MTV's reality show, The Challenge, has been around for a really long time. Through some 35 seasons and with the 36th on the horizon, fans have seen grueling eliminations, intense rivalries, countless romances, and some of the grittiest face-to-face competitions in all of reality television.
No matter the season, The Challenge always entertains with its catchy twists and intense cast members. The Dirty 30 installment of the reality series was certainly a hit among fans. It brought together some of the show's most cut-throat competitors that the show had ever seen. While everyone can agree that most season participants came ready to rumble and take home their share of the one million dollar prize, some were better than others.
Best: Chris "CT" Tamburello
CT might be one of the most well-known competitors in the entire Challenge franchise. He has been around for a long time, and over the years, fans have seen him bring crazy levels of intensity to any season that he becomes a part of.
CT is a legend and fans were thrilled to see him do well in his Dirty 30 stint. CT isn't the most-winning-est guy around, so a third-place win so late in his career was nice to see.
Worst: Simone Kelly
The thing about this season of The Dirty 30 was that everybody coming back was cast because they were supposed to be cunning, fierce, and entertaining. Wallflowers need not apply to this installment of the franchise.
Simone Kelly was an interesting choice to include in this particular series because she never proved to be a top dog in athleticism, game theory, or relationships. She just wasn't interesting enough, and this really showed in Dirty 30. Even though Simone came onto the series with a couple of seasons under her belt, many thought she was a newcomer - that is how unforgettable she is.
Best: Cara Maria Sorbello
One can't deny that Cara Maria is a force to be reckoned with, and she has proven time after time that she is one of the strongest and smartest women in the game. She came back to compete in the Dirty 30 series after being a part of Cutthroat, Rivals, Rivals II, where she finished second, and Battle of the Bloodlines, where she landed in the top spot. Once Dirty 30 came around, Cara had big shoes to fill, and they happened to be her own! She wound up taking home second prize here and then returned yet AGAIN to go number one in Vendettas.
She has stayed strong and consistent in her quest to win any challenge set in front of her. Even with so much success in the reality competition business, someone like Cara needed to bow out for a spell. Maybe she is human, after all!
Worst: Cory Wharton
Cory Wharton is probably best known for being a reality show ladies' man, regardless of what series he is appearing in. While tons (and we mean TONS) of competitors have caught one another's eye over the many seasons, Cory seems to place more emphasis on wooing the women than on scoring the top spot and ultimate cash prize.
The thing is, it gets old by Dirty 30. He has the overall potential and cunning mind to go all the way, and we have seen him come close to the top place in previous seasons, but those lovely ladies almost always prove to be a distraction.
Best: Derrick Kosinski
Derrick had a rough start to his Challenge career, but he managed to work his way up to some serious wins and nice cash prizes. After he took a break from the competition and drama, he returned to the Dirty 30 season, looking for a win.
His athleticism and tenacity, which helped the show veteran accumulate some 43 challenge wins over the years, aided him in his quest to the top. He couldn't beat fellow cast members Camila and Jordan out, but he did land in a respectable second place, along with his final's partner Cara.
Worst: Ammo Hall
Ammo was one of the season's most interesting characters, but unfortunately, his emotional scars might have impeded his ability to move further in the series.
During Ammo's elimination round, he was essentially pinned to contestant Jordan and blindfolded. Following his loss, he collapsed and had to receive medical attention. Fans later learned that emotional trauma was the culprit behind the breakdown. It was sad to hear Ammo recount his trauma, but it helped fans understand why he simply could not go all the way to the end.
Best: Camila Nakagawa
Camila might not be the most loved lady to ever participate in the hit MTV series, but there is no mistaking that she is an absolute bulldog when it comes to scoring the big win. Camila was paired up with Jordan Wisely in the final challenge of the Dirty 30, and the duo turned out to be the winning combination. She came out the winner and took home $450,000.
While she obviously has what it takes to make it all the way to the bitter end, she may never return to the franchise. A string of poor word choices and displays of erratic behavior in public may have sealed her fate as a has-been. There are surely plenty of women who are relieved to never have to face her in battle again.
Worst: Nelson Thomas
It is true that all 30 competitors on this season would be considered "dirty" and even "shady," thanks to past behaviors in other seasons. Nelson Thomas highlighted this trait in the worst way, however, and his stunt got him disqualified from further competition.
At the end of the 11th episode, Thomas provoked castmate Derrick K. into a verbal and physical altercation. Emotions run high on this show, and sometimes words and even fists get thrown around, but Thomas's moves were too calculated and too low for anyone to be able to get behind and support. In the end, no one really missed him once he was gone.
Best: Jordan Wisely
Jordan and his partner Camila took home the ultimate Dirty 30 prize, which ended up being nearly a half-million dollars for each competitor. Jordan is the best of the best for several reasons. First, he is working against some limitations. Wisely was born with only one functioning hand, and if you tune into the challenges and events the cast members have to compete in, then you know hands are kind of crucial. Despite his physical limitation, he has risen to the top on countless occasions.
Wisely is also a comeback kid, and who doesn't love that? After basically tanking in the Free Agents installment of the series, he returned to take home to top prize in Battle of the Exes II and Dirty 30. He is also one of the show's top earners, having pulled in $800,000 in earnings, thanks to his show appearances. Talk about getting sweet revenge.
Worst: Ashley Mitchell
Ashley quit before she even started! If that doesn't say worst, we don't really know what does. The primary reasons for her early departure were the fact that she lost her luggage (really?) and she was just too worn out even to try.
Before Dirty 30, Mitchell had appeared on Champs vs. Pros. The short show turnaround proved to be too much for Michell, who literally turned around and flew home almost as soon as she landed on set.