Back in 2006, two futureThe Challengelegends competed for the first time onThe Duel.
But while one a.k.a.
Tyler Duckworth was never seen on the franchise again despite winning the last two seasons he was on.
Tyler Duckworth from ‘The Challenge’.MTV
“I thought they had maybe lost my number.
I was like, ‘Wait, come again?
Who is this?'”
And I’m giving you guys a show this season, don’t you worry.
I gave it my all.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It’s about time that you’re back onThe Challenge!
Why did you want to return to the franchise after all these years?
TYLER DUCKWORTH:Truth be told, I’m a teacher.
I teach middle school and high school, and these middle schoolers just ran me down.
I was like, “I can’t handle another year of middle school.
But did I just really turn down a job opportunity?”
I was like, “I’d love to!”
It’s been 11 years.
I thought they lost my number because I won twoChallengesin a row and then never heard from them again.
It felt like I was being punished for doing so well.
I love the opportunity to jump off buildings, to bungee jump, to eat crazy things so absolutely.
Sign me up for whatever.
I’m down for all of it.
We see so many other winners and people who have never won get called back season after season.
Yeah, and I’m not dumping on them or anything like that.
But whatever happened, everything happens for a reason.
But there was a part of me that really missed the adventure.
And how manyChallengeswould I have won back then when I was in my prime?
So my ego was like, “I still got more in the tank.
Let’s see what I can do.”
How do you feel about making your return onAll Starsrather than on a regular season?
And listen, I’m a full-time teacher.
I had no idea they were going to call me.
I’m getting my doctorate.
I’m not 29 I’m not a kid anymore.
Very few people can say that.
And trust me, he was going for the win too, especially onRivals.
So part of me is like, “It’s hard because I went out on top.
Do I ruin my legacy?”
I won two in a row and won against pretty stacked casts, but that was 11 years ago.
That was my challenge.
[Laughs] And also, $500,000 is a lot of money.
What does that mean to you?
It’s no secret that the gay guys are always voted in first.
But at the same time, there’s a lot of pressure.
Like RuPaul says, “Don’t f— it up.”
If I f— it up, it’s like I’m ruining it for the gay community.
So I put a lot of pressure on myself and feel like I have to carry the torch.
And that kind of de-escalated situations for people that were getting upset.
But it is serious.
And I actually drew this analogy at one point to Cohutta.
He was like, “Whoa, I never thought about it that way.”
It’s 2021, and the love and acceptance I got from every single male cast member was unbelievable.
That’s amazing to hear, especially considering what the show used to be like.
I want these competitors to take me seriously.
I haven’t seen them in like 11 years."
But I was like, “Tyler, get out of your head.
And within the first day I was able to introduce my drag alter ego.
And one of the male cast members helped name and rebrand me and helped style my wig.
And when you see which cast member, you will absolutely die.
It’s truly an experience I thought I would never have.
I was mad at myself.
But it just goes to show that people can grow, and we all have grown so much.
The love I feel for these people on this cast is so real.
[Laughs] Until the game got started.
Then I took my stiletto and was aiming it right at a couple of people.
Have you kept up withThe Challengesince you were last on?
Do you watch each season?
Okay, do you want the political answer or do you want the real answer?
Oh, the real answer, definitely.
And I could have won how many more?
No offense to Johnny, but he did 20Challenges.
I only did four, and I was in my prime.
But sometimes you just have to let things go.
God closes one door and opens up another.
I just wanted to be on the playing field.
So that’s why when they called me to doAll Stars, I was so overwhelmingly excited.
I could have killed these kids.”
And I would have.
Who knows how many championships I would have won?
There’s a lot of shoulda-coulda-wouldas.
But yeah, I probably would have won a couple more, easily.
[Laughs] My mom always says, “You are never lacking confidence.
I don’t know where it comes from.”
I’ve earned it.
How did your time away fromThe Challengehelp you improve your game forAll Stars 2?
They did such a great job this season balancing the physicality but also the mental aspects.
It’s not just about who can deadlift the most weight.
They’re also afraid that Tundra will beat them up.
And then I turned around and they’re like, “Whoa, that’s Tyler?!”
[Laughs] Let’s just say that Tundra was very popular but also very intimidating.
So no one wanted to mess with me or Tundra.
A lot of fans are eagerly awaiting some reunions in the house, especially between you and Ryan Kehoe.
What was it like reuniting this season?
With Ryan, it’s tricky because I felt like he played me.
And so we definitely had to clear some things up the first night.
We’re adults now, and we had to wipe the air.
And also, people were so vulnerable.
You know, divorces, miscarriages, job losses.
We weren’t trying to impress each other or brag about each other.
We were just our authentic selves and because of that, everyone was rooting for each other.
Obviously if I won, I’d be happiest, but I was rooting for everyone.
I think he’s so hot, such a beefcake, always brooding.
I hadn’t seen Melinda since we were onCutthroattogether, and I forgot how much I love that girl.
I’m a student of the game.
[Laughs] I was super excited to meet Teck.
Tina I hadn’t seen sinceThe Duel, and she’s a loudmouth, but she’s fabulous.
I mean, she came in with a diamond-encrusted Dyson hairdryer.
It was just absolutely ridiculous.
And MJ is like a Ken doll you just want to lick him from head to toe.
He’s so gorgeous.
Him and I had quite the torrid relationship this season watch out for that.
[Laughs] I’m hard to stay away from.
I’m a very attractive young man.
When you see these gorgeous gams of mine in heels it’s hard to say no!
The Challenge: All Stars 2premieres Nov. 11 on Paramount+.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
