After entertaining the rest of the world for several decades, The Challenge is finally getting an Australian iteration and it’s shaping up to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Known for pushing contestants to their mental and physical limits, the show will set teams out on missions to advance through the game, dodging elimination and picking up prizes along the way.
The show is known for being cutthroat and intense, filled with as much drama as there is action.
Below, everything we know about The Challenge Australia.
What is The Challenge?
According to an Instagram post from The Wash, the show is designed to be a combination of several reality shows we’ve already seen in Australia.
“If you’re unsure of the format from the international versions, think a mash-up of SAS, Survivor and Ninja Warrior with a load of familiar faces doing gruelling challenges and mad stuff for a rumoured $1,000,000 prize,” the post read.
The winner will receive $200,000 and go on to compete in The Challenge: Global Championship, where they’ll be representing Australia in the hopes of becoming the first ever Challenge World Champion.
Here, they’ll be competing against winners from The Challenge: Argentina, The Challenge: USA, andThe Challenge: UK.
There’s no official word on when The Challenge Australia will hit our screens, but rumour has is that cameras are rolling now, so it’s definitely underway.
Who is starring on The Challenge Australia?
Check out the complete line-up below, and prepare to see a seemingly endless sea of ex-reality show faces.
Brittany Hockley
Ex-Bachelor alum Brittany Hockley rose to fame on the Honey Badger’s season, making it to the finale only to be told that he would be choosing nobody.
The following year, she went on to star in the Bachelor In Paradise and left with Timm Hanly, but the pair broke up shortly after leaving paradise.
Now, Hockley hosts a radio show on KIIS, co-hosts the Life Uncut podcast with Laura Byrne, with the pair revealing they are jointly releasing a book later this year.
Instagram: @brittany_hockley
Jack Vidgen
Best known for winning the fifth season of Australia’s Got Talent at 14-years-old, Jack Vidgen went on to sign a recording contract with Sony Records and later released two albums.
In 2019 he took participated in season eight of The Voice, but was unfortunately eliminated after the semi finals. Vidgen then went on to appear on America’s Got Talent: The Champions and Australia’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
Instagram: @jack.vidgen
Emily Seebohm
With seven Olympic medals to her name for swimming, Emily Seebohm is no stranger to breaking records. The swimmer was awarded the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia in 2009 after breaking a world record in the pool.
In January of this year, she appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and placed fourth. Seebohm is also a proud ambassador for Endometriosis Australia, having battled the condition herself.
Instagram: @emcbomb
Suzan Mutesi
Ugandan-Australian actress, model and fashion designer Suzan Mutesi is known for winning the African Fashion Designer of the year for 2012 and appearing in the 2019 TV series, Deadly Women.
Suzan’s first book, Unapologetically Black was published in 2020, scoring her the award for best author. She is also working on a memoir about how she found her “unapologetic self” which explores themes relating to racism, friendships, trauma, church culture and more.
Suzan also hosts a podcast titled Unapologetically You, where she interviews people doing noteworthy, inspiring things in the community.
Instagram: @suzan_mutesi
Cyrell Paule
Anyone who watched Married At First Sight will be familiar with Cyclone Cyrell, who gained infamy for her explosive argument with fellow contestant, Martha Kalifatidis.
After failing to make it work with her onscreen husband Nic Jovanovic, Cyrell found love with Love Island Australia alumni, Eden Dally. Despite their tumultuous on-again off-again relationship, the pair welcomed a son named Boston in February 2020 and appear to be going steady.
Instagram: @cyrelljimenezpaule
Marley Biyendolo
Crowned the winner of Big Brother Australia season 13, Marley is no stranger to the reality tv circuit. The basketball player is in a long-distance relationship with an American soccer player, with the pair revealing that they plan to get married and settle down in Australia in the coming years.
Instagram: @marleeyb
Kiki Morris
Influencer Kiki Morris rose to prominence after appearing on Richie Strachan’s season of The Bachelor and later, Bachelor in Paradise.
Following her stint in paradise, she dated infamous Bachelorette-alum Ciarran Stott, but the pair broke things off shortly afterward.
Instagram: @kikimorris
Megan Marx
Arguably one of the most well-known names within The Bachelor franchise, Megan Marx became known for rejecting Richie Strachan’s rose and going on to find love with fellow contestant, Tiffany Scanlon.
