Justin Hinsley stuns fans with a big win on The Challenge: Vets & New Threats. Here’s how he made an unforgettable debut…
By Richard Holman
The evolution of representation in reality competition shows
For me it started with Survivor. Then Big Brother, The Real World, and eventually The Challenge. For decades, reality competition shows have relied on familiar archetypes: the underdog, the alpha, the showmance, the villain. And for a long time, the gay guy was just that — the gay guy. Tokenized. Often comic relief. Rarely a contender.
As a queer viewer, I watched anyway. I got hooked. But I also watched as players like me were boxed into a very specific role. If they were strong, they had to be palatable. If they were flamboyant, they had to be funny. They were rarely strategic threats. Not often the ones people feared.
That’s slowly started to change. Survivor made a long-overdue diversity pledge. The Traitors started casting with intention. And this season, The Challenge: Vets & New Threats gave us a moment that actually felt different, thanks to a rookie named Justin Hinsley.
Who is Justin Hinsley? Meet the Cheer star with something to prove
Justin isn’t just some flashy newcomer looking for screen time. He’s a world-champion cheerleader. A Navarro College alum featured on Netflix’s Cheer. A social media creator. And now, a real contender on The Challenge.
Before reality TV, he competed with Cheer Athletics’ Cheetahs and hit a zero-deduction routine at the 2018 World Championships. That team won gold. Not exactly the résumé of someone you’d want to face in a head-to-head. But more on that in a second.
What’s always made Justin stand out isn’t just the athleticism, though. It’s the joy. The visibility. The way he shows up fully, unapologetically himself. Whether on a cheer mat or in front of a camera, he brings the kind of energy that draws people in.
A brutal welcome to The Challenge
This season, Justin entered the house as one of the few gay contestants in a franchise that doesn’t exactly have a sparkling history of queer representation. On The Challenge, rookies are often targeted early. Gay rookies even more so.
So when Rogan O’Connor — a former champ and poster boy for muscle-bound arrogance — lost the first challenge and got thrown into elimination, he immediately requested Justin as his opponent. The implication was loud and clear. He thought Justin would be an easy win.
Never mind the fact that Justin is a literal world-class athlete. Never mind the strategy. Rogan saw someone smaller, newer, and gay, and assumed he’d dominate.
Big mistake.
A rookie makes a statement
The elimination game was called “Inertia.” Think giant hamster balls, steep terrain, and two men throwing their bodies around in a test of balance, strength, and sheer will.
Rogan had the size advantage. He had more experience. But Justin had control. Precision. A mind for movement that came from years of elite-level training. He read the challenge like a physics problem and used momentum as his secret weapon.
And he won.
Watching him beat Rogan was thrilling. Not just because it was a classic upset, but because it shattered a tired narrative. Justin wasn’t the weak link. He wasn’t the easy vote. He was a serious competitor who just took down a vet in the very first episode.
Loyalty, letdowns, and who really stepped up
Before the elimination, veteran player Derek Chavez pulled Justin aside for a heartfelt moment. It felt like big brother energy. A real, “I’ve got you” type of pep talk. And then he voted against him.
It was disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising. Loyalty in The Challenge house rarely sticks past the vote. Still, watching a fellow gay player fold that quickly was rough. Especially because the excuse to not follow through seemed to fall on trying to appease a friend, who would have been unaffected.
But then came Ashley Mitchell, always being a baddie and ready to do the right thing, whether it was on her mind or not. She is just instinctively always an ally.
Ashley has long been one of the most outspoken allies in the game, and she delivered. She stood by Justin, voted with intention (and maybe some strategy), and helped send the right message. And full disclosure — I love Ashley. We worked at the same nightclub. She’s always been the kind of person who doesn’t just talk about support, she lives it. If you’re not watching her on House of Villains, you’ll be missing out.
Even Johnny Bananas cast his vote in Justin’s favor. Maybe it was strategic. Maybe it was a fluke. Or maybe, just maybe, this vet roster is evolving, and realizing there can be alliances in places once overlooked. Either way, it was validating to see an entire table of Challenge legends stand behind a gay rookie. My little heart was full.
Justin Hinsley isn’t a side story
I started this season to watch Ashley dominate, but I didn’t expect to find another favorite. Justin Hinsley didn’t just survive his first episode. He owned it.
