Johnny Bananas unpacks Omarosa's deal on “House of Villains” and that “The Challenge: USA” betrayal
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the House of Villains series premiere and The Challenge: USA episode 13, "The Treason For the Season."
There's a lot of Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio on TV right now. Between E!'s new series House of Villains and the second season of The Challenge: USA on CBS, the reality veteran's face is everywhere — and that's exactly how he likes it.
"When it rains, it pours," he tells EW over zoom, wearing a shirt with his face on it while sitting in between two House of Villains-branded pillows he says he stole from the premiere ("Sorry, did I say stole? I meant borrowed," he adds with a grin. "But Jonny Fairplay took, like, 12. I was like, 'Just give me two, man!"). "Tonight I will break the record for the reality television personality to be on the most networks simultaneously: I'll be on the NBC properties with House of Villains and then also The Challenge: USA will be airing on CBS at the exact same time and streaming on Paramount+. Moral of the story is, if there was ever a question who is the greatest reality television icon, villain or otherwise, I think we've answered that. Good luck trying to beat that record, people."
On the series premiere of House of Villains, longtime Challenge champion Devenanzio found himself in a position he hasn't been in for a very long time when he handed the first challenge win to the infamous Omarosa Manigault Newman in exchange for his safety. But it didn't look like the handshake deal he made with Omarosa was going to stick when she considered turning on him and nominating him for an early exit. Instead of betraying his trust and playing him like a rookie, Omarosa revealed in the final moments that she was nominating Vanderpump Rules alum Jax Taylor instead.
But Devenanzio did suffer a betrayal at the same time, albeit on a different network, on the penultimate episode of The Challenge: USA. His ally Josh Martinez, who he had been protecting all season, voted for him to go into the last elimination of the season. Karma came quick though, as Martinez's name was randomly selected instead, despite the odds being stacked against Devenanzio, and Martinez lost the elimination against Faysal "Fessy" Shafaat while Devenanzio made it to the final.
Below, Devenanzio unpacks the shocking events of both episodes.
Johnny Bananas, Omarosa
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction when you got the call to go on House of Villains?
JOHNNY DEVENANZIO: I have obviously made a name for myself. I have made a living, I've created a brand, I've established a reputation on MTV and on The Challenge, but I hit a point where I'm ready to take my talents elsewhere ... so I jumped at the opportunity. I didn't even have to hear what the cast was, once I heard what the premise was, I'm like, "Look no further." I had no idea it was going to be as wild, exciting, educational, and as difficult as it was, so it was truly a test.
Who surprised you the most when you got to the house and met the cast?
I'll tell you who didn't surprise me was Omarosa. She wastes no time in absolutely lighting people on fire and putting people in very uncomfortable positions. But I will say this, when I go on The Challenge, there's a cast of characters that's generally like a mix, and there'll be a few names that can carry the show. They're the ones that are actually embedded producers that are really helping the show move along, and they're professionals. I would like to say I'm a professional reality television show star/producer, so I'm used to having to carry the show because it's like, if I'm not on camera performing or if I'm not moving the needle or driving the story, who else [will]? And generally, when I am in a group, I'm usually the loudest, the most over the top, the biggest personality there, and usually I have to shut my mouth in order to let other people get a word in edgewise.
This was the exact opposite. I now know what it feels like to be other people around me, because there was so much energy coming out of this house with these personalities there, you probably could have seen it from outer space. I literally had to dial it up to a million just to keep pace with everything that was going on. I don't think anyone surprised me: New York was everything as advertised, Omarosa was as advertised. Jax, I mean, the guy jumps right behind the bar and starts making drinks. Corinne [Olympios, from The Bachelor] was just as big of a hot mess express as you would've expected.
One of the biggest shocks to me was how good everyone was right off the rip at just being great at carrying a scene or carrying the show. It was such a relief because I'm like, "I don't have to be on all the time. There are nine other people here that can drive the show and they can carry the story." It was great. I felt like I was in an environment with a bunch of professionals — psychotic, unhinged, villainous, loony professionals, but professionals nonetheless.
