It's pride for me. Full pride."

But four-time winner Darrell Taylor stressed, "It's all about the money, man." 

Hard same, agreed Leroy Garrett. He suited up for season 40 mere weeks after fiancée and fellow Challenge vet Kam Williams welcomed their second child, daughter Aria joining 2-year-old son Kingston this past February. 

Though he's "tired of f--king losing," having made it to the final in five of his 12 seasons, ultimately, he reasoned, "I want the money. You don’t win, but you get the money? I’ll take the million."

Not to say those who don't get the chance to, perhaps, guzzle fish smoothies, then run several miles leave empty-handed. 

"When I first started, I got paid $1,000 a week to compete, and I thought I was rich after that," divulged Tori Deal, who's nabbed one championship since she made her debut in 2017's Dirty 30. "And now I'm getting paid $2,000 a week. No, I'm just kidding. I can't contractually discuss what I'm making, but it's amazing to be able to do this." 

And so despite the silliness of any one individual challenge, they are all serious AF about their mission.

"There's a lot of pride," Tori said of competing on Battle of the Eras. "We want to wear these jerseys and we want to represent what our time period means. So it's just amazing that we all get to come together to compete in one big season."