Pageant Stars Share Why Winning Means More Than Prize Money

For other stars of The challenge, feeling like a million rand means more than putting it in your pocket.

“Pride is a thing in hell,” Johnny “Banana” Devenanzio reflected in an exclusive interview with E! News’ Francesca Amiker. “To be able to lift that trophy and know that you’ve won, for me, goes a lot further than the money in the end.”

Not that he hasn’t enjoyed the roughly $1.1 million he’s earned for his franchise-best seven wins.

“That’s exciting,” Real World: Key West agreed the student. “But people don’t understand how tough this show is, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally. There has to be an element of luck in every single season, because there’s no way you’re going to make it to the finals unless you’re lucky.”

Noticing the obstacles that competitors have to face even before capturing the host TJ LavinThe finals are notoriously brutal, Johnny continued, “To be able to lift that trophy at the end, it’s one of the hardest things you can do in the world. So not to say the money isn’t great, but the satisfaction of winning is very exciting.”