‘The Challenge’: Has Nam Vo Taken the Title From Leroy Garrett as the Unluckiest Player?
German native Nam Vo has gotten sent home in back-to-back seasons, convincing fans that he’s one of the unluckiest players to compete on MTV’s The Challenge. Has Nam officially taken the title from five-time finalist Leroy Garrett?
Nam Vo was sent home early in back-to-back seasons of ‘The Challenge’
Ultimate Beastmaster star Nam Vo debuted on Double Agents and teamed up with Olympian Lolo Jones. However, they couldn’t get on the same page, and both wanted out of the partnership.
The other cast members refused to throw Lolo into elimination, the only way she could switch partners, annoying her. As a result, she decided to quit. Fans had hopes for Nam, who had grown into a favorite, as they didn’t think he deserved how Lolo treated him and couldn’t wait to see him compete with a different partner.
However, he didn’t get a chance as a back injury pulled him from the game shortly later. As Nam remained in the Challenge house for a while, he made connections and looked forward to returning as a veteran for Spies, Lies, and Allies. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to compete at all due to a positive COVID-19 test. The German native returned alongside other vets from Double Agents, putting him in a good spot.
The experienced players remained in control for most of the game, and Nam probably would’ve competed well in teams when it came to the cell twist, earning his way to the finals. Recently, the Ultimate Beastmaster star returned for Ride or Dies alongside rookie Emmy Russ. Presumably, as part of a veteran alliance, as it was his third season, Nam had a decent standing entering the competition. However, Emmy quit before the second mission, ending his game as well.
Leroy Garrett currently holds the title of the unluckiest Challenger
Real World star Leroy Garrett currently holds the title of the unluckiest challenger. A formidable competitor, the fan-favorite appeared in 12 seasons and five finals but never won before retiring after Double Agents.
In his 2011 debut for Rivals, Leroy was nearly disqualified in the premiere episode when his teammate got into a fight. However, he ended up with Michael Ross, and they made it to the finals. While they had a shot at winning, the two quit after deciding they couldn’t continue with Michael injuring himself. He came back for Battle of the Exes alongside Naomi Defensor, but back-to-back last-place finishes in daily missions landed them in eliminations, and they were sent home by the third episode.
After losing to rookies in a favorable elimination during Rivals 2, Leroy returned for Free Agents, competing solo. However, he drew the “kill card” twice, which put him in back-to-back eliminations. Leroy had one of his best performances in Battle of the Exes 2 alongside Nia Moore as they won daily missions. But, she was disqualified shortly before the finals for inappropriate touching.
Theresa Jones was brought in as his partner, but they didn’t have the same chemistry that Leroy and Nia built over the season, and they placed second. During Battle of the Bloodlines, his partner’s disqualification affected him as he had to leave the competition after three episodes due to her toe injury. Following an early exit from Rivals 3 due to a pinched nerve, Leroy was eliminated from Dirty 30 near the end, didn’t make it past the first stage of Vendettas, and was sent home by episode 6 in War of the Worlds when another team called them out for elimination.
Has Nam taken the title from Leroy as the unluckiest player?
The Real World star returned for War of the World 2 and made it to the end, where Team USA vastly outnumbered Team UK. However, they weren’t able to complete the final together. Leroy returned one last time for Double Agents, partnered with Kaycee Clark. The two remained in power for nearly the entire game, winning several missions together.
However, Fessy Shafaat threw himself into elimination to steal her as a partner, leaving him with a less-athletic Nany González. He placed third in his final season. Many fans have called Leroy the unluckiest player as they believe he would’ve won had he competed with other partners. Besides Nia, who got eliminated shortly before the finals, Leroy hadn’t performed with many athletic teammates.
He had a chance with Kaycee during his last season, but she and Big Brother ally Fessy wanted to run the final together. Additionally, Team USA should’ve won the finals in War of the Worlds 2. However, his allies eliminated experienced players, including former champs Laurel Stucky and Johnny Bananas, who likely would have helped bring home that elusive victory for Leroy.
On the other hand, Nam hasn’t been able to prove what he can do. His early exits have prevented him from seeing an elimination and his only sample size with daily missions comes with Lolo, who wasn’t the most supportive teammate. Therefore, his status as a competitor is unclear, even though he appears to have what it takes to succeed in the game. We’ve witnessed Leroy’s physical and social ability to win, but it seems a series of misfortunes has prevented him from accomplishing it. Therefore, the Real World star might still hold the title of unluckiest player, for now. The Challenge Season 38 airs Wednesdays on MTV.
