"Is there anything Tori and Devin can't do while together?"
So wondered fellow The Challenge: Ride or Dies finalist Nany Gonzalez on the MTV series' Feb. 15 as she watched Davids—are should we say the Daves?— Tori Deal and Devin Walker best the Goliaths: Her and seven-time champion Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez, as well as Tori's ex-fiancé (and three-time winner) Jordan Wiseley and BFF Aneesa Ferreira.
While the emotionally taxing season was capped off with a grueling 100-hour final challenge—one that saw rookie pair Horacio Gutiérrez and Olivia Kaiser eliminated early after she suffered two horrific back-to-back injuries—the experience was a rewarding one for Are You the One? frenemies turned besties Tori and Devin, even before they took home the $1 million grand prize.
"This was my fourth final and Devin's third, so you know what it's like to make it to the end with people you don't like," Tori told E! News. "And then when you get the opportunity to make it to the end with your friends, the stress and pressure comes off in a different way now because instead of competing against somebody in a ruthless competition, you're actually racing your friends for a million dollars. It makes it a lot easier to go about it emotionally when your friends are there."
And that feeling of camaraderie resulted in the newly minted champions deciding to give the six other finalists $38,000 each, a decision Devin called "a no-brainer." (Albeit, something of a last-minute choice they made as they realized they were destined to win.)
"I know how generous of a person Tori is and I refuse to let money dictate my character," Devin explained. "Each and every person there played a significant role throughout the season of putting us in that position. So to be selfish in that moment, like we did it all on our own, would be completely against everything both of us stand for."
Plus, Devin and Tori both received $50,000 from C.T. Tamburello and Kaycee Clark, the winners of the previous season, so they knew the impact it would have on their fellow Challengers.
"It cushioned the blow of a really tight second place loss for Tori and a really heartbreaking loss for me that I took very difficult off-camera," Devin explained. "Again, not that money matters, but it's nice to get a physical representation of the work that you put into something. In this game, that comes in the form of direct deposits. So hopefully they all appreciate that and feel the same way when it clears."
As for what they'll do when their cash drops, they've got plans. The Daves opened up to E! News about why they're already banking on a second victory and where Tori stands with ex Jordan after all that relationship drama.
E! News: What about your Ride or Die made you the most proud?
Tori Deal: Devin just always shows up. You've seen it in pivotal moments in this game when he steps in and he just absolutely knows how to dominate the competition. What I am most proud of is our friendship because it never wavered. Even when there were was the drama with Jordan and other fights that weren't aired, we always had each other's back. We went into it saying our friendship was coming first and it stayed that way.
Devin Walker: I'm most proud of the way we handled an incredibly stressful environment with each other as the priority the entire time. A lot of people say, 'Oh, you're my ride or die, I have your back no matter what.' Well, do you really when their ex-fiancé walks in the door and starts hooking up with someone while they're on the couch? Or do you really have their back when your absolute wild card partner, that would be me, starts yelling at somebody for something they may or may not have said? Do you really have their back in the moments when it would be easier to mail it in and say, 'Well, we're playing separate games'? We never did that. We both stood loyal and solid the entire time.
E! News: When you met on Are You the One: Second Chances, you immediately butted heads. What was the key moment that shifted your relationship and turned you into the Daves?
DW: Oh, the vacation.
TD: Definitely Mexico.
DW: But Tori's 28th birthday put us in the unbreakable friendship zone. At that party we pretty much did a two-person stand-up routine for about four hours and after that, it was set in stone.
TD: But for the record, I always loved Devin. He was on the season before me of Are You the One? And [I was like] so he was kind of like my, 'This guy's awesome! Like I want to go on the show.' I met Devin on Second Chances and they say never meet your idols, man. Him and I clashed so hard.
E! News: How did you get past last season's issues? Tori, you even cheered for Emmanuel over him in an elimination!
TD: At that point I had a love affair with Emmanuel, and the fact that Devin forgave me so easily after—I I am just blown away by that. I think Devin gets this rep that he's an a--hole and, to be fair, sometimes he really can be, but the truth is that he's a gummy bear. He's the sweetest thing and so forgiving and I think that act of friendship right there solidified it for me.
E! News: Speaking to your reputation, Devin, Aneesa said in the finale that a lot of people have slept on you, but now they are awake. How will this win change your gameplay moving forward?
