The Challenge Is Back

Mark your calendars ladies and gentlemen, he’s back.

MTV officially announced the cast for the upcoming season of The Challenge: Invasion which premiers on February 7th. Johnny Bananas looks to defend his title afte

r sending his partner and co-champion Sarah home empty handed in the most diabolical move in Challenge history. But the most notable name returning for the 29th season is Challenge LEGEND and Boston’s own Chris “CT” Tamburello.

CT has not been on the show since Battle of the Exes II when he was teamed up with on again off again girlfriend Diem Brown, but she was forced to leave the competition after getting sick three weeks. Diem battled cancer twice and it came back on the set of Exes II in August 2014. CT left the competition immediately to be by her side and has not been a part of any Challenges since Diem passed away in November 2014. But that all changes this season.

The theme this season is Champs vs. Underdogs. 18 rookies and vets without a championship will go through their own competition to narrow to just 12 and from there they will compete against 8 former champions.

Champs Ashley K (Real World: San Diego) Johnny “Bananas”(Real World: Key West) Camila (Spring Break Challenge) Cara Maria (Fresh Meat 2) CT (Real World: Paris) Darrell (Road Rules: Campus Crawl) Laurel (Fresh Meat 2) Zach (Real World: San Diego)

Underdogs Amanda (Are You The One? Season 3) Anika (Real World: Bad Blood) Anthony (Are You The One? Season 2) Ashley (Real World: Ex-Plosion) Bruno (Real World: Skeletons) Cory (Real World: Ex-Plosion) Dario (Are You The One? Season 2) Hunter (Are You The One? Season 3) Jenna (Real World: Ex-Plosion) Kailah (Real World: Go Big or Go Home) LaToya (Real World: St. Thomas) Marie (Real World: St. Thomas) Nelson (Are You The One? Season 3) Nicole (Real World: Skeletons) Shane (Road Rules: Campus Crawl) Sylvia (Real World: Skeletons) Theo (Real World: Bad Blood) Tony (Real World: Skeletons)

Keep an eye out for Theo from this past season of Real World: Bad Blood in Seattle. He’s a Challenge rookie and had to leave the show early because he almost beat the shit out of his cousin for basically ruining his life and getting him kicked out of Eastern Illinois, where he was Jimmy G’s backup at quarterback, nbd.

The cast will be fighting for $350,000 and the final will be a three day competition for the first time in Challenge history. I’ve never been more excited to see TJ Lavin in my life.

Kix Note: Super duper stoked for this season of The Challenge but to be honest i don't know how I feel about Intern Pat sliding in and doing a preview blog? The Challenge is my baby and he comes on to my website as an intern and writes the blog? Should I be mad? Should I be glad now that I don't have to do it? Or should I be proud that my intern has a great head on his shoulders and loves America's 5th sport as much as I do? I'm perplexed.