The Challenge
Tasha Fox and James Wallington were paired up for the third episode onThe Challenge : USA , and although they get along better than some of the other pairs , their chemistry did n’t help them in the challenges . An unfortunate fall on a balance beam charge the randomly pairedSurvivorandAmazing Raceduo tumbling into the liquidation challenge where they were match up against Domenick Abbate and Cashay Proudfoot .
Despite the tension between them , Domenick and Cashay prevailed , mail Tasha and James , two self - professed fans ofThe Challengehome before either of them were quick to say au revoir . James had narrowly escaped elimination in episode two , but theAmazing Racewinner ’s luck ran out when he was forced to confront a 2nd consecutive elimination challenge .
Related : Cely Vasquez & Javonny Vega Interview : The Challenge USA
In an interview withScreen Rant , James unwrap how he first run across Tasha and whether he and theSurvivorcontestants had each other in their farsighted - term plans . Each of them key out how being on their respective previous CBS shows helped prepare them for a game that combines social , strategical and physical factor on a cast with some of the toughened realism television challenger .
Screen Rant : First off , I thought you both were going to get ahead the elimination challenge . The edit made it seem like Domenick was being way too cocky for his own good . How close was it there at the conclusion ?
James : From what we saw , I could distinguish the water was drain . I could distinguish he was n’t clogging the tobacco pipe at all , so there was a little turn of hope there that maybe they were just pass to lose because of the drain . If Cashay ’s tower would ’ve fallen , we would ’ve won just because of the drain . I did not gain how shut the piddle was with the assembly line . It made for an exciting riddance to watch over .
Tasha : From my perspective , my back was to Cash and Dom , but I had basically all of the other challengers yelling thing like , " Do this ! Move this ! Put this there ! " and it was really , really distract . But it was crack , super close . And poor James , he did his matter with the pipe . He sacrificed his body for that tobacco pipe .
It looked like a tough challenge ! In the first challenge , would you have done anything otherwise ? Was there a strategy you would have changed , or were you just unlucky lessen off the balance beam ?
James : I think communicating was central . There ’s so many elements sound on with this daily challenge . You ’re running , you ’re take hold of things , you ’re solving puzzle , just a lot of unlike elements at gaming that I definitely rushed the passage set the sandbag on Tasha ’s rod , and I mean because I was too immediate at get go , it was n’t enough metre to really transition and aline the weighting , so it was just a communication issue unfortunately .
Tasha : I pick up myself say , " allow me eff when you ’re function to let it go " so I think I was trying to cover for the system of weights but not knowing when the weight was in reality going to hit my shoulders and we ’ve talked about this so many times , like what could we have done other than and at the end of the day I think it was just communicating , but you ’re so pumped in the challenge . Adrenaline ’s extend . It was n’t a fail , like I could n’t balance or I could n’t contain a 10 - pound weight . That ’s lightweight , so it ’s just communication , unfortunately .
Tasha , you were a challenge beast onSurvivor . James , you wonThe Amazing Race . How did each of those show machinate you to be successful onThe Challenge ?
James : I recall Amazing Racers are the most equipped go intoThe Challengeover any other show . With The Amazing Race , every leg of the race is designed almost like a final ofThe Challenge . You have something strong-arm you have to overcome . A puzzler . There ’s a little bit of strategy , a little turn of luck involved . So you have all these elements meld that give out intoThe Challenge , it made some of these challenges feel like a walk in the park , almost . certain , there ’s sort of an extreme stunt to the challenge themselves , but I think withThe Amazing Race , you get everything thatThe Challengealready has , if that makes sense .
Tasha : The challenges onThe Challengewere different fromSurvivorbut just as straining . WithSurvivor , you do n’t get to corrode , though , so at least withThe Challenge , we pay off to eat . We actually had a bed , so in that sense it was easier . I think what was more hard onThe Challengewas there was the counterbalance which was the board that pick your partner . So inSurvivor , you may strategically position yourself to get further in the secret plan based on relationships and we could n’t do that . It was based on the strength of your spouse for that particular challenge . The first challenge of the time of year , if you could n’t do mathematics , you had a uncollectible better half . But then , on the next challenge , that collaborator could be a bang-up swimmer , and so , there was a great equalizer which keep a little of the secret plan out of our control .
James , you were align with the two other Amazing Racers and Tasha you were aligned with the Survivors . What did n’t we see about each of your strategies that might have involve other contestants from other show ?
James : SurvivorandAmazing Raceactually conjoined . We were work really , really well together . Night one , Tasha and Sarah draw Cayla and I by and said,“If you need a base , you have a home with Survivor . “And I had run into Tasha and Sarah previously at theirSurvivor : Cagayanfinale back in 2014 , so there was a small fleck of familiarity there . And going into it , I loveSurvivorso much so I was so excited to work with some of mySurvivorfavorites .
Tasha : Low - key , it wasSurvivorandAmazing Race , but everybody on the other show are such amazing citizenry that you could n’t really hate masses because they were all so sweet-scented . I think back last out up at dark babble out to Kyra and Justine fromLove Islandand really bonk them as people , but then endeavor to pilot the game and stayingSurvivorstrong . But I think that was my favorite part ofThe Challenge , just hang out with the citizenry .
James : I agree . That was the hardest part about being eliminated was the FOMO and know that we were go to miss out on more of those moments that everyone else is going to get to have .
What is the biggest matter you felt you proved to yourself or the hearing during your time onThe Challenge ?
James : When I was onThe Amazing Race , I was either enjoy or really hated because of the social game that I follow through , and being capable to be in The Challenge environs and dally a full - on social and strategic game , I was very excited . I was exist out this childhood dream that I never knew I needed or wanted . Being able to showcase that I ’ve learned so much from observe reality TV and then being able to implement strategy and build up these relationships , which is really fun and exciting to me . I ’m not a quitter . I do n’t give up , and I ’m always going to fight back , so I ’m more of a fighter than I think I realized .
Tasha : I ’ve always watchedThe Challenge . It was one of my favorite show when I was young , so to be on that show was a puerility memory come straight . And then , I be intimate the fact that there was no drama . I was cool , possess a good time . I did n’t devil mass . So , as a competitor on a show like this , you would care to know that your skills are moveable regardless of the show , so I conceive I proved that whether it’sSurvivor , The Challenge , or whatever might be next , I feel like I can menstruate in and out of whatever biz it is and be authentic , and still be a expert competitor .
James : I have it away Tasha ’s solution . She phrase what I wish well I said .
You were both a lot of fun to see because you ’re such huge fans of all these shows . We hope to see you again on another show on CBS , Paramount Plus , or somewhere on our boob tube .
Tasha : Fingers cross .
James : Yeah , fingers cross !
Next : Tiffany Mitchell & Cashel Barnett Interview : The Challenge USA
The Challenge : USAairs Wednesdays at 9 pm Eastern Time on CBS .
This interview has been edited for distance and clarity .
