CBS launched The Challenge: USA this week, and by the end of The Challenge: USA Season 1 Episode 1, Cely Vazquez and Javonny Vega were out of the game.
It was a shocking elimination match-up.
TV Fanatic got the chance to speak with Cely and Javonny about their time on the new series, who they would have targeted if they stayed, and more.
I’m happy to be chatting with you both. I wish it was under better circumstances. I wanted you both to make it further into the game.
Cely: Thank you. Us too!
Javonny: We wanted to win it all.
Starting with Cely, could you both speak a bit about why you decided to team up?
Cely: We were talking about this. It all happened so fast. And I hate the fact that we had to pick because everyone’s already partnered up, and I was looking around, and I was like, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”
And then I saw Javonny, and I was like, “yes, a familiar face. I love you. Please be my partner.” Then, we instantly said, “what did we do? “
Javonny: Basically, that’s how it happened, Paul. I went in there, we just walked up, and then next thing you know, TJ says, “Hey guys, partner up.”
And then I’m just looking around, looking confused, like, “all right, everybody’s getting snatched up so quick,” and then came Cely. I was like, “all right, let’s do it. And the rest is history.
Cely: And then we were history.
Javonny: Yeah. That’s it.
Cely, you and Justine had such a great bond on Love Island, and I was excited to see you play The Challenge together. How do you think it will affect Justine that you’re no longer in the game?
Cely: Honestly, I know she was crying at the end, and it literally, I was like, “I love you so hard,” but I know that like, this is going to push her to go even crazier and harder and she’s going to win the whole thing, period. I’m excited for her because she’s my girl, and she’s been preparing for this. She has it in the bag.
Starting with Javonny, could you both speak a bit about whether you had any idea you would be going into the elimination?
Javonny: I had an idea when Cely came up to me like, “Hey, you know, our name’s getting thrown in the air that we might get put into elimination?” And I was like, “Nah, I didn’t want to do that.”
As the night progressed, I was like, “you know what I said, man, if they do it, they do it, so be ready. I ain’t going to kiss nobody’s butt to try to get out of an elimination. This is The Challenge. We’re here to compete, and we’re here to show our best abilities to perform and to get back in the house. Me and Cely were ready.
We were ready to go in there and fight for our lives to come back.
Cely: I definitely had a feeling only because it was only Javonny and I and Cashel and Kyra that were a double Love Island pairing. And I knew it wouldn’t be Kyra because Kyra had a really good relationship with Angela.
But honestly, we were still shocked when they said our names because even though I had an inkling. And that it was a possibility, I still thought it was going to be Shannon and James, but they were out there politicing, and that was one thing Javonny and I were not going to do.
Starting with Cely, if you both returned to the house, would you have targeted Angela and Tyson?
Cely: Honestly, it would’ve been everybody. I would’ve been like, “y’all are all fake.” I would’ve gone in guns blazing, and I would’ve never stopped talking smack. I don’t know if I would’ve went directly for Angela and Tyson, but I would’ve just been pressed at the whole house.
Javonny: I would’ve definitely tried to get the Survivor people. That was like my whole plan. Get the Survivor people out as fast as I can, and how would I do that? I would have tried to turn people against the Survivor team.
That would make for a lot of drama!
Cely: Oh, we would’ve made drama. Y’all messed up because we were the TV y’all needed
This was a different experience for you both compared to Love Island. Starting with Javonny, was it as daunting doing the challenges as you thought it would be?
Javonny: I wasn’t worried. I played high school football and baseball. I ran track. I did wrestling. This is something I wanted. I wanted to compete because on Love Island, we were competing to go ahead and get the girl that we wanted.
The competitive part of The Challenge was something I was looking forward to. I wasn’t worried at all. I was just ecstatic to be there. I was hyped as if I was going on Love Island!
I would say I was definitely nervous going into it. I’m five-two and a hundred pounds. I’m terrified. but honestly, after getting there and meeting everyone, I was like, “no one here is super scary.”
And even though we lost that challenge, I feel like I could have done so much more, and it just wasn’t in our favor. After going through the challenges, I said, “I could do this. I could easily do this.”
The Challenge: USA airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
