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Spoilers for The Challenge: Battle of the Eras finale. Michele Fitzgerald crossed the finish line in second place behind Jenny West, but a low Karma score shifted her official placement to third. In a January 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fitzgerald described the result as painful and, ultimately, part of the game—and explained why Bananas’ celebration stung without erasing her affection for him.
How the Karma vote changed Michele Fitzgerald’s placement
Fitzgerald finished the course in second, behind Jenny West. The final’s Karma result then moved Fitzgerald to third, while Rachel Robinson rose from third to tie West for first, according to Entertainment Weekly’s finale interview. The sources do not establish a full scoring formula or numeric vote breakdown, so the exact mechanics beyond that placement change should not be inferred.
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Fitzgerald said the vote was difficult partly because players eliminated in the first episode had significant influence despite having little time to know her. She compared that dynamic with jury systems on Survivor and Big Brother: when players know a jury will decide an outcome, they can adapt their strategy around those voters. She also acknowledged her own part in the result, saying she could have done more jury management and had burned bridges.
Her reaction shifted over time. She was devastated in the moment, then proud that she had “crushed” her first final, and felt the disappointment again when she watched it back. She also saw the outcome as costing more than one person: the vote affected Jenny’s prize, while Tori received no prize.
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What Fitzgerald learned from her first Challenge final
This was Fitzgerald’s first final on The Challenge. She said her experience on Survivor had prepared her for the mental strain of competing while sleep-deprived and not eating. She entered confident in her swimming and puzzle-solving, but believed she was less physically strong than her competitors and that they had better endurance. She described her performance as uneven—sometimes struggling, sometimes dominating—and connected that inconsistency to the pressure of running a final for the first time.
The skull in the barrel
Fitzgerald recalled leading before a checkpoint where she failed to spot a skull in a barrel, leaving her in last. Elsewhere, her oar floated away and she became frazzled. Those moments, she said, showed how quickly a small oversight or disruption could affect her momentum.
Rank #2
The cage checkpoint
At another checkpoint, Fitzgerald thought she had to fully unwrap a cage. Other competitors broke into theirs instead. Her takeaway was practical: “If they don’t specify that you have to untie the whole thing, then find your own way. There’s always a shortcut that you could potentially take.” The lesson was not to assume a task requires the most literal or time-consuming method when the rules do not say so.
Why Johnny Bananas’ celebration hurt—and where they stand
Fitzgerald said Bananas’ celebration of her disappointment hurt, and that it did not become easier to watch later. She objected to the extra dig, saying he could have simply celebrated Jenny and Rachel. “Nothing surprises me when it comes to Bananas anymore, but it hurts my feelings,” she told Entertainment Weekly. She also compared their shared third-place result, saying they had both done dirty work and landed in the same spot.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteHer comments were not a declaration of a permanent feud. Fitzgerald said the two had talked a lot after filming. Bananas framed his actions as game-related while affirming their real-life friendship; Fitzgerald said she found it harder to separate those parts of the relationship. She described herself as forgiving and understanding, said she still loved him, and expected an “asterisk” to remain between them after the season: “I think that forever there’s going to be this kind of asterisk on our relationship after the season.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The season’s official frame
Paramount’s June 24, 2024 announcement described The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras as a season featuring 40 competitors and a one-million-dollar prize. It listed Fitzgerald and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio among the cast and described Devenanzio as a seven-time winner in that 2024 announcement; that figure is attributed to the release, not presented as a current career total.
Rank #4
Paramount’s announcement said previous seasons could be streamed through Paramount+, MTV VOD and Pluto TV, and the MTV Official Challenge Podcast episode page also points viewers to Paramount+ for previous seasons. These are dated service statements, not confirmation that season 40 or a particular episode is currently available in every region. Check the current catalog where you live.
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