Plus, he teases a potential rematch with seven-time champion Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio.
Warning: This article contains spoilers about Wednesday’s finale ofThe Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies.
After 19 seasons ofThe Challenge,CT Tamburellois at the top of his game.
CT Tamburello on ‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies’.MTV
He’s earned more than $1.36 million in prize money.
“This was a big one for me personally,” Tamburello tells EW.
“It was the cherry on top of me feeling secure in myself again.
‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies’.MTV
Finally, I felt like I’m in control.
I’m on top.
I got my life back.”
‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies’.MTV
“I’m in a really good place now,” he says.
And honestly, for the first time I just feel fully in control, stable, and happy.
As for what this fifth win means for his future, he’s less certain.
‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies’.MTV
I know people like to compare me to other people, but I don’t.
To me, I was always my worst enemy.
And I feel like I won, I beat myself at my own game.
So now, the sky’s the limit."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Two wins back-to-back, your fifth win … is this when you announce your retirement?
I know I’m not the only one who wants to see you go for the three-peat.
CT TAMBURELLO:I’ll never make that mistake againI did that before.
I’ll never say never.The Challengeis my home.
I mean, I grew up with it.
But I’ve done eight in a row.
My son’s five years old.
I can’t do that because he’s older now.
I had a good run.
That’s my favorite holiday.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
I don’t have it in me to ever say I’m going to retire.
What else would I do?
[Laughs] Besides the movie thing, I mean, that’s been a lot of fun.
It’s nice to branch out.
Talk about being thrown into the fire.
And that’ll be out soonit’s in post[-production] now.
Are you trying to focus more on acting going forward?
Yeah, I honestly think I was too afraid [before].
I always hid behind “play it safe, take the guaranteed.”
I always called it short money instead of taking a shot at long money.
But at the same time, I was thinking, ‘they’re on to me.’
Maybe take some of the heat off me, let everybody else go, see if I miss it.
People take it far more serious, train for months.
Eh, I don’t know.
Right now I just want to spend the holidays with family.
With all the spin-offs coming up, it doesn’t seem likeThe Challengeis going anywhere.
And I think I’m on my third wind at this point.
I just want to maybe let the dust settle, maybe soak it all in.
The last couple of years have been moving so fast.
I’m not thinking that far ahead.
Last season onDouble Agents, the whole house was coming for you nonstop, all season long.
How did you manage to completely flip that dynamic from one season to the next?
Let’s get rid of them and then we’ll get back to us."
While that was all happening, I was just in the cut, flying under the radar.
And everybody just seemed to take so much so personally.
I’ve never had the experience of being someone’s No.
I was always a deciding factor.
And people got caught up in the house and lost focus of the end goal.
[Laughs] “I’m still here!”
And the way the format worked out, it worked in my favor.
It was only right to share the money.
I know what it’s like to go to a final and not get anything.
But I got lucky again, is what I’m trying to say.
But it’s more than just luck.
It takes a strong political, social,andphysical game to winThe Challenge.
Yeah, I was doing a lot with Devin.
The next minute, I was like, “Come on, we all love you.”
I was just giving him anything I got and talking him up.
Smarter, not harder.
You absolutely smashed that torpedo puzzle immediately.
I swear to god.
I knew what time it was.
She said, “First.”
I was like, “Cool.”
I could see in her eyes, she waspissed.
I knew she wanted it and she was more than capable.
I wasn’t even worried about her remembering her numbers or anything.
And it was brief, but it wasprobably the most important partner I had the whole season.
It was close, though.
It was a foot race.
It was whoever finishes first wins.
But that’sThe Challenge, you don’t know what to expect, just take it as it comes.
Have you been listening to Johnny Bananas’Challengepodcast?
I like to take Bananas here with a grain of salt.
Johnny is the king of the backhanded compliments.
There’s always something.
It’s actually not, he’s being serious about how good he thinks you are.
What’s he say about me?
It can’t be anything good.
He really talks about it a lot.
Oh, of course.
He’s laying the groundwork so that when he comes back, I’m public enemy No.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
