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It’s coming down to the wire on The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras. With just a dozen players left in the game, the home stretch is almost in sight, but not everyone is destined to make it to the finals. On Wednesday’s (November 20) latest episode, “The Swinging Era,” the remaining contestants got to leap from moving semi trucks to touch a series of 12 targets.
While Derek Chavez managed to shock everyone with a convincing victory, Josh Martinez and Cory Wharton were left to duke it out in the arena. Ultimately, Wharton’s speed allowed him to coast to victory.
So how did Josh Martinez feel about that final bout with his former ally? And where do his other alliances and friendships stand after so much chaos? TV Insider caught up with him to find out.
What does it take to be a member of “The Vacation Alliance,” and when did you guys start taking ownership of that name?
Josh Martinez: Yeah, it’s funny. We just have a really good friendship. We have a really strong connection. To be honest with you, it happened after me and Aneesa [Ferreira] got eliminated. I connected with each person within that alliance individually. Kaycee [Clark] and me — obviously coming from Big Brother — we always had a bond that was cemented, and then me and Nany [Gonzales] always got along, but me and Devin [Walker] hated each other during Double Agents, and then when we got eliminated, we’re like, “Damn, you’re actually not that bad,” and we connected. Same thing with me and Aneesa. So it just started from a very genuine friendship, and just connecting and being friends.
We got invited on one brand trip to a villa [and] from there, the fans ran with it and started calling us “The Vacation Alliance” and saying that we’re trying to recruit people and the fans and people within the show. So we never named ourselves that, and we never made ourselves this huge alliance. It just happened like that, and at that point, we just started playing into, “F**k it, if you guys are gonna call us that, we might as well own it,” you know? Even now, even though we’re at odds and we’re not, in the game, in a good place, I would say I still have love for these people and they’re still my good friends. So it’s a little awkward, it’s weird, but I do love them.
MTV
Speaking of all your friends, obviously, some of your connections were contradictory, with you being friends with Tori [Deal] and then Johnny Bananas. How did you navigate that, having so many friendships and then having them be so at odds?
Well, let’s make one thing clear, we all walked in really good friends. Johnny and Tori are close, they were close. Rachel [Robinson] and Tori, we’re close as well. We lived in Miami, we would see each other every single week, we would train together, we were training together to go on [Season] 40. So it was really weird when I saw that falling out. I truly did not know how to handle it, if I’m being honest with you.
I was trying to do the most mature thing, and I was like, “Listen, the last time that I got in between a friendship, my best friend went home. We got into a screaming match, threw drinks at each other, and Fessy went home—put hands on each other, because I got in between the relationship between him and Amber.” So I was like, “That’s the last thing I’m gonna do. I’m gonna stay out of it. I’m gonna let them handle it.” But it was really tough because if it would have been anybody else, the Vacation Alliance knows that I would have been loyal and stood by their side and would have gone against whoever was coming at us. But it being Rachel and Johnny, they knew my ties and my heart and my friendship with them, so it was like, I didn’t think it was fair, but I gave my respect to Tori because Tori and Johnny, even when they were at odds, they never made me choose between them. They’re like, “Josh is staying out of it, and we want him to stay out of it.” And I love both of them for that. They never once were like, “You have to work with me.” Johnny never did that to me. Tori never did that to me. Devin and Kaycee definitely did, but Tori always gave me the blessing of like, “You play your game. You’re here to make a final. I’m not gonna put you in the middle of this. You’re out of it. “And I love them for that.
Well, one person that kind of tried to tell you you were playing both sides too much was Michele. Do you think that it was fair that she put a target on you for that?
No, I don’t. I think that Michele was really frustrated. Michele and me play a very similar game. And Michele’s very used to having strong ties and kind of using those ties to benefit her, and that wasn’t her position in this game. So I think there was a lot of frustration in seeing how well-positioned I was, and she was lashing out.
I love Michele. I am Michele’s biggest fan. I’ve been Michele’s biggest fan since Survivor, but this season, I couldn’t stand her. Even working on a team with her, there were so many arguments that you guys didn’t see where it was always Michele coming at me, and I was taking it and taking it from early on, from when we were working, and I was just taking it and taking it and taking it, and I would vent a lot to Kaycee about it. I’m like, “Bro, I can’t stand Michele, like, where the f**k is this ego coming from?” I don’t know if it happened during 30…. Who is this person? And then it just all came to a head at the end, but no, man, it was really disappointing.
Honestly, even though I went to Michele and I wanted to take it off of her plate — like, “I know you’re gonna vote for me, so let me just take your power away and kind of have you vote for me” — I’m still a little disappointed in her because me and Michele always played this game so closely. Me and Michele always work together. I’ve always been in Michele’s corner. So even though I gave her my blessing, I’m hoping that — I know her and Derek got really close this season, but I’m hoping our friendship means more to her, and I was just really disappointed that that wasn’t the case. So our friendship definitely had a falling out this season, and it’s just gonna be interesting to see, in future seasons, how that unfolds. Really, that’s another friendship that — and what’s hard for people to understand — in the game, I just don’t know what’s gonna be our position. If we are gonna play together or we’re not, it’s gonna be interesting.
So you guys haven’t talked or caught up since the filming?
Oh yeah, we had a reunion, and that was an absolute s**tshow. I wanted to go get clarity and closure, and I walked away from it… This is the thing, we’re good, but we’re not in a game setting yet. So once we step foot in the game, and we’re back in that environment, it’s a whole different scenario than us grabbing drinks and hanging out and not talking about games, you know? So that’s what I’m saying. It’s like, yeah, we’re good, but that’s not what’s at hand here. When we step back foot into that game, if we do end up playing together, what is it gonna be like? ‘Cause I really don’t know in the game where I stand with her or Devin. Do I love him? Hell f**k you, I love him. I’m their biggest f**king supporter, but in the game, I just don’t know what our position’s gonna be.
