If you’ve been following the latest information on the upcoming Challenge season, you’ll know that there are some people who were almost a part of the cast, but ended up not showing up. This is common, and it happens every season. Throughout Challenge history there have been people who were part of the cast, but ended up not appearing on the show. Let’s check out some people who were almost on the cast.

Challenge 2000- Colin from Real World Hawaii was asked but claimed he was not interested in Challenges.

Extreme Challenge– Kathryn from Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour was contacted but declined. Colin was also asked for this season. Elka was considered.

Battle of the Seasons (2002)– This is such an old challenge that there’s not too much known about it. Of course, Mike mentioned on the reunion that Lori from Back to new York was originally supposed to be his partner, but her fear of flying after 9/11 prevented her. David E. was originally Beth’s partner for RW:LA but was sick and Jon was used instead. There’s also rumors that Ruthie and Colin would have represented Hawaii, but Colin backed out. Jo and Puck were considered for RW: San Fran’s team but dropped out or were dropped. Early spoiler sites reported Heather G. to be Norman’s parter and Christina P. to be Chadwick’s partner. Unsure whether or not they were ever asked.

Battle of the Sexes– Another challenge were there isn’t much known. Cara from Chicago was rumored to be part of the cast but was never actually part of the show. Keri from Chicago, Malik from Back to New York, Vince from Road Road Island, Neil from London and Becky from New York were cast at one point but did not make the final show. Irene from Seattle mentioned she has been asked to appear on The Challenge during this time (unsure if it was for Sexes or just in general) but stated she’d only appear if she was paid $100,000 and could tape her mouth shut. Needless to say, she was never cast.

The Gauntlet– For starters, the season was supposed to be filmed in Rhode Island, but production was unable to settle on a location. Vince from Road Rules Islands was supposed to be part of the cast. Jisela was also supposed to be on the cast and backed out. Malik and Timmy agreed at one point but were not used.

The Inferno– It’s a fairly well known fact that Piggy was on this cast, but left early. You can see her in a couple of the opening scenes (Road Rules team on the boat heading to the beach, Dave explaining the rules). Christena replaced her, which is why you can see Syrus helping her with her bags on the first episode. It’s also rumored that Tonya was a replacement for The Real World team, but was never needed. Dan Renzi was initially on the cast but was replaced with Syrus. Production wanted Jisela on the cast, but she inevitably declined.

Battle of the Sexes 2- Jisela backed out of this season, eventually being replaced with Kina. Beth was cast for this season and dropped, being replaced by Cynthia. Patrick from Road Rules Extreme was supposed to be on the cast, but backed out as well. Donnell from Road Rules South Pacific was rumored to be part of the cast, but was never on the show.

The Inferno 2– The only known information is that Beth was called in as a replacement prior to filming. Puck was also rumored to be on this cast but was demanding a ridiculous amount of money just to appear and was never cast. Coral and Melissa were in the cast but dropped and were replaced by Rachel and Beth.

The Gauntlet 2– This season was supposed to be Old School vs. New School, explaining why Jamie was on the rookies team despite have two prior Challenge appearances. Eric Nies was heavily pursued for this season, but declined. Coral and Trishelle expressed interest, but never showed up because they were filming a show called Battle of the Network Reality Stars which aired on Bravo! Trishelle considered doing this show instead because Coral would not be on it, hence why she was a host on BONeRS. Raquel from Road Rules Campus Crawl, Patrick and Angela from X-treme, Jamie Chung, and Shavonda from Philly all accepted invitations but later dropped. This season was the start of people dropping out due to casting decisions. Namely, Rachel and Veronica dropped due to Beth and Julie being cast. Then, Tina dropped due to Rachel and Veronica dropping. Tonya is also rumored to have dropped. Irulan dropped due to Alton being cast. Wes, Danny, Melinda, and Johanna were all asked due to the instability of this cast, even though their RW season just finished filming two weeks prior, but were not ultimately cast.

Fresh Meat– Ruthie was rumored to be an alternate.

