“And now Im like, ‘Did I sign up for the wrong game?
Should I have done Survivor like 10 years ago?'”
[SPOILER] tells EW.
Jonna Mannion (Stephens).Jonne Roriz/Paramount
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the two-part season premiere ofThe Challenge: USA 2.
Until the next win, you guys have got me."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So what happened?
Paulie Calafiore, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Dusty Harris, Josh Martinez, Tiffany Mitchell, Jonna Mannion (Stephens), Michele Fitzgerald, Chanelle Howell.Jonne Roriz/Paramount
JONNA STEPHENS:The funny thing is, the goal was to get Tori out of the game.
It was an indirect thing.
Everyone wanted Tori out and the only other choice was Jonna.
I’m bummed it happened but everything happens for a reason.
I’m trying to hold onto the silver lining.
At least I got to show up and look cool for a little bit.
It just didn’t work out this time.
Yeah, I need to remember that and start believing that when I walk in.
A long time ago Wes said to me, “You play a different game than I do.
I walk into a house and people already hate me.”
Now, I feel like that.
I still haven’t figured that out yet.
Probably a big part of the reason why I wonAll Stars 3is because nobody had seenAll Stars 2.
The six of us [MTV vets] were so over TJ.
First of all, he put us six against 18.
Then we ride in on jet skis they already hate us and we’re crashing their party.
Then I’m first-round draft pick, again.
The target is just getting bigger.
And then they make us carry statues of us!
I’m like, “Come on, bro, this is not helping!”
I’ve never had to navigate this game with such a huge target.
I didn’t know how to convince these people that I’m terrible.
But hey, going home second might actually help.
Like, I won the geriatricChallengeand then I also went home second, so I’m terrible.
How are you feeling after seeing last night’s episode?
Did anything surprise you that you didn’t already know before watching?
What did surprise me was the Green team nomination.
In a game, you get so paranoid because people say they have your back and they don’t.
So it was nice to see that they did.
It should have been like episode 6.
HowSurvivorandBig Brotherpeople play is how I usually playThe Challenge.
I should have done my homework.
Usually you only have a handful of strategic people like Wes or whoever.
I have to be more on my toes.
I have to realize it’s a 24/7 game.
[Laughs] It was like three in the morning after we got home from the elimination!
Do you think not being at that meeting is how Michele figured out it was you?
No, I think it took a little bit of time.
Maybe it was the meeting?
But she’s just smart.
Her and I talked about it and we’re going to be on the same page next time.
She is just as lethal as I was.
But I knew I liked thoseSurvivorpeople.
I knew they were my people.
Now I know I picked the wrong side simply because I am more like-minded with them.
That’s how my brain works, I think too far ahead to my own detriment.
I play chess when everyone else plays checkers.
But I know now and I’ll take that into the future.
I’m ready, since I’ve now seen all of their seasons.
And now I’m like, did I sign up for the wrong game?
Should I have doneSurvivorlike 10 years ago?
But there’s zero percent chance I could do that today.
If I didn’t eat or sleep, I would be terrible.
What was it like competing against Tori in that elimination?
She was so bummed.
She was like, “You’re probably one of my only real allies here.
You left your family for this.
What do we do?”
But I was like, “Tori, I’m a champ, you’re a champ.
This is what they wanted.
You’ve got to go all in.
You better go balls to the wall because that’s what I’m going to do.”
Nobody wanted to see that!
It would have been so much better to see Bananas vs. Paulie!
But it was hard.
So she knew when the silver balls were coming and would come back faster.
So that kind of sucked.
What didn’t we see in the episodes that you want fans to know about?
Go light the house on fire."
Amanda, this all got f—ed up.
She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It shouldn’t have been her, it should have been me."
And then I also had so much fun while I was there.
I was in a room with Cory, Fessy, and Chris.
And let me just tell you this: I had to fight for mirror time.
[Laughs] You know exactly what I’m saying!
Fighting for the mirror with these big ass guys, but I love them.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
