This cold, dark winter is ending early because The Challenge: War of the Worlds is here! It’s time to watch international reality stars duke it out (and let’s be real, bang it out) in an attempt to win a million dollars. In celebration of this joyous day, I’ve braved the sound of my own voice to interview Nany Gonzalez, Challenge veteran. In our interview, we talk about what she’s been doing since her last season three years ago, what we can expect from this diverse cast, and all the drama that’s about to go down. Check out our conversation below, and fingers crossed she doesn’t roast me on Twitter after (it all worked out fine though, right Marie?)!
First of all, how does it feel to be back?
It feels so good to be back. Honestly, I definitely needed the time off. Away from reality TV, The Challenge, all that. But it feels really good to be back. And to see the social media and all the support that I’ve had It’s really humbling and I’m really excited to be a part of this show.
Why did you take time off and what have you been doing?
So my last show was Rivals III and that’s when I decided to take a break. I went back to school for esthetics and I graduated, worked really hard, and now I work for a medical spa in Chicago in the West Loop. I do all medical grade skincare and laser treatments. I love my job, I love what I do. I just make people pretty and it makes me feel good.
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What made you come back? Did you just miss it?
Like I said, I had spent the last three years kind of establishing my career and I just felt like the timing was right. I felt very comfortable with where I was and I got the call to do The Challenge and I considered it, and I passed it along to my job, and they approved the time off so I figured why not? You know, I missed it. I missed the traveling, I missed the adrenaline rush from all the challenges and the eliminations. Just the entire experience in general. And you know I just wanted to give it another go. Why not? Might as well fight for a million dollars.
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Can’t hurt to win some money on your time off.
Exactly!
What do you think of the newcomers from all these different reality shows? Do you like that addition? How does it change the dynamic?
So coming into this season and having cast that’s brand new, all from different countries and different parts of the world, some people didn’t even speak the same language. For me, I loved it. I thought it was great. And I thought it was probably the best season for me to come back to. Because in my time off I didn’t watch any of the challenges or really keep up with them, but I do have Instagram and I would see all of the drama between cast members and all the nonsense that went on the last three years. Coming into this show I was just like, “here we go it’s just going to be a lot of bad blood, people fighting over the same thing that happened three seasons ago, yada, yada, yada.”
But coming into this show what happened with half the cast brand new, it was a different dynamic. It was a bunch of new people who had never played the game before and they were really excited to be there. So the energy right off the bat was just good. It was good vibes!
From what I saw in the launch special it looks like there might be something going on between you and Chase? Can you give us a hint of what happens?
Oh my goodness okay so I’ll keep it very brief because that’s how long that whole thing lasted. No! Chase was a nice guy. Chase was a very nice guy. I met him the first night we got into the house. We kind of hit it off. He’s very cute. We had good conversation. And then I just think that things kind of moved too quickly within 24 hours and I was just not really looking for any kind of relationship or any attachment… and yeah, so that’s pretty much that. I just got out of a three year relationship. I went on this challenge to have fun, I was single for 2 months before I went on the show, so I was not trying to settle down with one person and definitely not within 24 hours.
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Chase is my friend’s FAVORITE all-time Bachelorette contestants. She’s going to be very jealous when she sees this.
Ahhh Chase is a nice guy! I was just there to have fun. I didn’t want to be with anybody.
And it looks like you might have some drama with Dee?
As you can see in the preview we’re on the bus, it was after a drunken night out, and I can’t tell you exactly what the fight was about butttt I will say that for whatever reason she attacked me, and anyone that knows me knows I’m never going to back down to anybody. I don’t go out looking for drama, I’m never going to start anything with anybody, that’s not who I am, but if you come for me don’t think that I’m gonna back down. Don’t ever think that I’m scared. So I think it was just a drunken night, whatever. It is what it is. We woke up the next morning and she apologized. I don’t hate her. I actually grew to really like her toward the end of the season, I just think at that point in time it was really early in the game and we didn’t know each other and she just didn’t know who I was.
Who is your hardest competition in the game? Is anyone back from your past that you really hate?
I guess when you line everybody up, especially all the girls, there are a lot of great competitors. One of the new girls, Mattie, she’s like 6 feet tall, she’s an awesome competitor. I knew she would be a big threat. And then you have girls like Ninja Natalie who won American Ninja Warrior and so she was definitely one of the biggest threats in the house. And then of course you have Cara Maria who has won a million and one shows and works out every single day and her biceps are the size of my body. So yeah, there was a lot of competition for sure! But nobody that I was afraid to go against. I was ready for anything.
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Can you spill the tea on anything scandalous that happens this season?
Well let’s just say this: what goes on in the Challenge house definitely doesn’t stay in the Challenge house. It will be nationally televised so anybody that’s in a relationship, has a boyfriend at home has a girlfriend at home, they will be exposed. And this happens on more than one occasion with more than one person, so stay tuned because it gets interesting!
And finally, anything else you can tell us about the season to get us excited?
Just in general, this is by far the best season I’ve ever competed in, of all seven seasons, and I think that everyone is really going to enjoy this season. It’s pure competition, very physical, and it’s what I think viewers have been wanting for so long now and they’re finally going to get it!
You can catch Nany on tonight’s premiere of The Challenge: War of the Worlds on MTV at 9/8 central!
Images: nanycarmen, challengemtv/Instagram