Then, after appearing on Bachelor In Paradise, she began dating Jake Ellis, with the pair breaking up and making up for a total of three times before separating for good.
She is a blogger, model, and writer, releasing a psycho- thriller novel which is loosely based on her time on The Bachelor. She also has a degree in Health Sciences and has previously worked as a health promotions officer.
Instagram: @megan.leto.marx
David Subritzky
David Subritzky is an English-born, Australian influencer who appeared on season eight of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
He spent the first 16 years of his life growing up in the UK in Lancashire before moving to Australia with his family in 2012.
Instagram: @davidsubritzky
Konrad Bien-Stephen
Hitting our screens last year on Brooke Blurton’s season of The Bachelorette, Bien-Stephen then made headlines when he seemingly spoiled the ending after being spotted kissing Abbie Chatfield in Byron Bay, proving that he wouldn’t be the winner.
He went on to date Chatfield for the next year, with the pair recently announcing their breakup. The Challenge marks his second reality television stint.
Instagram: @konrad.bien
Brooke Blurton
Brooke is a face almost every Australian knows, courtesy of her multiple reality television stints, but namely for breaking Bachelor franchise history by becoming the first queer Bachelorette in the world. Blurton also used this platform as an opportunity to educate people on Indigenous culture, offering much-needed representation and visibility in Australian television.
Prior to starring as the 2021 Bachelorette, Blurton appeared on Nick Cummins’ season of The Bachelor in 2018, before going on to star in the 2019 season of Bachelor In Paradise.
Instagram: @brooke.blurton
Ciarran Stott
After appearing on Angie Kent’s season of The Bachelorette, Stott quickly won the heart of the nation. However, he suffered a severe fall from grace after appearing on Bachelor In Paradise the following year in 2020 and wreaked havoc, and was dubbed a real life ‘villain.’
Following his public shunning, Stott travelled to Sweden in an attempt to win over the Swedish Bachelorette Julia Franzén, but was sent home quickly on account of the fact that he could speak zero Swedish. Will The Challenge provide the comeback he needs?
Instagram: @ciarranstott
Jessica Brody
Debuting on Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor and later appearing in Bachelor In Paradise (catching Ciarran’s eye), Brody released her own eyelash and eyebrow brand earlier this year, Brody Beauty. Given her impressive collection of body ink, it’ll also come as no surprise that she’s a trained tattoo artist.
Instagram: @jessica_brody
Ryan Gallagher
Ryan burst onto our screens on season five of Married At First Sight, making countless headlines for his incredibly rocky marriage to Davina Rankin. The following year, he starred in season six of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, where he shared a passionate kiss with Charlotte Crosby from Geordie Shore.
Instagram: @ryangallaghergram
Brooke Jowett
Appearing on two seasons of Australian Survivor (three and all stars), it’s fair to say that Brooke has a serious edge in this competition.
She is also the founder of activewear label, JRSY.
Instagram: @brookejowett
Billy Dib
Taking the title for two world boxing championships and a crowned lightweight international champion, Dib is well-known in the professional fighting world. He’s also the founder of boxing glove brand, Billy VE.
Instagram: @billydib
Troy Cullen
Best-known for his appearances on Australian Ninja Warrior Seasons 3-5, Cullen will likely outrun most of his fellow competitors on The Challenge.
Instagram: @troy.cullenn
Sugar Neekz Johnson
As a professional boxer, Johnson has got a serious amount of strength behind her in this competition.
Instagram: @sugar_neekz
Conor Curran
Stealing the heart of the nation on season 13 on MasterChef Australia, we’re not sure if Curran’s cooking skills will come in handy in this competition, but we’re excited to see him light up our screens again.
Instagram: @creamy_confusion
Johnny Eastoe
Known for his stint on season four and five of Australian Survivor, Eastoe quickly became a fan favourite, finding majority voting in both seasons but unfortunately being unsuccessful in taking out the crown.
Instagram: @johnnyeastoe
Audrey Kanongara
Kanongara hasn’t kept a large public profile since appearing on the 2018 season of Love Island Australia, and doesn’t have Instagram, so this will be the most we’ve seen of her in the past few years.
Grant Crapp
As a soon-to-be father of two and ex-Love Island Australia contestant, Crapp is re-entering the reality television scene with this stint.
Instagram: @grant_crapp
The Challenge is airing now on Channel 10 and 10 Play, on Monday and Tuesday nights at 7.30pm.