DW: Yeah, it's a bit of double-edged sword. Typically, if you can win one, you can win again, especially on the guys' side. You just have to shift your gameplay. What I lack in physicality I make up for in a wider margin in my whole political and strategic and just like overall analyzation of the game. I may be a little bit behind physically, but in my opinion, I'm years ahead of some of these people in all those other categories. So it's never really going to be a fair fight. Moving forward, I encourage to do whatever they want to do to prevent me from repeating, but I'll tell you right now on this interview, I'm going to win again and I'll probably win a few more times.
E! News: Tori, you've had the opposite journey, where you made the final in your rookie season and people expected you to become a champion right away. You spoke about feeling like you weren't living up to you potential, so what was it like for you to finally get the win?
TD: I had a lot of potential, but I had a lot to work through emotionally. I wasn't ready or prepared to be a champ at the time. Every single one of those moments now looking back was just important to get me where I am today, which is totally the most mentally stable I've ever been and just so incredibly happy. I'm prepared to be a champ now. I feel like I knew I was going to win and Devin and I were right there the season before, so then the fact that we got to do it together, like dude, it was fate.
E! News: You opened up about that work you've done for your mental health on the show. But with Jordan coming into the game, how did you handle living with your ex-fiancé and watching him explore other relationships ?
TD: I did my best to keep it together, but internally, I was definitely struggling a lot. Sometimes me and Devin would be outside for hours talking by the fire after a night of drinking Aperol Spritzes. The producers definitely gave me some privacy when it came to dealing with some of the more intense emotions, they really looked out for me. That was really, really nice of them because God only knows what I said when I was drunk. It was really hard but I had a nice support team with me, I got to be there with Aneesa and Devin. Looking back at it now, it was important because Jordan and I are great friends and closure is a beautiful thing. I feel great. I wouldn't change a thing.
E! News: Where do you and Jordan stand now?
TD: We are great friends. He just texted me a video about how being vegan is stupid, so like, we're always going to clash, but we're good friends.
E! News: Devin, fans were curious to see the dynamic between you and Johnny Bananas after your feud during 2018's Final Reckoning. And your unexpected friendship became one of the highlights of the season.
DW: When I met Johnny, it was on Rivals 3, and he didn't say a single word to [partner] Sarah [Rice] for the first three weeks outside of competition. They would get on the bus, not talk, do the walk-in, not talk, the rules would get explained, they would talk very briefly, most of the time they would win and then we would get on the bus and they would not talk again until they had to make a decision about who they were going to send in. And for the record, seven times that was me. So, I knew he had serious stubbornness when it comes to people that he doesn't like.
But I've talked about this with [casting producer] Skye Topic and she said to me, 'I'm surprised that it took you guys this long, we all saw that as a friendly rivalry.' Now, obviously, that took a very different turn in Final Reckoning, where I was as embarrassing as a person can be and I'm sure he also has some things he said that he regrets. Well, I know that he did because we've had private conversations about this. But I was willing to wipe the slate clean and I didn't know if he was on that same page.
E! News: But then you became roommates.
DW: You don't want conflict in your bedroom, so I think that really f--king sped up the process. We were both disappointed at the lack of things that they showed that went on in that room because it was hysterical.
I have a lot of respect for Johnny and what he's been able to do in the game. I think I'm a better person for most of the relationships I've had with people on The Challenge, but specifically Bananas because of the roller coaster ride that we went on. It allowed both of us to reflect back privately, not publicly, and be like, ‘Is this really worth it? Is this really how the both of us want to be?' And the answer was no and I'm happy that the world got to see it.
E! News: Be honest: Is Wes Bergmann super jealous of this new friendship?
DW: Wes has reached out to me several times about how jealous he is. He knows he's maybe number three or number four Challenger all-time, but he's number one in our hearts.
E! News: Finally, what are your plans for rest of the prize money?
TD: Ooh, probably throw a party!
DW: A big, big party! We talked about this, I think we're both looking at properties. It's not necessarily a buyer's market right now, but one thing I will say about myself and Dave is we know how to earn it and we know how to spend it, so I'm sure it won't be in any place for too long.
E! News: Well, you did just promise another win is coming, so maybe season 39 will bring in more cash.
DW: I won't tell that to my financial planner. In my heart, I'll believe that it's on its way.