Challenge Total Madness Player Preview: Tula “Big T” Fazakerley
Aside from Jennifer Lee, the most surprising female on the cast this season is Ms. Big T, Tula Fazakerley. Big T appeared on Challenge War of the Worlds 2 and lasted two episodes before getting eliminated by Georgia. Fans seemed to take a liking to Big T on social media during her short stint on the show as her lack of enthusiasm for working out was relatable, and the fact she lasted a long time in elimination with Georgia displayed a ton of heart from the diminutive girl.
Part of me is happy that Big T is back because she didn’t get a fair shake on her first attempt. Kayleigh was someone who I never thought would be a good challenger, and then pulled off three elimination wins in one season, and has skillfully played the game politically. Now, Kayleigh was gifted exceptional circumstances, like a fantastic partner in Kam on Final Reckoning, and then being part of a giant alliance where the numbers protected her on WOTW 2. Still, it is a blueprint for success for someone like Big T. I feel comfortable in saying that Big T is never going to be a dominant force on this show. However, her goal should be to last as long as possible. The longer she lasts, she a higher chance of leaving as much of an impression on the viewers and MTV as possible. MTV is comfortable casting someone like Big T once or twice as the rookie appearances fees are minuscule in comparison to everyone else. Big T’s goal should be to make the season 36 cast.
Introducing Big T: Her original reality show was Shipwrecked, a British reality show that had canceled in 2012 (Bear was on the last season of the old version), and then brought back in 2019 (canceled again right after). On this show, players live on two different islands, and they are supposed to attract new players onto living on their island, and the island with more players on it at the end, wins. Big T was on the losing island.
MTV cast her for War of the Worlds 2 as they needed females to fill out Team UK, and they needed to find someone they could afford. One of the reasons MTV has cast more obscure UK reality stars is because other stars likely won’t accept the rookie appearance fee. On WOTW 2, Big T got put into elimination by her team as she was a rookie and did not have any significant connections in the house. Unfortunately for Big T, she had gone against Georgia in elimination because Georgia quickly got on the wrong side of Kayleigh and her friends. Big T impressed people as her elimination with Georgia went for over an hour and a half. So while Big T was the first female eliminated, she at least looked like a winner in defeat.
Player Vitals
Tula Fazarkerley: 26 Years Old, Short, 1 Season, 0–1 Elimination Record
Skills and Physical Strength: She only participated in two daily challenges on War of the Worlds 2. In the first one, she got bullied by Laurel, and in the other, she completed a short swim. We got a small clip of her working out with Jenny and the girls in the gym. Big T is out of energy immediately and shows no desire to be there.
When she went on for a long time with Georgia, it was shocking to many. Yet, to me, it wasn’t shocking at all. Eliminations bring out the best and worst of certain people. For someone like Big T, she doesn’t have to desire to be the frontrunner in a daily challenge because it requires her to be in the gym and putting in work for something where even if she does her best, she might finish in fifth out of fourteen people. An elimination is a one on one battle where you get instant satisfaction when you win. It’s a flat out fight, and some people need the fire lit under their asses.
On top of that, success breeds success. If Big T gets an elimination win, it could turn into a daily challenge win into the future, and so on. We saw Sylvia get a random elimination win on Invasion against LaToya and then become better and better as the ceiling kept getting higher for her.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game: She might be small, but Big T carries herself like a Queen. One of the notes about her when reading about her Shipwrecked run is that other cast members thought she was a little pretentious. I love a confident woman, but for her game, she might not want to get into fights. Although she wants to get more buzz at TV personality, so I would love to see Big T get into a fight with someone.
Big T did not establish any remarkable friendships or alliances on War of the Worlds 2. I hope she makes friends this season. Likewise, I want to see how she does with puzzles to get a better idea of her as a competitor.
Eliminations & Winning Potential: You never know what elimination you will get, so Big T could win an elimination. I will note, she is easily the smallest girl on a pretty big cast of females. If Big T is good with puzzles, she can maybe get a puzzle elimination win. If it’s a headbanger, she is losing to everyone on this cast, except maybe Jennifer Lee.
Is Big T winning? No, sorry Big T fans. She makes dope wigs for a living, though.
