It's a TV event 23 years in the making.
The Challenge: All Stars officially premiered on April 1 and the caliber of The Real World and Road Rules veterans the Paramount+ spinoff lured out of retirement was anything but an April Fools' Day joke. Assembled by Challenge "godfather" Mark Long, who is also competing for the $500,000 grand prize, franchise icons like Ruthie Alcaide, Syrus Yarbrough and Alton Williams are back in action for the limited series. It was basically a high school reunion but with people vastly more entertaining and engaging than the majority of your actual classmates.
Of course, spots were limited, with just 22 contestants making the final cast list, meaning some viewers were disappointed to see several fan favorites not return. Not only were recent winners C.T. Tamburello and Johnny Bananas missing, but legends like Coral Smith, Paula Meronek Beckert and Landon Lueck were also noted non-attendees.
Plus, a few others were actually flown out to Argentina for the entirety of production, but only as alternates.
So why are some iconic veterans M.I.A. from The Challenge: All Stars? And is there a chance they could appear in future seasons, should the Challenge gods bless us with more? Stars like Rachel Robinson, Veronica Portillo and more revealed to E! News why they didn't appear in season one, while Mark teased the major names fans could see down the road...
While he's one of the franchise's most iconic competitors—thanks to his three wins, physical and puzzle-solving prowess and the record for most self-induced disqualifications due to his penchant for fighting in earlier seasons—the 40-year-old was not asked to appear on the inaugural season of the spinoff. And there's a reason for his absence.
"The more C.T.s or Bananas we get for the first season, the more it kind of defeats the purpose of what it is," Mark Long told E! News. "I'd rather Teck have C.T.'s position in this one."
But that doesn't mean C.T., who is currently competing on The Challenge: Double Agents, won't ever pop up on All Stars.
"Don't be surprised if you see someone that is more current, like a real real player in season two or three because I think it's definitely open," Mark teased.
The two-time winner is one of The Challenge's most well-known competitors and last appeared on Rivals 2 in 2013, which she won with Emily Schromm.
After stepping away from the franchise, The Real World: Key West star married Jack Beckert in 2014 and now has three children, meaning she likely had some real-life challenges to focus on.
He holds the record for the most Challenge wins ever (seven). He is the franchise's most recognizable star. And he is M.I.A. from All Stars for that very reason, as Mark told E! New he was looking to fill "90 percent" of the cast with OGs who would provide the "wow factor" because they've been gone for so long. But Mark is hopeful Bananas will compete on a future season, saying, "I've had conversations with him...he's told me he'd be thrilled to be part of a season two or three."
He'll certainly be paying close attention to the first outing.
"In a day and age where reboots, prequels and sequels are common place I'm excited about feeding the Old School Challenge fandoms appetite for nostalgia," the 38-year-old reigning Champ told E! News. "Instead of continually trying to reinvent the wheel, I love that the producers have gotten back to the basics returning to the format and the faces that made The Challenge franchise so iconic. And although I won't be participating this season as a cast member, I'm looking forward to watching as a fan. After all it's some of these very same OGs which inspired me to audition, and begin my journey into reality television over a decade and a half ago."
Much like C.T. and Johnny, the two-time winner is still a major personality on the main franchise, so he wasn't a priority when it came to casting All Stars. But that doesn't mean he won't be watching.
"Y'all, the All Stars season is gonna be lit," he tweeted on March 20. "I haven't been more pumped to watch a show in probably 3 yrs."
Arguably the franchise's most dominant female competitor, Evelyn was a Fresh Meat addition who went on to win three Challenges, including her last outing, 2011's Rivals.
While Mark told E! News Evelyn was interested in returning for All Stars, the timing didn't work out for season one as she is a lawyer who is involved with the Democratic Party.
Before he became a WWE superstar with own his reality series, the Miz was a fan-favorite Challenger who got his start on The Real World: Back to New York.
After winning two of the five seasons he competed on, he left the franchise as a competitor after claiming victory in 2005's The Inferno II. But the Miz returned to host the Champs vs. Stars spinoff and several of The Challenge's reunion shows.
Still, Mark revealed to Us Weekly that the Miz turned down the opportunity to return as an All Star.
"He, unfortunately, was like, 'Dude, I'm so busy,'" Mark explained in the July 2020 podcast. "He's like, 'As much as I'd love to be a part of it, it's just totally not feasible.' So the Miz, unfortunately, is out in terms of not having enough bandwidth to even take something on."
The Real World: Key West standout won two of his four seasons, including his last outing, Rivals, with Johnny Bananas.
But during a 2020 interview with the Challenge Mania podcast, Tyler revealed he was initially set to film 2014's Free Agents. "I didn't necessarily retire on my own accord," he explained, "and I was kind of struggling because I was just about to start this new corporate gig and it was going to be a lot of international travel. But I kind of had that one more in me."
But he was left "furious" when he was ultimately told by MTV that they would not be adding him to the cast. "I was so pissed," he said. "After that, I kind of shut the door on it."
The Road Rules: Semester at Sea alum is one of the franchise's most infamous female competitors and most recently appeared in 2018. But this thrice-winning OG had her reasons for not returning for All Stars, despite being asked.
"In short the ROI wasn't worth it for me," Veronica told E! News. "Though they were offering a stipend greater than they did in the OG days, it wasn't enough to get me to travel during a pandemic, I'd have to pay for my daily responsibilities to be tended to & my career would take a hit because of the time I would need to step away. It would have ended up costing me money to be there for the experience. And although they are fun, we are there performing a job. And the job we perform doesn't just end when the cameras drop. We have responsibilities brought upon by being on the show before, during, and after the show airs."
