Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio has spent the last two decades appearing on reality television. Now, as the host of NBC's Celebrity Sleepover, Johnny is looking back on his career and acknowledging his trendsetter role. While speaking exclusively with ScreenRant, Johnny discussed his long TV history and the people who have shaped his experience.
The MTV star is the most decorated champion in The Challenge history. With seven wins and total solo earnings of over $1 million, Johnny is undeniably a GOAT on the franchise. He first appeared on the network on The Real World: Key West in 2006. After making a splash on his season, he was quickly recruited to join the ranks of The Challenge, where he started bringing home wins as a member of different teams. As the game changed and evolved, the payouts got a lot larger and the teams got smaller. Johnny was able to adapt to the change and still come out on top. He took a break after winning Total Madness to prepare for his transition into hosting.
During an exclusive chat with ScreenRant while promoting his new show, Johnny reminisced about his nearly 20-year reign on reality television. While discussing his interview with the cast of The Real World: Homecoming on his new late-night talk show, Johnny said, "For someone who's not just a part of the family, not just the student of the game and the history, but a fan? To sit down with the people who were not just responsible for creating this amazing world that I've been in now for the last decade and a half of my life, but the pioneers of reality television was just such a cool experience," Johnny said. The Real World: Homecoming reunited the cast of the franchise's first season.
With Johnny appearing on the show years later, his cast has the potential of coming back for their own reunion. He continued to gush over his interview with the show OGs. "Because I got to sit down and nerd out with them, and really talk about how things have changed and how things have evolved - not just on the Real World, but reality television overall," he said. "I was trying to put myself in that position. How insane would it be if I went back to Key West? Back in the Key Haven house with my original cast? I don't know if I'd even be able to wrap my brain around that." Johnny was an instant standout on his season and would be sure to ignite some entertainment among the cast to the amusement of the viewers.
He continued. "I think the coolest thing about the way that they've done the homecoming is that they're literally showing side-by-side clips of '92 and 2021," he said of the reboot. "Same place in the loft, the same arguments, same issues, same everything. It's just so amazing to see that so much has changed but so much stayed the same." Fans of the show are eager to see other Real Worlders return to settle their decades-old issues. Johnny is clearly down.