Johnny Bananas has found himself as a target with very few close allies on The Challenge: Final Reckoning, but as he’s being shunned by many players, he’s also forming quite a close bond with rookie, Angela Babicz. The two recently started hooking up on the show, and it didn’t take long for other cast members to accuse him of “using” her so she wouldn’t vote him into an elimination. Many also pointed out that he pulled a similar move with Natalie Negrotti on The Challenge: Vendettas. However, Johnny tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that his hookup with Angela was not based in strategy.
“In all honesty, it actually makes your life a lot more difficult to get involved in a relationship on the show,” Johnny explains. “It makes things a lot messier than it needs to be. Everyone knows I have an uphill climb the second I get there, so it doesn’t make sense to make anything more complicated. [Angela and I] were in very similar positions — we were both ostracized by the house. So that alone, not being part of the “cool kids” crowd, it kind of almost just came together just on that and the amount of time we spent together. As far as people saying it was for “gameplay,” I don’t really know why I would put more of a target on myself.”
Meanwhile, aside from his romance with Angela, Johnny seems to have stayed out of most of the Challenge drama this season — but he admits that it won’t be that way for long! “There’s absolutely no way for me to steer clear,” he says. “Things are about to really heat up. There’s been a very disturbing trend over the last few seasons where all the new guys — they know that I’m the surefire way to get a storyline. When in doubt, go after Bananas. So, essentially, the house turns against me and it’s me vs. everyone. That’s kind of how it is all season. So, buckle up!”
The Challenge: Final Reckoning premieres on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on MTV. Plus, this fall, Johnny will make his hosting debut on NBC’s 1st Look, premiering Sept. 29 after Saturday Night Live.