The Duel-Julie from Real World New Orleans was going to be on this cast but backed out. Evelyn wanted to do this season but dropped due to illness. Linette from Fresh meat was contacted about this season. Sarah from Real World Philadelphia was also interested, but couldn’t attend due to a family commitment.

The Inferno 3- Rumor has it Johnny from Fresh Meat was going to be on this season, but had to drop.

The Gauntlet 3– Jenn was supposed to be on the cast, but dropped a week before filming. Svetlana was also on the cast, and dropped shortly before departure. Janelle was a replacement, and the other was likely Melinda.

The Island– Brooke accepted her invitation at first, then dropped. Aneesa was asked to replace her, but declined so Paula was asked. Potential replacements for this season were Kendal, Big Easy and Alton. None were used.

The Duel 2– Despite rumors, Coral was never part of this cast. However, Dan and David L. from Road Rules Viewers Revenge were both invited, but dropped. Dave M. from Hollywood was going to be a replacement, but backed out and then was replaced by Ryan.

The Ruins– Devyn from Brooklyn was briefly supposed to be part of this cast, but dropped. Cara from Road Rules South Pacific was also a part of the cast but was replaced by Susie. Alton was a potential replacement for the guys. It was also rumored that production considered casting CT, but other cast members threatened to drop if he was cast after what he did to Adam on The Duel 2.

Fresh Meat 2– Apparently, this season was originally going to be filmed in Sydney, Australia. Worker restrictions resulted in the season getting moved to Canada in the cold. Jonna forgot her passport and was replaced by Evelyn. Ruthie and Cohutta were potential replacements.

Cutthroat– Kenny, Danny J., and Bronne were also part of the cast at one point or another but ended up being replaced. I believe Derrick and Luke were used as replacements. Carley was asked and accepted, but was not used. Noor, Mike Manning, and Casey Cooper all declined invitations.

Rivals– Katie was supposed to be Sarah’s partner, but decided not to go because she had other obligations. Ryan L. and Preston from RW: New Orleans (2010) were rumored, but Ryan didn’t want Preston as a partner. Abram accepted his initial invitation, but was not used when his partner Adam Larson declined. Apparently, Dustin was supposed to be Leroy’s partner but production was worried JEK would shit on him too much because of his past “employment.”

Battle of the Exes– Casey was supposed to be Johnny’s partner at first, but was replaced by Camila last minute. Ryan and Davis were going to be the same-sex male couple to balance Rachel and Aneesa, but one of them had to drop. Coral was asked and would have been partners with Abe (who was technically was not exes Cara Maria during filming). Diem was reluctant to do this season, so Laurel was originally going to be paired with CT. Adam Royer was supposed to be on the cast with Nany, but he failed his psychological testing. Alton and Irulan were contacted but at least one was not interested. Landon and Shavonda were contacted but at least one was not interested. Cooke was also considered, but was never included in the cast.

Battle of the Seasons (2012)– I think this cast has the most potentials. Real World Las Vegas was supposed to include Frank and Arissa while Vegas 2 would have included Cooke and Leroy. Leroy dropped, and the teams were merged. There was a rumored Road Rules team which would have included any combination of: Katie, Rachel, Susie, Derrick, Shane, and Darrell. There was also a rumored San Diego 1 team which would have included Brad, Robin, Cameran, and Randy. Of course, there’s also the Sydney team that was flown to Turkey and left for unknown complications with one cast member. The team would have been Dunbar, Isaac, Ashli, and Kellyanne. They were replaced with the Fresh Meat team which was going to include Carley and not Cara Maria. Hence why Cara Maria’s jersey in early episode has her name taped onto the back. Originally, a Key West team was considered as replacements which included: Bananas, Tyler, Paula, and Janelle, but Fresh Meat was picked over them and the Road Rules team. There were also cast members from represented teams that were tested and could have been alternatives. These people include Emilee, Swift, LaToya and Nehemiah. Additionally, production attempted to form a DC team, which would have included Emily, but there wasn’t enough interest.

