‘The Challenge USA’: Jonna Talks Intense Elimination and Explains Her ‘Risky’ Gameplay

For the second season of The Challenge USA, the show brought in some heavy hitters in the form of six MTV vets, including two-time Challenge champ Jonna Mannion Stephens. Considering that the MTV vets are greatly outnumbered by the Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race competitors, it’s no wonder that they soon found themselves with a major target on their backs. While her social game has kept her out of elimination for much of her Challenge career, Jonna couldn’t escape it this time around.

Jonna received five votes from her fellow competitors, which meant that she was greatly at risk of being chosen by the “Hopper” to face off against fellow MTV vet Tori Deal in the elimination. Even though she put up a great fight, Jonna wasn’t able to walk away with a win. After becoming the first vet to be eliminated this season, Jonna took time to chat with PopCulture.com about her Challenge USA experience. Read on to see what she had to say about that intense elimination and her risky gameplay during her brief time in the house. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

PC: Let’s start right with that elimination there. Jonna, you received five votes. Did you have any idea that you were going to get so many?

Jonna: No. Dude. I had no idea I was going to get five votes. It’s so funny. The first elimination we were there I was telling people, I was like, “Oh my gosh, everybody’s voting for me.” I was so paranoid. Zero votes. Second one, five. I was shocked. I knew something was coming, but I did not think it was going to be that many. The Survivor people… Whoever voted for me, they played it off so well, because I really got… I guess as Survivors would say, I really got blindsided. I knew that I would probably get some votes or whatever. I had no idea that they were that united.

Then you did end up in that elimination versus Tori and that was one of the more intense ones that I feel like I’ve seen you in. What was that like for you?

Well, I’m going to be straight-up honest. Physical eliminations [are] not my thing. Normally we don’t know until we get there what it is, but we do have somewhat of an idea of who’s possibly going in. This one we have no idea what it is, we have no idea who’s going in, we really had no clue of anything that was happening. I will say, I obviously do better at anything endurance-based, anything mind over matter. I loved All Stars because they had the puzzle equalizer things. That is my game. 

I know for a viewer it’s not as exciting as the Hall Brawls, Balls In, but I love it because I’m just like, ‘Yes, now I have an equal chance.’ When I walk in and it’s Balls In and my opponent is literally… She’s such a beast. She is a champ for a reason. She is hardcore and a badass. If I could look at the lineup and pick who I wanted to do Balls In against Tori would be at the bottom of the list. Just my luck though. I’m so lucky that the Hopper chose me and I got Tori.

I know. Oh my gosh. It was crazy. In the hypothetical situation that you were to win that elimination, I wanted to know what would your game plan have been after? Would you have defected to another team? 

Yes. I love that question, because, so, had I won that elimination I would’ve defected to Blue. Basically, because of the people that I had started to get aligned with. Now, I wouldn’t have taken Tori’s spot. I would’ve taken probably one of the Alyssa’s. I would’ve either Alyssa L. or Alyssa S. I would’ve wanted to stay on a team with Tori and Cassidy. Then all the guys on the Blue team were actually my roommates. I was in a room with Cory, Chris, and Fessy. I was already playing with them in the game. To me, as far as where my assets go and daily challenges I feel that’s where I would fit in best. I have the mental strategic side of it. I feel like I needed some of the big strong players and that would’ve been the team for me.

Were there any conversations with the six vets and trying to pull some other people to your side, like an alliance going on there with picking up some new friends? 

For me, straight up, as soon as I learned the rules and everything of the game, I, from day one knew… Everyone’s playing differently. You look at a player, do they care about the teams? Do they care about Big Brother versus Survivor? Do they care about [an] individual [game]? I was all over the place and me voting Michele in was basically my big move to try to better myself in the game. I broke it down literally by each player and I was like, ‘The only chance I stand with this secret vote… How can I use this to help me? The only way I can use it to help me is by voting her in [and breaking up the Survivor alliance].’

I’m glad you brought that up too. I was going to ask. That puts a little bit more of a spin on it than what we got to see in the edit … Do you regret that decision to vote her in? Especially, since she was one of the players that helped… that voted you into the elimination. 

No. Here’s the thing. The reason I regret it now that I personally know Michele and I know that in the future, her and I definitely can work together because we get each other. But, the reason why I don’t regret it, even though it didn’t have the outcome that I wanted I knew my back was against the wall from the jump. The target was so huge on me that this whole game is based on risk. I had to take a risk in order to better myself because otherwise, I was going in every single time. 

The Challenge USA airs on Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET and on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. All episodes are available to watch after they air on Paramount+.