She continued, "They needed to pay me MORE and they weren't willing. Which was fine. At the end of the day, they found someone else to take my place for what they were offering. It just isn't me and if they don't value what I bring to their franchise, I don't care to be there making a show for them."
And that is why she is a reality TV legend, people.
One of the franchise's fiercest and most, um, unpredictable male competitors, many fans were surprised to see the two-time winner missing from the cast list.
But a major personal life milestone may be the reason for Abram's absence: After getting married in 2019, Abram and his wife Rachel Missie announced they were expecting their first child together in October 2020.
A reality TV legend thanks to her time on The Real World: Back to New York and six seasons of The Challenge, many fans were disappointed to see Coral missing from All Stars. And so was Mark, who put the Battle of the Seasons champ on his Mount Rushmore of Challenge competitors. But her career as a doula and timing issues prevented her from appearing on the first season of the spinoff.
The Real World: San Diego alum has competed on 10 seasons of the Challenge, taking home the win in 2010's Cutthroat.
After finding love on the show with Tori Hall, the couple married in 2010 and went on to have two sons together. Brad and Tori divorced in 2016, with Brad returning to the franchise in 2017.
Brad hasn't spoken out about not appearing on All Stars, but he did officially retire from the original series in April 2019.
"It has been a real blessing & an honor to come back to The Challenge & I want to thank all the MTV fans out there," Brad wrote in a tweet. "Some of the love & comments have helped me through the darkest days of my life."
Following her divorce from Brad, Tori married Dusty Gwinn in October 2020. The couple announced they were expecting their first child together in March 2021.
"Our home team is growing and we are over the moon," the Road Rules vet wrote in an Instagram caption. "Little one you are already loved, prayed for, and we are so excited to meet you early fall."
Blame this one on corona.
"I was contacted by Mark Long about the OG project in August 2020," the two-time champ told E! News. "I was very interested in participating; would have been fun especially since the world was basically shut down due to the pandemic. In early December I was contacted by a casting director about being on the show. Things were moving forward but were halted by my background check. I currently live in Europe and the turn around for my background check was going to take too long. It was definitely a bummer, but my fingers are crossed there will be a season two."
After last competing in 2012, fans were hoping to see the two-time winner return for All Stars.
"Yes, I was asked, and yes, I would always consider it (season two), if the timing and circumstances were right," Rachel, who is now a fitness trainer and mother of twin sons, revealed to E! News.
While Cohutta went out to Andes Mountains of Argentina, The Real World: Sydney vet was there as an alternate and didn't make it to the main cast, along with Sophia Pasquis and Ryan Kehoe.
"Spent about 3 weeks relaxing in the Patagonian sun this winter with coolest cats around," he captioned an Instagram photo. "I patiently waited for someone to quit @challengemtv so I could go climb some damn mountains son!!!!"
Though she only competed on two seasons—Battle of the Sexes 2 and The Gauntlet 2—after her stint on The Real World: San Diego in 2004, Cameran became a Bravolebrity thanks to her six seasons as the sarcastic voice of reason on Southern Charm. The mom-of-one left the series in 2020 and in her book, released in February 2021, Cameran wrote, "I'm pretty certain I am done with reality TV, though. I've got two shows under my belt, and at this point I am enjoying a simpler life without a camera in my face."
The Real World: Denver alum hasn't appeared since making it to the finals of Rivals in 2011.
Ten years later, Jenn is engaged to Derek Diaz and the couple welcomed their first child, son Thiago, in January 2021, making the Feburary shoot prettttty tricky.
A fierce competitor and two-time champ, The Real World: Brooklyn alum hasn't appeared on The Challenge since her partner Johnny Bananas infamously took all of their prize money after their win on Rivals 3.
"After 10 years on reality TV, I retired & pursued a masters in Therapy. While in my program I researched the effects of reality TV on its participants. I found rates of suicide that were significantly higher than the gen. pop., & many experienced ongoing identity issues," Sarah, who now hosts The Brain Candy podcast, wrote in a series of tweets in February 2021. "The lack of aftercare motivated me to go into the field of mental health to provide the therapy needed for this specific population."
When asked who is the competitor he most wants to see return, Mark picked the three-time winner from The Real World: Philadelphia who last appeared in 2010. So fingers crossed Landon, who is now the founder and CEO of Executive Cycling Excursions, comes back in a future season.
The Real World: San Diego alum appeared on nine seasons, making it to the finals three times before exiting the franchise in 2012's Battle of the Exes, in which she was paired with her ex-boyfriend, Mark.
Robin is now married with two kids, 11-year-old son Ethan and six-year-old daughter Raina.
The Real World: D.C. vet won Rivals II and made it to the finals in her two other outings before making her last appearance on 2017's Champs vs. Stars spinoff, which she won.
Now, Emily is a personal trainer, nutritional therapy practitioner and hosts the Hippie Meathead podcast, but she hasn't publicly commented on why she didn't return for a chance to win her second title.
The Road Rules won two of the Challenges he competed on, last appearing on 2006's Fresh Meat.
The 41-year-old is now a comedian and hosts two podcasts, This Past Weekend and King and the Sting. Theo hasn't spoken out publicly about possibly returning after his 15-year absence.
The Fresh Meat addition went on to compete on three more seasons before making it to Argentina as an alternate. Sure, a free trip is great, but here's hoping she gets her chance to actually compete in a future All Stars season.
The Real World: Las Vegas (2011 season) only competed in one Challenge, making it to the finals of Rivals 2. She was picked as an alternate for All Stars.
The Challenge: All Stars is now streaming on Parampunt+, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.