“Survivor 45” winner Dee Valladares has had a busy few years in the world of reality TV. After being crowned ‘Sole Survivor’ in 2023, she made the jump to MTV’s “The Challenge: Vets & New Threats,” proving she’s one of the most versatile competitors on television today.
Although Valladares was eliminated from “The Challenge” during Episode 12, which aired on October 15, she won’t be off screen for long. She’s set to return to CBS in February for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” joining 23 other returning players for the franchise’s milestone 50th season.
In a recent interview with Parade, Valladares reflected on her time on “The Challenge,” compared it to her “Survivor” experience, and revealed which MTV legends she’d love to see outwit, outplay, and outlast on the “Survivor” island.
Dee Valladares Compares ‘The Challenge’ vs. ‘Survivor’: ‘It’s Way More Confrontational’
As a champion of “Survivor”s “new era,” Dee Valladares knows what it takes to win the game. But according to her, the biggest difference between “Survivor” and “The Challenge” comes down to time and intensity.
“When you think about doing ‘The Challenge,’ you’ve got to remember—it’s a three-month-long commitment if you make it to the end,” Valladares explained. In contrast, Survivor’s newer seasons last just 26 days, down from the original 39-day format.
Valladares also described “The Challenge” as “very confrontational” compared to the CBS series.
MTV“When you’re on ‘The Challenge,’ it’s 30 people in one house,” she said. “On ‘Survivor,’ you get six people on your tribe, so you can kind of balance the personalities a little bit more.”
Despite the chaos, Dee says she plans to bring some of “The Challenge”s fiery energy back to “Survivor 50.”
“One thing I took from ‘The Challenge’ is—who cares what people think? If I’m not disrespecting anyone, then just speak your mind.”
Dee Valladares Names ‘The Challenge’ Stars She Wants to See on ‘Survivor’
When asked which “Challenge” competitors she’d love to see swap MTV’s mansion for “Survivor”s beach, Dee had a few ideas.
“I’ll give you two answers,” she told Parade. “I’ll give a vet and I’ll give a rookie for the new threats.”
For her rookie pick, Valladares mentioned Yeremi Hykel, saying, “He’s so physically dominating. But before you know it, he’ll be at the end, because he’s just so likable. I’d like to see how good he’d do.”
When it comes to “The Challenge” veterans, Valladares name-dropped one of the biggest legends in franchise history — Johnny Bananas.
Paramount“I would like to see Johnny Bananas, because I think he thinks he could do it,” she said, before joking, “But I think he’d probably be the first voted off if he goes on ‘Survivor.’”
Bananas, despite being a six-time “Challenge” champion, is no stranger to early reality TV exits, as he was the first person eliminated on “The Traitors” Season 2 in 2024.
