Ranking every AYTO cast member in Challenge history
Are You The One Season 7 premiered this week, so it seems an appropriate time to rank the twenty-two AYTO cast members who have found their way onto the Challenge.
These rankings are based on what they have done competitively, how entertaining they have been, and their relevance on the show and social media. AYTO has had many more failures than successes, by a wide margin, but there have been multiple competitors who have shined competitively and in terms of entertainment.
Once I reached the top six, it was incredibly tough. You could really re-arrange them in many different ways.
22nd Eddie Williams AYTO 5: Vendettas
If you are edited out of a season, then you took a fat L. Then we find out the reason you got edited out was because your ex-girlfriend on the show alleged that you were abusive, you should be happy you were edited out.
21 Brandon Tindel AYTO 2: Rivals 3
People doubted AYTO’s fit to the show mostly due to this douchebag quitting because he missed his girlfriend. Hope to see you never.
20 Chuck Mowery AYTO 3: Final Reckoning
I find it hilarious that Chuck waited four years to sit in a Redemption House with his ex-girlfriend. I’m also a sadist. He cannot be too high on the list considering he did not even compete.
19 Alicia Wright AYTO 5: Vendettas
As enjoyable as she was on AYTO and EOTB, Alicia only functioned as Cory’s side-piece on the Challenge. When he left, she followed quickly thereafter.
18 Anthony Bartolotte AYTO 2: Invasion
A beautiful man, who some challenge fans hardly remember. He lost pretty early on Invasion and has not been heard of since.
17 Derrick Henry AYTO 5: Dirty 30, Final Reckoning
He needs to start doing something well. Derrick has been synonymous with losing. He lost the first elimination in his first season and his girlfriend cheated on him. This season, he has failed in every single daily challenge with said ex-girlfriend.
16 Simone Kelly AYTO 1: Exes 2, Rivals 3, Dirty 30
The fact Simone has been on three seasons and people still forget her is astounding.
15 Nate Siebenmark AYTO 2: Rivals 3
One could argue Nate was not a bad competitor because he won a daily challenge and an elimination. He still looked super lame by not jumping out of the airplane on day one and crying when Briana yelled at him.
14 John Jacobs AYTO 1: Exes 2
John was a funny guy. Not a good competitor, funny guy though.
13 Briana LaCuesta AYTO 2: Rivals 3, Dirty 30
One of the funniest Twitter follows and one of the hottest girls in Challenge history. Not a good competitor whatsoever. She is a great personality to have on the show though.
12 Christina Leblanc AYTO 2: Bloodlines, Dirty 30
Christina and her sister actually performed well during the first challenge of Bloodlines. She then lost her elimination to Jenna. Christina was a decent competitor on Rivals 3, making up for Nate’s many weaknesses. On Bloodlines, she had her infamous bathroom hookup with Tony.
11 Cheyenne Floyd AYTO 3: Rivals 3
Most fans seemed to enjoy the sweet girl on Rivals 3. While Cheyenne was beautiful and occasionally funny in confessionals, for all intensive purposes, she was a bad competitor. Her and Devin’s ability to not finish last and pull white skulls was incredible. She is one of the first two AYTO competitors to make a final.
10 Brittany Baldassari AYTO 1: Exes 2
Maybe the worst competitor in Challenge history to have ever won three eliminations in a season. Which is saying something because Casey won five on Fresh Meat 1. She and Adam kept finding themselves in the dome because they finished last three times. During her exile with Nany, Brittany got beat in less than seven seconds in Pole Wrestle.
9 Dario Medrano AYTO 2: Bloodlines, Rivals 3, Invasion, Dirty 30
Dario was the first AYTO cast member to appear 3x and 4x on the Challenge. In his four seasons, he collected a 1–3 elimination record with no final appearances, his closest being a 4th place finish on Rivals 3. There was so much potential in Dario. He was antagonistic to Bananas and Nany on Bloodlines, had a solid performance on Rivals 3 where he won a challenge and eliminated Wes, and was playing really well on Invasion until it all blew up on him. If you rewatch Invasion, Dario played an infinitely better game than Cory, but his move to throw Sylvia into elimination completely backfired. Sylvia has become a decent competitor, however, she seemed mentally checked out at times on Invasion. Nobody thought she was going to beat Kailah. He was also on Dirty 30, apparently.
8 Adam Kuhn AYTO 1: Exes 2
The fact that Adam has never been invited back for another season is one the most mind-boggling decisions in recent history. Adam won three eliminations his rookie season and proved to be an entertaining douchebag, who you either love or hate. At the least, Adam would have had fans clamoring with their opinions of him. Winning three eliminations his rookie season did give AYTO a tiny bit of legitimacy.