Sydney’s reason for dropping remains unknown, but it’s believed Isaac was the reason. Cohutta was contacted but couldn’t fly in as a replacement for him. At the time his grandfather was sick or had recently passed away and he need to be with his family or there for the services.

Rivals 2– While many were considered, it is known that Averey and Nia were asked to be a part of the cast but Nia was too busy with her book. Tyler was supposed to be Leroy’s partner but production swapped him out for Ty at the last minute because Ty supposedly produces more drama. Laurel was originally going to be Paula’s partner, but she had issues with the contract/ medical policy so never signed onto the season. Ayiiia and Cara Maria were an alternate team and LaToya and Laura were another alternate team, ultimately Cara Maria was used as a replacement. Ashley K. and Brandon Swift were tested but not used for this season. Dustin was originally supposed to be Frank’s partner, likely leaving Bananas with Dunbar. Dustin declined because Heather didn’t want him and Cooke together giving us the Frank/Bananas pairing. Susie, Ruthie and Tori mentioned being asked for this Challenge in its early stages of production, likely before the Rivals theme was solidified.

Free Agents– Kellyanne dropped out last minute. Heather Cooke accepted her initial invitation, but had to decline weeks before filming. Knight was going to be on this Challenge but was dropped because of his antics on the Rivals 2 reunion. Brad was considering doing this Challenge, but did not because he and Tori don’t like the direction MTV is moving toward. Heather Marter accepted at first, but declined when she found out Dustin was on the cast. Susie was going to do this season but backed after reading the contract. Tyler dropped out of this cast or was dropped at the last minute, and it is rumored Paula was on the cast but dropped when Tyler dropped. Trey, Nehemiah, Joi, and Averey were all alternates.

Battle of the Exes 2- Danny and Melinda were asked and initially accepted but had to decline in the weeks leading to the Challenge. Jenny from Real World Ex-Plosion was contacted but declined out of respect to Brian. Cory was asked an accepted, as was Lauren who declined. Brian declined because he was no longer Jenny’s ex. Robb and Marie were asked and while Marie accepted Robb did not want to appear on Exes out of respect to his finance and due to work commitments. Casey, Trisha, and Svetlana were all contacted to be Bananas partner but declined. Frank and Alexandra from Real World San Diego declined their offers. Averey, Diem, and Heather M. were all asked to participate and initially declined. Eventually Diem and Averey changed their minds while Heather never did. Shanley from Are You the One? accepted an invitation to the Challenge but her partner Chris T. declined. Sahar and Erik, Darrell and Rachel R., and Trey and Laura all accepted but were ultimately not used. Trey and Laura were alternates because of the decision to include Are You the One? and because Trey was injured a couple of weeks prior to filming. Cohutta was an alternate, but Nany was paired with Bananas. Brandon Swift agreed to be on the cast, with Jasmine as a partner, but she declined. Cast members have credited her declining as the reason Are You the One? was ultimately cast.

Battle of the Bloodlines- Marie from St. Thomas accepted a spot on the cast, but a change in job caused her to back out. Nia was also on the cast, but production decided to go in a different direction. This resulted in Jenna and Christina being cast. Production also really wanted CT and Faith Brown to be on the cast, but CT declined and Faith has an internship. Emilee Fitzpatrick was close to making the final cut with her biological sister (she’s adopted), but were not cast. Many other people were considered, but bloodlines limited their availability, however the following people accepted and had willing bloodlines: Brad and his brother, Layton Jones and his cousin, Derek Chavez and his cousin, Mandi and her brother, Britney B. and her brother. Laurel initially accepted the invitation for this show, but later dropped out. Jay, Jessica Andreatta, and Mark Long all accepted initial availability calls but were not cast.

Rivals 3- Hunter Barfield was originally going to be paired with Britni Thornton, but production did not end up using them, they likely would have been alternates instead of Nelson and Amanda. Bruno Bettencourt and Sylvia both initially accepted then later declined, presumably they would have been partners. Derek Chavez and Mandi Moyer accepted invitations but were not cast.

