Warning: This article contains spoilers for the finale ofThe Challenge: All Stars 2.
The Challenge: All Stars 2has crowned two new winners.
I’m so happy."
Jonna Mannion and M.J. Garrett on ‘The Challenge: All Stars 2’.Jesus Paz/Paramount+
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was it like the moment you knew you won?
JONNA MANNION:It was pretty surreal.
I couldn’t believe it.
‘The Challenge: All Stars 2’.Jesus Paz/Paramount+
Once we were actually on the plane, it just all hit me.
MJ GARRETT:What they really don’t show of that final run is truly how exhausted we were.
We were both cramping up, my legs were gone.
Jonna Mannion and M.J. Garrett on ‘The Challenge: All Stars 2’.Jesus Paz/Paramount+
I had never done one solo or with one other person.
We were very, very fortunate that we worked well together and it just developed over the season.
GARRETT:And I’ve done some hard stuff.
But coming into this final and really the whole season, it’s just next-level.
It was trulyAll Starss—.
How did you two bond and become closer as a result of sticking together all season?
GARRETT:It was pretty wild.
That was the first alliance that we both made.
And I looked at you and I was like, “Well, I’m going to win.”
And you’re like, “Well, I’m going to win.”
And I was like, “you’ve got the option to just let me win.”
And you’re like, “Uh, well, no.”
It’s pretty crazy to look back at that moment.
GARRETT:Everything just really lined up.
I truly feel like it’s destiny.
We had just decided that we would attempt to work together.
And there was one moment where we thought about switching up partners.
MANNION:It was the challenge where T.J. said the twist where we were permanently paired with that partner.
GARRETT:That was the best decision that the two of us could have ever made.
I’m not even going to act like it was even close.
And with the puzzle, we got it on the first go.
I know that we both felt like we could win the final, but it was a long day.
MANNION:And there were really strong teams in the final.
In my mind that’s not really a good idea, but it ended up working out.
Janelle coined that it never came out on the show, but that’s what she called us.
But it was definitely a battle when we got there [to the final].
We weren’t too silent about it, but we sure as hell weren’t chanting and singing.
There were a lot of conversations that Jonna and I were having about that.
MANNION:Because I was right in the middle.
GARRETT:I kept asking her, “Why do you like this guy?
MANNION:Because I’ve known him for like 11 years or something.
I figured it out, guys!
And people knew we were good, but no one knew just how good we really were.
I was seven months postpartum and I had no idea how physically challenging a final would be.
Also I had like two weeks' notice, so I couldn’t prepare the first season.
And so that’s what I did.
Between the gym and doing CrossFit and running every other day, I actually trained for this season.
GARRETT:The girl can run forever.
GARRETT:The game has evolved so much since I was on it way back in the day.
It was probably 11 o’clock or so when you see T.J. going, “The final begins now.”
We were already so exhausted mentally, physically.
MANNION:And then they’re like, “Go ahead and do a 50-mile race.
And don’t eat any food.”
Until we had to eat that nasty food in the eating part of the final.
At least on season 2 it was kind of disguised in a burrito.
I could pretend that it wasn’t what it was.
MANNION:Yeah, I was at my wit’s end.
I was just talking s—.
I was so mad.
GARRETT:I would have thrown you on my back and ran the rest of the final like that.
MANNION:There’s still tension because of what actually happened.
I don’t know how much we’re allowed to say about it.
GARRETT:We were one trip away from finishing the memory portion.
Somebody has quit.”
MANNION:They told us, “We’re losing daylight.
We have to go.
You guys have to come back.”
We had already run into the jungle and they’re like, “You have to come back.
We’re going to move on to the next part.”
I argued with him.
They were like, “No.”
GARRETT:But we were about to finish.
We were not running the risk of not being able to finish that phase.
GARRETT:But let’s just put that to bed.
How close was it at the end when you were opening up the safe?
It looked like it could have been anyone’s game in that moment.
MANNION:It’s funny you say that.
MANNION:We got to our safe first.
It shows Darrell and Janelle getting there first but we actually did.
We’re trying to put them in and it wouldn’t open.
We look back at production and we say, “Do we have the right numbers?
Do we have the right code to open this?”
And they said yes.
We tried to put it in again.
It still didn’t work.
All of a sudden production goes, “It must be broken.
It’s not working.
Just start running down to the jet.”
MANNION:They were like, “Just go.
Run to the plane.”
GARRETT:And this was before any of the other teams had gotten to the safe.
No one else was there.
So Jonna and I start running down to the jet.
We get about halfway, so we’re talking maybe five minutes have passed of us running.
We were so confused because we don’t have any money in our hands.
You’ve got to go back to the safe!
You weren’t putting in the codes the right way!"
And we’re like, what the hell?
So we jump in the back of the truck.
MANNION:By the time we get back, the other two teams are there and I was panicked.
And apparently they also had the right numbers.
And everybody was having trouble opening the safes.
And then we had to come back and they’re filming everybody opening the safes at the same time.
GARRETT:When that safe opened, I will never in my life forget that moment.
To see that much cash in one place is amazing.
So that’s what everybody was struggling with.
What are you planning to do with your winning checks?
MANNION:When I was gone the first season, it was hard.
When I was leaving this season, my 5-year-old daughter didn’t want me to leave again.
I was like, “I’m going to try and go back and win this time.
And if I win, what do you want?”
And she’s like, “I want a puppy.”
I was like, “Okay, when I win, I will get your puppy.”
Now it’s like, oh my gosh, now I have to get her a puppy.
GARRETT:Well you’re making out like a bandit just getting a puppy.
I promised my kids I was getting them a swimming pool.
GARRETT:I’m ready to come back and do the big show.
MANNION:Count me out.
GARRETT:Well, count me in.
He just won back-to-back.
So it would be really interesting to see All Stars versus these current Challengers.
MANNION:[Laughs] Have fun.
Well, what about returning for another season ofAll Stars?
MANNION:Well…
GARRETT:Just say yes.
MANNION:I’ll guess we’ll just have to see.
