When The Challenge: Double Agents premiered on December 8, 2020, it saw the return of many players, but one fan-favorite competitor was missing from the cast. Despite winning the previous season, neither Jenny West nor Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio returned to compete on Double Agents. Some viewers are now wondering why Johnny didn't return after becoming a staple cast member on the franchise.
Although Johnny Bananas has appeared on 20 seasons of The Challenge, which included the last 12 seasons in a row, he decided to take a break from competing in the 36th season of the show. Prior to winning season 35, Bananas was faced with a streak of back luck. He last won Rivals III in 2016 and stole the prize money from his teammate, Sarah Rice. After that, fellow cast members accused Banans of being cursed. Thankfully, he redeemed himself by becoming a champion once again on Total Madness.
Despite his win, Bananas didn't return to compete on Double Agents. However, it seems he is simply taking a much-needed break from the series after competing on so many consecutive seasons. Bananas mentioned that his mind is currently focused on others projects. Outside of The Challenge, he also hosts NBC's 1st Look and a new show, Celebrity Sleepover. It's possible Bananas wants to focus on these new business ventures and slowly move away from being the face of The Challenge franchise.
But viewers haven't gotten rid of Bananas just yet. Although Bananas did not compete on season 36, he has stated this is not his retirement from the MTV series, and he is just getting warmed up to compete some more. According to Heavy, although he is not retiring, he did think about it after winning Total Madness. He said, "I did out of the gate [think about retiring], just as trying as this one was emotionally, physically and mentally, I think I did have that in my mind that I’d seen my last one."
Despite thinking about retirement, after he watched Total Madness back as it was airing, he thought to himself that he still had a lot to offer to the franchise and the viewers. Breaking his curse and winning season 35 made Bananas feel like a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. It is unknown when he will make his return to the hit MTV series, but when he does, viewers are sure to be excited about it. Fans will just have to keep an eye out to hopefully catch Bananas on the cast list of feature seasons.
The Challenge airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on MTV.
Source: Heavy