“The Challenge” OG Mark Long recently negated a circulating rumor that host TJ Lavin would soon be replaced by “Big Brother” host Julie Chen Moonves.
Mark Long’s Statement
On January 14, 2026, Long reposted a video from TikTok to his Instagram in which a woman relays information from a supposed TMZ article. The headline of the article reads, “Julie Chen Moonves Takes Over ‘The Challenge.’ TJ Lavin Out, Chaos In!” In reality, TMZ never posted such an article.
In the TikTok video, the poster says the article may have been more realistic had Long been listed as the new host rather than Chen Moonves. However, Long confirmed in his caption that neither he nor Chen Moonves is taking over as host of the MTV show. In Long’s words, “This is FAKE NEWS…and in the world of REAL NEWS, TJ is and will forever be ‘The Challenge.'”
Then, in the top comment, Long reiterated, “THIS IS FAKE NEWS! TJ IS THE CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!! Stop!”
Comments on Long’s Instagram post confirmed a strong and lasting love for Lavin as the host of the competition show. “TJ or No One! If I don’t get to hear his laugh during trivia, then what’s the point of living?!,” one commenter wrote. Another posted, “TJ cannot be replaced. When he leaves the show, the show is done. It’s that simple.”
Other “Challenge” stars also shared their thoughts in the comment section. KellyAnne Judd simply wrote, “Thank goodness.” Paulie Calafiore, who competed on both “The Challenge” and “Big Brother,” cleared up any fears that the most may be true. “A fan literally tweeted this saying they were going to specifically troll this woman with a fake AI TMZ headline in order to prove how out of touch she is and how out of touch old people are with social media… and here we are,” he wrote.
Mark Long’s ‘Challenge’ Career
Long has been competing on “The Challenge” since before the show was even called that. He won the first-ever season of what was originally known as “Real World/Road Rules Challenge.” He won again on his second season, “Battle of the Sexes.”
After competing on six seasons of “The Challenge,” Long seemed to retire from the game. That changed when he produced a “Challenge” spinoff called “The Challenge: All Stars.” In addition to producing, Long competed on seasons one and three, both times making it to the final. From there, he returned to the flagship series to represent era one on “Battle of the Eras.”