Invasion– Dylan Moore and Emilee Fitzpatrick were alternates and flew to Thailand, but were never used. Sam and Derrick K. were also alternates. Apparently, Ibis also accepted an invite to this show. Tori Hall considered appearing on this season, but ultimately declined. Cara Z. was contacted to be a Champion. Dione, Trey, Shane Raines, Averey and Nate S. (AYTO2) accepted invites but were dropped, Nate later being cast for AYTO:Second Chances. Nicole R. declined because she didn’t want to appear with Nate after breaking up, but this was not necessary as he was never on the cast.Production was heavily interested in Rachel R. from Road Rules, but she declined as she was pregnant at the time (though it was early in the pregnancy and did not tell MTV the reasoning). She told them Shane L. was interested in returning, which likely led to him being cast.

Champs Vs. Pros– Nehamiah was first believed to be on this cast, even doing testing, but was not used. Frank S. and Laurel were invited but declined.

XXX: Dirty Thirty– Production originally wanted this season to be a season where couples (alumni and significant other) were paired, but there wasn’t enough interest. Jamie L. from Ex-Plosion was considered for this format as was Beth. Alicia from Are You the One? 5 was invited and initially on the cast but had to back out due to medical issues and was replaced by Jenna. Coral initially accepted her invitation but backed out prior to filming. Averey, Anna Stack, Tyara, and Nate S. accepted an invitation but was not included in the final cast. Jonna and Cara Z. also agreed at one point but were not included in the final cast. Cody and Makani from Stranded with a Million Dollars were contacted, but not used, likely because the series was cancelled. Jay was asked and accepted, then had to drop due to prior commitments. Shane L. and Jasmine were asked to be on this cast, both likely declined. When CT’s passport was denied, Dylan Moore was flown to Columbia as a replacement in case CT couldn’t get there. CT did arrive, Dylan got sent home without competing.

Champs vs. Stars: Cara Maria and Landon declined. Sarah R. was going to appear, but is believed to have backed out shortly before filming. Jillian Z. was contacted but declined.

Update: Design mock-ups of the original setting for this season appeared online, revealing some early casting decisions. Initially, Sarah, Laurel, Frank, and Leroy were on the cast but were replaced by Jenna, Camila and Zach. Leroy’s name is in one design, but not in another, so it’s hard to know what happened to him. The original stars line-up was: Terrell Owens, Johnny Manziel, Johnny Weir, Casper Smart, Romeo, Brooke Hogan, Lil Mama, Adriane Andrews, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Kiara Belen. Only TO, Romeo, and Adriane made the final cast while Lil Mama, Casper, and Brooke appeared on the second season of Champs vs. Star. I do not think all of these cast members were necessarily confirmed to be on the show, I think these designs were made with production’s shortlist in mind.

Vendettas: Originally, this season was going to be Bloodlines 2, with Anna and Katrina Stack being included on the cast. Other contenders included Deena and Angelina from Jersey Shore and Javi from Teen Mom. Theresa and Ayiiia were rumored to have agreed with a bloodline available. Thomas, Tyara and Sam McGinn accepted invitations but were not used. Tina was invited and Shane and Veronica tried to convince her to return, but she declined. Additionally, Emily Schromm was going to be a Mercenary but had to back out. Derrick K., Corey from Big Brother 18, and Kellyanne were alternates and flew all the way to Spain before not being used. Madison was likely an alternate as well, never being used nor flying to Spain.

Originally the UK kids were only going to be used on this season, as MTV UK was planning a UK adaptation of The Challenge. However, plans fell through and MTV liked the addition to the US show.

Champs vs. Stars 2: Abram and Zach both agreed to be on the cast and were going to be used, but production opted not to use them. Abe was far along in the casting process, even picking a charity. Tori Hall was asked and accepted, but had to drop, hence why Tori Deal’s jersey has a “Tori D.” rather than just a “Tori” on it. Kendal was interested and asked, but ultimately was not used.

