YouTube/MTV Johnny Bananas Devenanzio on 'The Challenge: Vendettas'
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio has been off “The Challenge” for a couple of seasons but luckily for his fans, he made a major announcement on August 10 when he said he would be hosting his own “Challenge” podcast, with the episodes dropping on Wednesday nights after “Spies, Lies and Allies.” The podcast will be part of The Ringer Reality TV Podcast channel, he revealed during the announcement, available on Spotify.
In the trailer introducing the podcast, Bananas revealed that it’s called “Death, Taxes and Bananas” and said, “we’re gonna be breaking down this season of ‘The Challenge,’ Hall of Fame episodes and I’m gonna be taking you behind the curtain of ‘America’s fifth major sport.'” He also explained that there would be special guests and said the whole show would be “special.”
On Instagram, he wrote, “Off your screen, but still makin a scene. I’m beyond thrilled to have teamed up with @Ringer and will be hosting my own podcast Death, Taxes, and Bananas on @Spotify dropping TOMORROW NIGHT after the premiere of Challenge 37 #DeathTaxesBananas #IamStillTheChallenge #bananasdoingNEWthings #thechallenge37 #theringer #spotify.”
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Bananas Has Been Off ‘The Challenge’ for a Couple of Seasons Now & Said He’s Taking a Step Back From the Show, Although He Hasn’t Made an Official Retirement Announcement
Bananas has already been clear about the fact that he wanted to step back from the show for some time to focus on other projects but luckily for fans, he hasn’t officially retired yet. The reality star hasn’t been on “The Challenge” since his record seventh win on “Total Madness.”
In his time away from the show, he’s focused on his hosting duties of NBC’s “1st Look” travel and culture show and debuted a new show “Celebrity Sleepover” which will see its second season come out this fall.
In an interview with Heavy, Bananas said his priorities lie in expanding his skillset outside of “The Challenge” through other projects in the entertainment industry, including his hosting jobs. He said, “After Total Madness, I just needed a break. Because that bunker we lived in truly drove me mad. It’s been fun for the first time in a long time to be able to sit back and watch from my couch, let everybody else indulge in the misery.” He added, “For me, it’s bittersweet. Parts of it, I miss it. But then other parts, I don’t.”
Bananas’ Podcast Joins a Couple of Other Major ‘Challenge’ Podcasts Hosted By Stars of the Show
Fans truly have their pick of the bunch when it comes to “Challenge” podcasts as Bananas’ podcast joins a few others that are hosted by reality stars with behind-the-scenes information on the long-running franchise.
The “Challenge Mania” podcast has been on for several years now and is hosted by “Challenge” star Derrick Kosinski alongside Scott Yager. Nearly every episode of the podcast will see the co-hosts interviewing a guest from the current show or a past season of the show.
Last season, MTV announced the debut of “MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast” hosted by Tori Deal and Aneesa Ferreira, who were both on “Double Agents” and will be on this season, “Spies, Lies and Allies.” The co-hosts will continue with the podcast for the 37th season, with episodes dropping on Thursdays and often featuring a producer or “Challenge” star to help break down each episode.
In addition to these podcasts, several “Challenge” stars have started offering recaps of each episode on their Patreon accounts for their fans.
“The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies” will premiere on Wednesday, August 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
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