The premiere ends on a cliffhanger right after Omarosa pretends she's about to go back on her deal with you but then nominates Jax instead. What was it like in that moment when she's making that big speech?
The world that I come from, the show that I come from, generally a deal, especially one that is publicly made, people aren't going to go back on it. That's not necessarily how this show works. You don't have to stick by any deal, because potentially in the future, you're not going to have to pay the repercussions. I was really putting my faith in somebody that is known on reality TV for big moments. I was like, "She's probably going to see this as an opportunity to potentially throw me under the bus and get this great moment." It's going to look like she tricked me on camera into doing it, but I had to weigh my options. I'm trying to come in and maintain a low profile. I didn't want to win that first challenge and have to nominate three people, so I'm going to throw caution to the wind, make a deal with the devil, and we'll see if it pans out. Luckily for me it did, but yeah, there was some very tense moments after. I felt it was like Rumpelstiltskin and I just sold my firstborn.
How much did you know about Omarosa's history before you met her and made this deal?
[Laughs] I knew of Omarosa. I mean, how can you not? From her time on The Apprentice to then going into the White House, to then turning around from the White House and writing this very incendiary tell-all book — like the president or not, damn dude, writing that and lighting your boss on fire is pretty wild. So I knew that she literally was capable of just about anything. She worked in the White House in probably one of the craziest administrations we've ever had, so she is battle tested, and coming on House of Villains, this is going to be a walk in the park for her. Matching wits with someone like her, it was pretty epic. That's up there with the coolest things that I've done, just being able to make a deal, compete, and have to match wits with the great Omarosa.
You also began flirting immediately with both Corinne and Anfisa. What are the chances we'll see you in a full-fledged showmance with either one of them?
On a scale of one to The Bachelor, there's very good odds. Here's the thing though, I came into this show with every potential tool at my disposal, in order to do what I had to do to get to the end. On The Challenge, instead of politicking, we call it poli-dicking. It's using what God blessed you with as a way to flirt and use those tactics in order to make your way to the end, so that's the way I saw it with Corinne and Anfisa. Plus, it made things in the house a little more interesting. Things get messy for sure. I think I might've bit off more than I can chew with this one.
Cory Wharton, Tori Deal, Chanelle Howell, Cassidy Clark, Michaela Bradshaw, Chris Underwood, Desi Williams, Faysal Shafaat, Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, and Josh Martinez
Pivoting to The Challenge: USA, how did you feel about Josh's betrayal when it happened and now as it airs months later?
Karma is a bitch. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, I've seen the way that Josh moves in the past.
He also literally did it to Wes earlier this season.
And this isn't the first time he did it to me. Back on World of Worlds 2, the reason I got sent in was because he basically ended up putting his trust in Paulie, somebody that I knew was going to end up burning me. Josh is just very easily swayed. He's not one that really can make a deal and stick to it, and he got his feet put to the fire. Fessy and Cory put a lot of pressure on him to make a deal that wasn't beneficial to his game, it's beneficial to theirs. It shouldn't come up as a shock to anyone that Josh hasn't ever finished the drill and made it all the way to the final. He's got a good but very messy social game, and the guy does a little too much.
How do I feel about it now? I don't bring my work home with me, generally. I think I'd be a little more upset if things didn't go the way that they did. And I'll tell you what, that hopper could be your best friend and your worst enemy, all at the same time. Thankfully, it was on my side and not his that night. I don't want to do a Hall Brawl with my grandmother, let alone Fessy, who's just a monster in that thing. I love my ability to walk, my ability to not have a broken neck, my ability to not be crippled, and I don't want to give any of that up for an elimination on The Challenge. So we'll let somebody else take care of that.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
House of Villains airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on E!, and The Challenge: USA season 2 finale airs Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
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