Final Reckoning: Coral was invited but declined due to pay. Landon was heavily rumored, but was not even contacted. Tony declined at first because his daughter was a flower girl in a wedding during the filming dates but was able to appear as a replacement after the wedding. Tony & Madison were originally going to be a pair of Mercenaries because Tony was only available after his wedding, but because he was used as Bananas’s partner Madison was dropped and Ashley & Hunter were Mercenaries. Sarah Rice was asked to be a Mercenary and would have considered after Vendettas, but did not want to participate after she learned winning would put her in the competition. Alicia was invited to be a Mercenary but declined when she discovered Cory would be her partner. Darrell was laster considered to be Cory’s partner, but Devin was ultimately used. Tori Hall considered doing this season, but ultimately declined. Rogan was originally considered as Kyle’s partner but he had surgery shortly before filming and could not participate. Diandra and Malcolm from AYTO6 were asked, but not used in the final cast.

According to Shane, MTV wanted him to be paired with Nicole Z., who ultimately declined. He believes this would have meant Nelson would have been paired with Derrick K. Unknown if Derrick was contacted or accepted.

War of the Worlds: MTV cut many people before getting to the final rounds of casting such as: Tony, Cory, Kailah, Angela, and Tori. Jasmine from Cancun made it far in the casting process. Faith was dropped at the last minute for Ashley. Kayleigh was also dropped. For the men, Nelson and Joss were close to making the final cut.

Cara Tan from Asia’s Top Model originally posted about being invited to this season on social media, before casting was very far. While she didn’t get cast on the show, it’s likely that we’ll never know who production tried to get onto the show from other countries so many of the names are as random as Cara’s. Jay Starett from Survivor Millennial vs. Gen X, Michele Fitzgerald from Survivor Kaoh Rong and Kenya from AYTO7 were going to be rookies but were replaced (Ninja is a known last minute replacement). Zach Rance from Big Brother 16 was going to be on the show, then got moved to an alternate and told production to take him off the list. Alex Ow from Big Brother 19 was contacted by ultimately declined. Chad Johnson, Corey Brookes and Didi from Ex on the Beach 2 were all considered as well.

War of the Worlds 2: This season was named “Bloody Hell” throughout filming and Bananas can be heard saying it during the preview. Initially, production wanted this season to be New School vs. Old School.

At one point in time Da’Vonne was rumored to be on the final cast, but this was an error. Jozea and Angela were cut from the final cast. MTV contacted Kendal, Tori Hall, and Brand, all of whom said they were interested, but ultimately were not cast when the format changed to US vs. UK. Haleigh and Brett from Big Brother 20 were contacted but still under CBS contract which MTV would not buy them out of. Frank Sweeney was far along in the casting process but decline due to pay disputes.

Kailah and Devin were alternates this season.

Total Madness: This season was originally going to be the third “War of the Worlds,” but production changed their mind to an individual format. Bria from Are You the One? 7 was contacted but eventually declined. Kayleigh Morris decline to focus on her business. Paulie Calafiore was dropped last minute prompting Cara Maria to drop as well, Jenna replaced her. Kam Williams had pay disputes which ultimately led to her declining. Tori Hall was believed to be on the cast, but never actually agreed to do the show. Sean Lineker agreed to do this season but was not cast. JP, Natalie N., and Morgan all agreed to do the season but were not cast. Billy Reilich agreed to do this season but was dropped before the final cast. Sam Bird from Ex on the Peak was contacted.

Challenge 36: Jenny West and Mark Jensen were flown to Iceland, but dropped. Asaf and Derrick H. were dropped prior to departing for Iceland, but quarantined with the cast. Analyse Televera (Big Brother 21), Brehanna Daniels (Titan Games), Connor Obrochta (The Bachelorette), and Morgan Lolar (Temptation Island) were all quarantined but dropped at some point. Jozea was contacted for this season and was intended to be on the cast, but was replaced with Josh when he did not appear on Big Brother: All Stars.