“I thought I was walking away with it,” CT admits to EW.
He looks like he’s so far behind.
But all of a sudden, he has his door wide open."
Credit: MTV
“It was carelessness on my part,” CT says.
“Maybe I was tired, and that’s why I was careless.
Let’s be honest, I look so out of shape if you ask me.
MTV
It looks like I just got off my championship parade.
I’m not happy with it but it was a wake-up call.”
And CT adds that Jay isn’t as much of a layup as people may think.
MTV
“People can sleep on Jay all they want,” he says.
“The same way people are sleeping on Jay, they slept on Jordan, they slept on Bananas.
Coming into the house, if people are hating on you, you’re doing something right.”
How are you feeling about going home in the third elimination?
CHRIS “CT” TAMBURELLO:You know what, it’s possible for you to’t win them all.
I think I came in too comfortable.
I mean, I looked like a stuffed pig on camera.
I feel like I was just too soft, you know?
And I paid the price for it.
And not to take anything away from Jay because you gotta give it to the young kid.
I didn’t realize he had the whole entire house against him like he did.
And he fought for his life, and he earned it.
You’ve got to give it to him, where credit’s due.
Last time we spoke, you said that youre definitely not donewithThe Challengejust yet.
Im going to stay busy and get back to maybe what I was in past athletically.
Statistically, I think I’ve done better in the “dad bod” era.
And that’s one of the main reasons why I keep coming back at this point.
I still plenty left in the tank.
And that’s the beauty ofThe Challenge.
you could come in oneChallengeand you could win it, win it all, take it all home.
NextChallenge, it’s possible for you to go home early.
It doesn’t matter, The Challengedoesn’t care.
I wasn’t ready.
That’s all I could say.
ThisChallengeconcept was completely new to me.
I spent my entireChallengecareer avoiding elimination.
I didn’t think I was going to have a chance to go in.
I’ve got to roll the dice.
And that’s what I did, it just didn’t work out in my favor.
I wouldn’t have.
I don’t think I would have.
It was either now and never, whether you’re ready or not, take what you could get.
I did, and I came up short.
Plus he now has two and hes just taken out one of the most accomplishedChallengeplayers ever by beating you.
Do you think people are underestimating him or has he been getting lucky?
People underestimate him, for one because he’s small.
Big guys like me, we don’t generally do well, especially in finals.
But you know what, the kid’s earning his spot.
And now, you’ve got Jay in here.
No one gave him a fair shake.
And he had to earn every step he took, and he did it well.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him back.
Do you wish you had gone against someone else in the elimination?
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
The last thing you want to do is ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda.’
Do I wish, what, that I got to pick somebody else?
Do I wish I got to pick another elimination?
That’s not howThe Challengeworks.
That’s out of my control.
In a weird way that’s actually satisfying.
I didn’t think I was going to get a shot at going in.
Production had to cut that rope off with a chainsaw, it was that tight.
And then this rope, it just falls apart in like three or four different places?
Did you consider sending in Rogan instead of yourself after he asked you to do that?
Everybody wants to go in at some point but then they don’t.
Then they do, then they don’t.
At some point you just have to weigh your options and do what’s best for you.
Not the way this game is.
It’s going to get tougher and tougher and tougher to get your shot at getting a red skull.
What was going through your mind in the moment when Jay beat you?
How the f— did this happen?!
[Laughs] That’s what I was thinking.
I’m pretty confident when I do these challenges or eliminations.
The worst thing you could do is worry about what somebody else is doing.
Stay focused on yourself.
And I do remember thinking, “I’m just walking through this.
I got this in the bag like I did with Darrell.
I’m acing it.”
All of a sudden I just hear everything drop and hit the ground.
And I turn around and I see him cranking that door all the way open.
And I’m like, “Oh my god oh my god oh my god.”
And then next thing you know, bing!
You’re out of here.
I think its all on me.The Challengehas a way of letting you know you aint s—.
In this game, you have to be really good at adapting.
Because I aint going out like that.
Thats not how its going to happen.
Jay is a self-admittedChallengesuperfan and he says he grew up watching you on the show.
Jays a good kid he should be proud of what he did in this elimination.
Hes making a splash, thats for sure.
Basically what he’s saying is, “Man, you’re f—ing old.”
Okay, easy now."
I’m lucky enough to be doing this for as long as I have been.
I have a different appreciation for it now than I did in my 20s.
I know where I stand, everybody’s on borrowed time at this point.
I embrace the role as one of the OG’s.
Compared to some of the other people who sort of resist change, it’s only natural.
Youve got to keep looking forward.
But I aint going down anytime soon, and not without a fight, Ill tell you that.
Lets just all act like thisChallengedidnt happen, all right?
Lets just wait for me to come back on the next one.
The Challenge: Total Madnessairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
