When Ashley Mitchell and Hunter Barfield beat out Angela Babicz and Faith Stowers in a grueling elimination challenge, they earned themselves a spot on The Challenge: Final Reckoning during the Aug. 28 episode. Ashley got comfortable in the house very quickly, and even hooked up with Kyle Shore — who had previous dalliances with both Faith and Cara Maria Sorbello — on one of her very first nights. “I didn’t really know anything about him and he’s not really my type,” Ashley admitted to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “For two nights, we stayed up talking and laughing until 3 or 4 in the morning, and we were just very similar. We had the same outgoing personality, we like to hve fun, we cuss too much, we laugh too loud. We were just getting along right from the beginning.”
Ashley said that she didn’t know much about Faith or Cara’s past with Kyle when she got involved with him on the show. However, other cast members made her aware of the drama afterward. “I really didn’t care,” she said. “Then I thought…I’m kind of happy about it because I’m like, this girl [Faith] isn’t in the house anymore. I took care of her already. And hopefully Cara won’t get upset about it now because she’s already over him and all over this Paulie [Calafiore] guy, apparently. I was definitely not trying to stay in it — it was a one-time thing. I wasn’t trying to be like Faith or Cara with it.”
As we saw in the episode, Ashley wasn’t exactly honest with her partner, Hunter, about what went down. In fact, she flat-out denied that the hookup happened. “I have regrets just because I had to lie to a lot of people,” Ashley revealed. But I try not to regret anything in life, as long as I had a good time and it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
Check out the rest of our interview here:
You went through a lot in your personal life on ‘Champs vs. Stars’ and ‘Dirty 30’ – why were you ready to come back to the game now? I just felt in my heart it was the right time. I always go off of energies and feelings. I felt a lot more stable. When I quit Dirty 30, I had done three shows back to back, and it was one of my first times really doing TV, so it was really overwhelming for me.
Where did you and Hunter stand when you came into the game as vendettas? Honestly, when I got to Africa and found out Hunter was going to be my partner, I was super stoked. We actually get along, even though we’re opposites in any way you can think of. I was more than excited — he has everything I lack, and I have everything he lacks. He has no brains and I don’t have very many muscles — so put us together and we’re the perfect pair!
Some castmates and fans don’t think it’s fair that you had a chance to come into the game so late — what do you have to say in response to that? My grandma always used to tell me that fair is a thing you pay to ride the bus. If you think life is fair, then I want to be part of your life! That’s just how it works. On the season I won [Invasion of the Champions] they brought in people super late, too. But by the time I got in the house, all my girlfriends, they were already losing their minds. They were homesick and sick of the food and sick of the place they were going out at night, so I understand why they would be jealous. But this is The Challenge — you have to expect anything to happen.
Do you think coming in late was an advantage or disadvantage? I think a mix of both. Luckily for me, when I came in the house, I honestly didn’t have too many people who disliked me. There was literally no one I didn’t get along with in the house. But that puts a huge target on your head — being able to float or ride to the end can put a target on you, so I knew I had to pick a side and not just be a floater.
You do seem to get along with everyone so well — are you avoiding the drama this season? I say that every time I’m just going to come in and be quiet and stay to myself, but that never happens. I have a super outgoing personality. I have big opinions and an even bigger mouth. So it’s hard for me. You get a beer and a shot of tequila in me and I’m just going to tell you what I think. So it’s hard for me. Have you ever seen Smashley without a night of drama in a whole season?!