This season of The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars is full of much more drama than we’ve seen in the past on the Challenge spin-off, and it’s something the show veterans were NOT expecting. “I felt like the stars really cared about being there this time,” contestant Kailah Casillas tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “They really were super into the game and weren’t gong to let us walk all over them like the other seasons, when the stars were just there and the champs took control. This time, they weren’t going to take any s*** from us.”
The stars’ newfound competitive nature stemmed from Louise Hazel, who competed on season one (Champs vs. Pros), who teamed up with the naturally-competitive Casper Smart to take matters into their own hands. However, even though the stars are starting to find their way this season, Kailah says they might not be able to tough it out on a regular season of The Challenge. “I think they can definitely handle the physically demanding and political end of it, but living in a house with us…probably not,” she admits. “It’s really crazy in the actual Challenge house. It takes a certain kind of person.”
The stars got a glimpse of what really goes on during the May 8 episode of Champs vs. Stars, when Ashley Mitchell blew up over a decision made by Louise. “When Ashley freaked out, [the stars] were all like…wait, what just happened?” Kailah explains. “It caught them all off-guard. But for us, we’re so used to that happening every day. It doesn’t phase me at all. I think living in the house would be really challenging or them. It’s like a culture shock.”
Does the fighting and drama take anything away from the Challenge experience for you? I don’t mind the fighting. Usually in the house, when you’re there in the real game, the fighting kind of keeps you entertained, as long as you’re not part of it. There’s nothing else going on! So you’re kind of waiting around, waiting for someone to fight, so you can have something to watch. What does take away from the Challenge, for me, more recently, is the Twitter stuff afterward. I wish people could just leave all the drama in the game. Same with the fans watching — all the negativity kind of leaks into my personal life, which kind of takes away the fun for me. It’s a game and it’s a TV show and I’m there to make TV and have a good time and be entertaining. But when I come up and it’s all this negativity that even my boyfriend gets, it’s like…I wish this wasn’t part of it.
What are some misconceptions people have about you? People think that I have a bad attitude or that I’m bitchy or cocky. I mean, those things are true [laughs], but at the same time, they’re very amplified when you see it on TV. That’s part of the game. If I’m not that person, if I don’t have thick skin and clap back at people, then it’s easy for them to take advantage of me. If you’re going to act weak, people are going to perceive you as weak. So if you go in feeling strong and saying you’re strong, maybe the people in the house won’t want to go into elimination against you. It’s about perception. That’s my game plan going into every season — be what you want other people to think you are. It’s more a game to me.
You have a lot of friends on other reality shows [Jersey Shore’s Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Vanderpump Rules’ Sheana, etc] — do you find it easier to be friends with people who know what your lifestyle is like? It definitely does help because they get it. They get the hate and the craziness of it. It’s easy for them to relate, whereas other people might not get it. Even my friends back home — it’s hard for me to talk to them about certain things because they just don’t understand.