7 Britni Thornton AYTO 3: Dirty 30, Vendettas, Final Reckoning
Easily one of the most surprising cast additions from AYTO, she has become somewhat of a staple on the show. Britni won two eliminations her rookie season and technically finished in 6th place. Her only elimination losses have been to Laurel and Camila. She has been a decent competitor and a firecracker personality in the house. Watching her hump Brad all across the entire Vendettas house was hilarious. Her twerking on her ex-boyfriend in the Redemption House on Final Reckoning was the perfect amount of what the fuck.
6 Tori Deal AYTO 4: Dirty 30, Champs vs Stars 2, Champs vs Stars 3, Final Reckoning
Tori’s performance on Dirty 30 is impressive despite many arguing she got “carried”. In reality, Tori won multiple daily challenges, won an elimination, and put herself in the best spot socially. Tori was a top pick among male competitors for a partner they wanted. She did well as a replacement on Champs vs Stars 2 and while she underperformed in the beginning of Champs vs Stars 3, she killed it once partnered with Lil Mama. Tori is a good competitor whose personality has not been divisive among fans, but loved by MTV. She is promoted by MTV and dragged on social media. Tori is the embodiment of both a completely underrated and an overrated player.
Tori is one of the top competitors to come from AYTO, maybe even the best, the problem is, Tori is boring.
5 Amanda Garcia AYTO 3: Rivals 3, Invasion, Dirty 30, Final Reckoning
The complete antithesis to Tori is Amanda. Amanda is not the family friendly image that can be plastered on a poster like Tori or Jenna. When Amanda fights, she goes off. The few episodes she appeared on Rivals 3 were the best of the season. She piloted drama while actually winning eliminations and antagonizing Camila. She and Ashley controlled the Underdogs politically, on Invasion, and she made it to the Bloodbath, where she was an inch away from going to the final with Ashley.
Amanda might not the best competitor, but she brings a high level of entertainment to the show. And if you’re watching Final Reckoning, she has been the female competitor through the first few challenges.
4 Hunter Barfield AYTO 3: Invasion, Dirty 30, Final Reckoning
At one point, Dirty 30 truly became the Hunter Barfield show. Hunter won multiple challenges, multiple eliminations, and a redemption challenge to get himself to the final five Purge. He won a daily challenge with a broken hand for God-sake. Not many people can match his competitive heart.
Entertainment wise, Hunter has gotten into his share of fights and blow-ups. He has cried on national television because his girlfriend dumped him. If Hunter can come in on Final Reckoning and bring another season like that, we are looking at one of the greatest competitors in AYTO history.
3 Kam Williams AYTO 5: Vendettas, Champs vs Stars 2, Final Reckoning
Did anyone ever expect Kam to become such a dominant force on the Challenge? She was not seen much at all on AYTO 5, as she was relegated to the Honeymoon Suite midway through the season. She showed up on the Challenge and made a statement by finishing in the top three for female competitors. Kam eliminated two mercenaries (Ashley and Tori), and then eliminated Natalie (the competitor with the most money in the game), enroute to a finals appearance where she would have made money if not for Melissa forcing her to bury a log due to some stupid over/under card game.
Kam might be a little too high on this list. Although, winning an elimination with Kayleigh as a partner may be more impressive than her entire Vendettas performance. Killa Kam has killed it thus car.
2 Devin Walker AYTO 3: Rivals 3, Dirty 30, Vendettas, Champs vs Stars 2
Nobody has been prouder to wear the Are You The One? badge of honor than Devin. Where someone like Tori has shied away from the label in order to blend in more and further herself in the game, Devin was all in on AYTO versus the Bananas man. Devin’s spirit and charisma, even when he is at best an average competitor, is the reason he is so high on this list.
He is funny and smart because he believes in himself and can influence the people around him. Devin wanting Bananas in elimination and then taking him out proves in order to hit a home run, you need to take a swing.
1 Nelson Thomas AYTO 3: Rivals 3, Invasion, Dirty 30, Vendettas, Final Reckoning
The greatest AYTOer in Challenge history is the one who came the closest to bringing home a win. Nelson was a once bad competitor who developed into a good competitor through hard work and experience. He was an unknown face on Rivals 3, mostly known as Amanda’s partner all the way up until he got into it with Tony on the first episode of Invasion.
People commonly make jokes at Nelson’s expense, myself included sometimes, however, he still has a smile coming into every season, he maintains his crazy workout regimes in order to keep his body looking great and he brings it in one way or another. In Invasion, Nelson became a man when he snaked Shane and Cory to guarantee his spot in the final. He came within two minutes of beating Challenge Legend CT in the final. In Dirty 30, he eliminated Hunter in one of the most intense eliminations in recent history and he went toe to toe with Darrell on Vendettas. Nelson has one of the greatest elimination records in Challenge history, at 6–1–1.
As corny as Nelson is, he is a great competitor and he loves being on our television screen.
