How Much Does The Cast Of The Challenge Get Paid?

Many compete in "The Challenge" for the thrills, notoriety, and sometimes for the drama, but the main reason has got to be the big cash prize at the end. "The Challenge" fans may recall that the show first started off as a competition between "The Real World" and "Road Rules" cast members. Back in 1999 during the second season, the contestants played as teams and were vying for the $50,000 prize. The "Road Rules" team ended up winning and they each received $6,613.

Over the years, the prizes got bigger, with some seasons shelling out up to $350,000. In 2017, MTV made history when they announced that the jackpot would be a whopping $1 million for "The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30." With that much money on the line, it's no surprise that there was a lot of backstabbing and politicking. Ultimately, Camila Nakagawa and Jordan Wiseley both earned $450,000 each and the title of "The Challenge" champion. Contrary to what many may think, however, the prize money isn't the only payout the contestants get. As with any reality star, they do receive a paycheck just for showing up, and some receive a bit more than others.

No one wants to be the first one to go home in "The Challenge," especially if you're a newbie. According to a source, they only get $1,000 per week, while vets make $3,000 to $5,000 weekly, per Us Weekly. Super "elite" competitors (we're guessing Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Cara Maria Sorbello), get up to $80,000 just for being on that season. Some of that money goes to expenses as well. When viewers see the players enjoying drinks at a local bar, they're not paid for by production so the cast members have to shell out for their own libations.

Veteran and "The Challenge: Ride or Dies" winner Tori Deal confirmed that the contestants do make at least some money. "'Do we get paid?' Don't know if we can really answer it, but we'll give you this much. I promise you, we don't go on the show for free. My a** is not going on a 40-foot platform, hanging over a helicopter, eating cabbage for no reason, OK. You're gonna pay me. And the more shows we do, the more we get paid," she stated on "MTV's Official Challenge Podcast" (via In Touch Weekly). Of course, the paycheck is just the cherry on top and the real prize is the big one at the end — and there are just a few that have made it big from the show.

CT Tamburello and Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio are called "The Challenge" champs for a reason. Tamburello competed in 19 seasons and won five of them, making him the top earner of the series, with a total of $1,365,000 in his bank account. His latest win was "The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies," where he pocketed $400,000, and gave himself a much-needed ego boost. "This was a big one for me personally. It was the cherry on top of me feeling secure in myself again. There was a long time during the 'dadbod' era where I was kind of in a dark place, I was going through a lot," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Devenanzio has had the most appearances with 24 seasons of "The Challenge" under his belt, winning seven of them. Still, being a vet comes with its downsides. "I don't know if you're ever fully mentally prepared for the rigors of 'The Challenge' house and what comes along with that. The mental strain and the emotional strain that house takes on you. It's not something that gets better. It almost makes it worse in a way because you know what to expect," he shared with E! News. Still, as one of the longest-running cast members of the show, viewers shouldn't expect to see him retire anytime soon. "Right now I feel like I'm still able and willing to compete at a very high level," he declared, adding, "You can never have too much Bananas."