Warning: This article contains spoilers about Wednesday’s episode ofThe Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies.
There are two golden rules onThe Challenge.
If you quit, you’ll never be invited back (TJ hates quitters!).
The drama continues on ‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies’.MTV
And if you fight, you’re gone.
“It definitely sucked, but I understood,” Shafaat tells EW.
It just sucks it was my friend too, like that shouldn’t have happened.
Amber Borzotra on ‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies’.MTV
The first night was hard out of the house; you’re thinking over everything and that was tough.
I could have controlled my actions better and still been there."
Below, EW got Shafaat to open up about everything that led to him getting kicked off this season.
The Challenge.MTV
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This is your first time getting sent home before a final.
Did you ever expect your season would end this way?
Going into my third season, I didn’t have as much pressure on myself.
I was coming in under the impression I was going to be public enemy No.
1, like everybody was going to target me right away.
But I kind of did well politically in the beginning of the game so I was sitting pretty.
Why did you wait so long to talk to Josh after you blindsided his partner Amber?
We were both just being very prideful.
We were just letting it brew and brew we should have had a conversation before that happened.
And I thought I was doing a good job up until I put my hand on Josh.
What was going through your mind when you took things to that physical level?
Josh is somebody like, we’re friends in real life.
He’s been to my house, I’ve been to his house.
I don’t know, just get out of my face.
But me and Josh always get in arguments in the game and then hash it out later.
We had squashed it and we were comfortable with each other.
I was just hoping TJ was going to give us a warning.
And then the next day, we all thought something was up because TJ was coming to the house.
So when TJ said that Josh was staying with a warning, that gave me some hope.
Josh was out of line last night too and TJ’s letting him stay.
But then he said that I was going home.
It was completely out of my control and that wasn’t my call to make.
It is what it is.
Do you regret putting Amber into that earlier elimination knowing the snowball effect that decision had on your season?
I really had no bad blood with any other females in the house.
I just didn’t know Josh was going to react that way about Amber.
I didn’t know him and Amber were that close.
Not a single person gave me backlash besides Josh and Amber.
So like eight or nine people besides me knew about me throwing her in.
That’s what made it an easier decision for me.
As far as the vet alliance, I guess technically she was in it?
A lot of the girls gave me the thumbs up on the veteran side to put her in.
I think they were just more relieved that I didn’t throw one of them in.
At least I held true on the male side.
What’s your relationship with Amber like now?
After the season we all had to go to New York for after shows and we were cool.
She took that personally because she thought that I didn’t want to run with her in the final.
I’d just rather run with Kaycee.
But it wasn’t against her, and I think that’s how she took it.
Ever since then we’d kind of been wishy-washy.
Well, I mean … [laughs] obviously we saw how she performed in the final.
So it looks like I probably would have had $450,000 in my bank account.
But stuff happens in life and she got blessed winning that.
You know, I’m happy she won.
It just wasn’t Kaycee and I’s time in that final.
S— happens.
I definitely learned a lot this season.
My first two seasons, I came in as a rookie and I didn’t really know anybody.
Everybody was already clique-d up so I just wanted to give a shot to win one real quick.
I was hellbent on winning the whole thing and I was going to do whatever it took.
And now, my third season, I’m starting to see the backlash from it.
But that’s how I play anything in life, any competition: I play to win.
I don’t know.
There’s Nelson, Amber/theBig Brotheralliance, even Josh.
How do you feel about earning that reputation?
I was sitting there thinking I was being the best teammate I could be.
I’m thinking: I’m trying to get to the end.
So before I get got, let me make my moves accordingly.
I don’t know what my future holds.
I’m trying to win this money now.
Now I can play the game a little more relaxed and, I guess, straight up?
You’ve just got to play the game and you might’t be scared to piss people off.
You’re only going to get so far before somebody pulls your card.
I thought I had a good shot of making the final again.
But [I] pretty much eliminated myself in the game by letting things escalate with Josh.
We haven’t seen somebody be able to pull my card down there [in an elimination] yet.
That’s pretty hard to believe considering how grueling that final was.
What did you mean by that?
That was my first final.
I was the first one done with the math problem and took the lead.
Johnny was right behind me.
Obviously I’m giving him s—.
Obviously he earned it.
That was just my mess up, what I took from the final.
My inexperience in that final, man … Well, are you working ongetting better with eatingfor future seasons?
We were doomed right after she went down with the knee.
The paramedics had to come get her, I didn’t know what was going on.
I was asking TJ, “If I eat this, are we DQed?”
Because it was a lot of s—.
And that was an hour into the final.
There’s not a million dollars for me at the end of this.
I mean, it was just traumatizing.
I already lived going through this, not winning the money because of this.
I guess only time will tell when it comes down to it if I’m going to eat.
Maybe I could have ate it and they weren’t going to let Kaycee continue either way.
I didn’t have a partner and I didn’t see TJ letting me launch the final by myself.
You’re forced to come up with a decision on the spot.
I was like, “Our season is over, Kaycee’s knee is done.”
So do you want another shot at an eating challenge to prove yourself in the future?
I’m hoping for an eating elimination, actually.
That way I can go down there and just scarf that s— down.
I just want to compete, that’s what I wanted to be known for on the show.
Speaking of relationships, you and Amanda got close this season.
What’s your relationship like now after the show wrapped?
We went on vacation in Mexico together.
We’re just taking it slow and seeing where it goes.
