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Kaycee Clark has opened up about why she and her brother, Kenny, had to leave The Challenge: Ride or Dies in the premiere episode.
In Season 38 of MTV's The Challenge, 17 duos with seemingly unbreakable bonds compete to win their share of the $1 million prize.
The competitors include married couples, siblings and exes—and plenty of familiar faces from reality shows such as The Real World, Road Rules, Big Brother, Love Island and Ex on the Beach, as well as seven-time Challenge champion Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio.
Episode 1 of The Challenge: Ride or Dies aired on MTV on Wednesday, October 13, but right at the beginning host T.J. Lavin announced that Kaycee and Kenny had left the game.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about Kaycee Clark and why she left The Challenge: Ride or Dies.
Who is 'The Challenge: Ride or Dies' star Kaycee Clark?
Kaycee Clark, 34, is a former Big Brother and Challenge champion. She won Season 20 of Big Brother in 2018 and won the Spies, Lies and Allies season of The Challenge in 2021.
She was set to compete on Ride or Dies with her brother Kenny.
Why Did Kaycee Clark Leave 'The Challenge: Ride or Dies'?
Kaycee and Kenny Clark's exit was revealed close to the start of the premiere.
Lavin said: "Well, stating the obvious, we live in crazy times right now, and already Kaycee and Kenny had to leave the game." No further explanation was given.
Nam Vo and Emmy Russ were drafted in to replace the Clark siblings, while Horacio Gutierrez and Olivia Kaiser also joined as late additions.
Kaycee has now revealed why she and her brother were pulled from the game, explaining that they contracted COVID-19 while traveling to Argentina for filming.
She told Entertainment Weekly: "It was traveling, going to Argentina [to film this season], we ended up getting COVID and getting sick. The crazy thing is I didn't feel any of the symptoms. I mean, I had a light cold, but everyone had a light cold. But my brother and I had COVID, so we had to exit the game."
It was the second time she had fallen ill with the virus, she said. She had been due to take part in Big Brother: All-Stars in August 2020, but had to drop out because of COVID.
"It was so crazy, and then now for this, it's weird how that keeps happening," she said.
Clark described her and Kenny's exit as "devastating" and said she felt bad that her brother, who has not been on the show before, would be missing out.
She said: "I felt more bad for my brother because I've done this before. I've done these crazy challenges, I got to experience doing it, but my brother has not. I was way more sad for him because if it came down to me not going back in the game and it was just me by myself because of COVID, I'd be like, "OK, it is what it is," but I was more hurt for my brother."
Newsweek has contacted Kaycee Clark and The Challenge for comment.
Who Is in the Cast of 'The Challenge: Ride or Dies'?
Kaycee and Kenny Clark weren't the only team to leave The Challenge: Ride or Dies during the premiere.
In the elimination, Tori Deal and Devin Walker beat Sam Bird and Kailah Casillas-Bird, sending the newlywed couple home.
The remaining cast of The Challenge: Ride or Dies is:
- Amber Borzotra and Chauncey Palmer
- Nam Vo and Emmy Russ
- Devin Walker and Tori Deal
- Fessy Shafaat and Moriah Jadea
- Laurel Stucky and Jakk Maddox
- Turbo and Tamara Alfaro
- Nelson Thomas and Nurys Mateo
- Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald
- Horacio Gutierrez and Olivia Kaiser
- Kim Tränka and Colleen Schneider
- Johnny Middlebrooks and Ravyn Rochelle
- Tommy Bracco and Analyse Talavera
- Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Nany Gonzalez
- Jordan Wiseley and Aneesa Ferreira
- Darrell Taylor and Veronica Portillo
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV. Episodes can also be streamed live on Philo, fuboTV, Sling, DirecTV Stream and Paramount+.
About the writer
Laura Donaldson is a Newsweek Film and TV Reporter (SEO), based in Edinburgh, U.K. Her focus is on reality TV. ... Read more