How do you feel about your position with Johnny Bananas now? Because I know that you got into a row in USA 2, and then you’ve kind of been making up for that.
Oh, I love him. Listen, I walked into 40, and even though he plays into, “Aw yeah, guilt trip him,” the reality is Johnny never really guilt-tripped me. And before going into 40, there was multiple times where we kicked it and we hung out, I went to his gym, and we spent a lot of time outside of the game, we hang out a lot. So there was never a moment where he even brought up what I did on USA 2, but I always told myself, and I know Johnny, it’s like, you can apologize and apologize, but it’s like your actions. So I always told myself it’s the day that I get to repay him and do right by him and show him how bad I felt for the move that I made on USA 2. I’m gonna do it, and that’s exactly what I did. Did he play into him being a showman, “Yeah, I made him guilt trip” or whatever? I don’t know why the f**k he did that, but he really never did until we were in that chamber. But our friendship is more solid than ever. I love the guy, he’s like a big brother to me in that game. People really don’t understand the friendship. They’re like, “Where did this come from?” It’s like, “Dude, I filmed most of my seasons with him, and he’s always been somebody that’s kind of taken me under his wing.” And even when it felt like the fans or the people in the house are against me, Johnny’s always seen the good in me, and that’s something that I really love about him, that he’s never been one to brutally judge me. He’s always been like a big brother to me, so I f**king love the guy, and I think that moving forward, I’m always gonna have his back.
MTV
Yeah, what about Cory [Wharton]? I know it was kind of worst-case scenario you’d have to go against him in the arena.
Yeah, like I said, there’s a lot of friendships that [struggled]. While a lot of friendships became stronger for me on Season 40 that I’m grateful for, like Rachel and Johnny, even Tori, with her allowing me to play my game, I think that there was a lot of relationships that were hindered and then I lost, and that I just don’t know where we stand. I don’t think me and Cory will ever, ever, ever, ever play this game together. So do I respect him outside of the game? Do I respect his reasoning? I f**king love that. I love Cory outside of the game, and I think that’s what’s so confusing for people. They’re like, “Well?” It’s like playing a game, when you go on the field and you go to compete, I could be friends with the opponent, but it’s like, “I’m gonna beat you,” and that’s just how it is. Moving forward in The Challenge, I probably will never work with him. He probably will never want to work with me. Granted, fair, I did cross you, but in the game, I’m happy for him. Even him winning and him moving forward, he’s had an amazing season, and I give him his props, and he’s such a strong competitor in the arena, and I’m glad that if I had to go out to anybody, it was him. So yeah, it’s tough, but that friendship, I don’t even know where I stand with Cory. It was awful, and he was f**king throwing jabs left and right, and you guys will watch that, but it was just like, I really don’t know where our friendship stands, but I’m always gonna root for his success, if that makes sense.
Have you heard anything about the future of the show? Because I know Kaycee and Tori have indicated they’re not returning for a while.
Listen, I don’t think this show has any plans of slowing down. I think that this show is one of the best shows in the world. I mean, you see other shows trying to replicate, and I’m just very blessed that I get to be part of The Challenge. I can’t really get into much details about that. The reality is, I’m in a position right now at 30 years old, I’ve put in a lot of time into this, and thanks to The Challenge, they’ve been part of opening these doors for me, but I’ve been hit up for every major f**king show you can think of out there right now, and had a lot of offers, and for the longest [time], I’ve been very [hesitant]. I think what the difference between all those other projects and The Challenge is is that The Challenge has become such a big part of my life, and I truly gained so much with each and every season that I do, that personally, if it’s my choice, I have no plans on walking away from the show. We’ll see what happens in the future, if I do come back, but I wanna continue to become a better competitor, a better challenger, and I haven’t won. I haven’t made a final, so I’m ready to make that happen. And while all these opportunities have been presented to me, my loyalty is always gonna be with The Challenge. But yeah, I think in 2025 you’re going to be seeing a lot of me. I’ll just put that out there, so we’ll see what happens. I don’t plan on retiring, but my friends do — or are taking a break. I don’t have any plans of slowing down.
Why is there so much spillage online? The latest is with Laurel Stucky beefing with Nurys Mateo and Horacio Gutierrez? There’s this whole thing, so why were the feelings so hard this season?
It’s tough. We spend so much time together, and a lot of us, we go back to back to back seasons, and that’s why I think it’s important to take a break. I didn’t take a break. I was forced into a break because I didn’t fit the theme for 39, and 38, I didn’t want my sister on the show, so I took that into my own hands. I was like, I’m not gonna put on my family, so they made me an alternate, but that break was the biggest blessing of my life, and some of those people that you mentioned — not Horacio and Nurys — I think that person needs a break. I think that that person needs it — and this is coming from a place of love. I think that seeing someone like that spiraling, and seeing all the hate and everything, a break is healthy. It’s not a bad thing, and you’re able to just connect a little bit and get back to reality, and now for me personally, even talking about my own personal experience, I’m able to play this game and not let it consume my life. That was my reality when we filmed 40, from there, I filmed two other shows. I’ve been traveling, I’ve been with my family, so it’s like, I’m not consumed by it, but that break allowed me to look at it with a different perspective. And I think for a lot of people, it feels heavy because there is no disconnect. It’s like, you have three or four months and you’re thrown back in, and it is pretty sad, man. This show is the biggest blessing in a lot of our lives, but if you don’t take the reins, and if you don’t take breaks and protect your mental health, it will destroy you. And it’s sad that I feel like that’s what’s happening right now with Laurel.
The Challenge, Wednesdays, 8/7c, MTV