Challenge Total Madness Player Preview: Melissa Reeves
If you have/have not seen Melissa’s social media, I am going to note the baby elephant in the room. She was pregnant while Total Madness filmed. It had to have been very early into the pregnancy as she probably didn’t show visible signs, or she got eliminated before she figured it out. Or maybe she was removed from the game once she did. Regardless, it is a scary subplot for this season. Melissa seems super pregnant currently, so hopefully, that means the baby is healthy!
Usually, I would be thrilled to see Melissa on the cast because she is a top tier reality television villain. Melissa can lie or stir up drama with her words and actions, and show no remorse in such a way that’s a bit nerve-shaking. Sadly, she hasn’t been able to last long on these shows because she has started too much trouble. Knowing she is pregnant makes me wonder if she will be tone down, or if she’ll be going 110%.
Introducing Melissa: She was one of the original five UK reality stars to debut on the Challenge. It’s honestly crazy to consider how much of an impact those 5 UK cast members have had. Kyle has hooked up with tons of girls and had a fantastic two-season feud with Cara Maria and Paulie. Joss has been a remarkable athlete with a 3–1 elimination record and was seconds away from winning Final Reckoning. Kayleigh won three eliminations on Final Reckoning, politically knocked out players like Jenny and Georgia on War of the Worlds 2, and then Rogan is the first UK Champion from out of nowhere.
Melissa had the most significant immediate impact out of anyone as she came on the show, hooked up with Nicole Zanatta, got into a fight with Kam, won an elimination, and then lost a wild headbanger elimination to Sylvia. MTV liked her so much that they brought her back for the final as a mercenary twist. Then on Final Reckoning, she and Kailah were kicked off on day two for a fight between them on night one. It was a massive setback if her goal was to be on television, as it meant she was essentially not on the season. Then MTV seems to have put a 2 season ban on any form of violence as Kailah, Melissa, and Cory are all finally back. Or it could just be a coincidence.
If Melissa has another quit, then she’ll be the 5th most important of that original five, which is something most fans would have never expected.
Player Vitals
Melissa Reeves: 26 Years Old, 5'7, 2 Seasons, 1–1 Elimination Record
Skills and Physical Strength: One of the weirdest Challenge fans moments is when people began calling Melissa an MMA fighter. She did some workouts at an MMA gym and took some pictures/videos of her fun time at the gym, but that doesn’t make you a fighter in any regard. Hell, people at the lower levels with actual fight(s) on their belt likely wouldn’t even consider themselves fighters. Melissa’s elimination round was Sylvia was thoroughly entertaining, but it’s not a good look that she lost to someone with a massive fever.
She keeps incredibly fit as looking good is her livelihood. During Vendettas, Melissa only participated in the opening purge and the first real daily challenge. Despite having two seasons under her belt, Melissa is essentially a rookie. Her rail-thin frame has always made her look a bit fragile, and especially with this cast where the females are bigger than average.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game: She got into a skirmish with Kailah on Final Reckoning and has shown no remorse for it, and even accused her and Tony of hooking up (both people in relationships) during one of the reunions. There is bad blood between them. Kailah has tons of friends on this cast while Melissa only has Kyle and maybe Rogan. From a jumping-off point, Melissa should be fearful.
On Vendettas, she was openly polidicking, and it backfired against her as the other females did not like the way she was playing the game. I would love to see an Ashley and Melissa alliance, the two could raise hell together. Melissa being pregnant makes me wonder if she entered the season in a relationship. Some of these UK cast members treat themselves as single when on television, which I wish all cast members did (sorry, it’s Trashy Reality TV).
Eliminations & Winning Potential: Melissa owns an elimination win. It was not an impressive win, as it was against Alicia. The elimination itself was way too simple and didn’t make her stand out. However, she does know what an elimination is like. Her elimination loss to Sylvia did prove that Melissa was willing to play dirty as she knee’d Sylvia in the stomach multiple times during the elimination itself. I appreciate a competitor who will play hard and do anything to win. While Melissa might not be a strong competitor, she will at least try to win.
Can she win this season? Probably not. If Melissa can get to the halfway point, that would be a huge win. The girl is ridiculously good as a villain, and I want her to last as long as possible. Sadly, her actions are way too problematic for someone who isn’t a dominant competitor. You need to be a top tier competitor to be able to get away with what Melissa does.