And for queer fans like me, that means something.
So many of us grew up watching reality shows where people who looked like us were voted out early, laughed at in confessionals, or edited into stereotypes. Seeing someone like Justin not only cast but celebrated and feared as a competitor hits different.
Representation isn’t just about who gets invited. It’s about who gets to win. And that’s exactly what Justin did.
The Challenge is finally starting to reflect more of the real world. More queerness. More nuance. More players who break molds. And this season, we got a young gay athlete who came in strong, competed with heart, and changed the narrative.
Here’s hoping we get to see a lot more of him.
The full cast of The Challenge: Vets & New Threats
This season’s cast is a mix of Challenge icons and newcomers from across the reality TV multiverse. Here’s who’s competing.
Veterans
- Ashley Mitchell returns for her 11th season. A two-time champion and longtime fan favorite, she’s known for her fiery gameplay and iconic one-liners.
- Aneesa Ferreira is back for her 20th season. She’s a four-time finalist and a true Challenge mainstay.
- Aviv Melmed Bruno appears in her third season. She previously won The Challenge: Fresh Meat and returns after a long hiatus.
- Cara Maria Sorbello, now in her 17th season, is a two-time champ and one of the most dominant women to ever play.
- CT Tamburello enters his 22nd season. With five championship wins, he remains one of the most feared and respected competitors of all time.
- Derrick Kosinski competes in his 16th season. A three-time champ with a legacy of elimination dominance.
- Derek Chavez returns for his 7th season. A two-time finalist and one of the show’s openly gay veterans.
- Johnny Bananas makes his 25th Challenge appearance. He holds the all-time record with seven wins and continues to shape the game.
- Leroy Garrett is back for his 15th season. A six-time finalist still chasing his first win.
- Michaela Bradshaw enters her third season. A Survivor alum with one final already to her name.
- Nany Gonzalez returns for her 14th season. She’s reached four finals and is a consistent force in both the social and physical game.
- Nia Moore competes in her 6th season. She’s a one-time finalist known for her bold personality and unpredictable gameplay.
- Olivia Kaiser joins her 4th season. A Love Island alum turned fierce competitor, with one final under her belt.
- Rogan O’Connor makes his 4th appearance. A former champion best known for his physical dominance and bold game moves.
- Theo Campbell enters his 5th season. He’s a two-time finalist with strong athletic credentials and sharp game sense.
- Turabi “Turbo” Camkiran is back for his 5th season. A past winner with a fiery personality and unmatched intensity.
Rookies
- Adrienne Naylor — Married at First Sight UK
- America Lopez — Big Brother 25
- Ayoleka Sodade — Canada’s Ultimate Challenge
- Ben Davis — UFC Fight Pass Commentator
- Blue Kim — Big Brother 25
- Cedric Hodges — Big Brother 26
- Dee Vallardares — Survivor 45
- Gabriel Wai — WWE NXT
- Izzy Fairthorne — Too Hot to Handle + Perfect Match
- Jake Cornish — Love Island UK + Love Island All Stars
- Justin Hinsley — Cheer Season 2 (Netflix)
- Leonardo Dionicio — Love Island USA 5
- Sydney Segal — Survivor 41
- Taylor “Tay” Wilcoxson — Big Brother Australia 15 (co-winner)
- Will Gagnon — Are You the One? Season 9 (Paramount+)
- Yeremi Hykel — The Amazing Race 35
Alternate
- Jonna Mannion — 13th season, 2x champion. Known for her late-career resurgence and back-to-back All Stars wins. Also, does anyone remember the show Endurance?
Where to watch The Challenge: Vets & New Threats (Canada)
New episodes of The Challenge: Vets & New Threats air Wednesdays at 8 PM ET on CTV Drama Channel in Canada.
Missed it live? Episodes are available to stream the next day on Crave, where you can also find past seasons and spinoffs like All Stars.
For U.S. viewers, the show airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on MTV, with next-day streaming on Paramount+.
International access may vary, but Paramount+, NOW TV, and MTV’s global platforms are your best options depending on region.
Mark your calendar. Every Wednesday, it’s on — and if Justin’s debut is any indication, this season’s not holding back.
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