I think I can be very competitive in there,'" Long tells EW.
“Even though I’m 49, I think I could whoop Fessy’s ass in a Hall Brawl.
[Laughs] I say that to myself all the time.”
Juan Cruz Rabaglia/Paramount+
“Could you not see that already?
It culminates into an OG vs. new school in an epicChallengethat’s full length, 10 weeks?”
“If that isn’t going to bust some records, man, I don’t know what would.
Paramount+
That’s my vision, and I could see it happening.
Fans would love it, they would lose their s— if that happens!
And we’ll get there.”
But only time will tell and we’ll see, baby!"
MARK LONG:Oh yeah, and the quickness of it all!
I knew there was the audience for it.
And to have TJ, since he’s the staple of the show now, it made everything real.
Like when I hear the original90210theme music, it fires me the f— up!
It brings me back to where I was happier back then.
And people grew up withus.
So if you’re aChallengefan, either new or old, you’re going to love this.
You mentioned packing so I have to ask did you bring any of your old signature bandanas?
I had to pack that basic bandana that I wore that signifies who I am!
Everyone came to play and be their best personalities.
At what point did you step back from campaign organizer/producer to be just a competitor?
I was pretty involved producing early on.
I was like, “Jesus, guys, come on.”
But it happened so fast.
How weird is it going to be when it comes out and you’re not on it?"
In terms of me having a competitive advantage, that went out the window.
We earn every dollar we make down there.
Did you feel extra pressure to win because of how hard you worked to make this season a reality?
Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.
Once TJ mentioned that we’re playing for half a million dollars, that’s when everything got real.
This is the big leagues andThe Challengeequaled what that prize was.
Everything we did was top notch and very, very hard.
We had people at night bitching about how hard it was.
Who were you most surprised to see come back?
I was happy Teck came back because he’s such a funny guy.
I’ve been really close with Derrick over the years and Darrell.
I knew we had something special with this cast and everyone delivered.
Who were you worried about reuniting due to any old feuds or rivalries or drama getting reignited?
And throughout the season they do have a moment or two to do that which is a nice thing.
Ruthie and Aneesa always had some sort of competitive sisterly love and hate which you’ll see evolve.
Whose performance surprised you the most?
I know he’s carried that monkey on his back for years.
Who was your biggest competition?
And Darrell’s a physical beast, he’s been doing this for a while.
And Yes is very crafty and good at everything.
So there’s quite a few.
What can you tease about how well you do this season?
I did not get a free ride which is exactly how I wanted it.
I earned every step of it.
My speedo is always ready.
And I hold my own for being the oldest guy.
The Challenge: All Starspremieres April 1 on Paramount+.
