Ashley Mitchell explains why ‘The Challenge’ season 40 snub ‘didn’t bother’ her

Ashley “Millionaire” Mitchell is finally back on The Challenge for All Stars: Rivals, and she understands the assignment: “The drama’s back, don’t worry,” the two-time champ tells Entertainment Weekly with a laugh. “Jesus, help me. I try not to be!”

The popular but controversial competitor hasn’t been on the show since she was unceremoniously kicked off Spies, Lies, and Allies without any real explanation (aside from TJ announcing that she had “broken one of our rules”). That’s why she was excited to return for the fifth season of All Stars, especially since some of her friends were on the cast.

“My old-school Lavender Ladies, Shane and Sylvia — I did not even tell them I was showing up,” Ashley says. “They were shocked when they saw me, that’s for sure. I didn’t tell a dang soul. And when I showed up and saw everyone else, I was thinking, ‘Okay, I have a chance at winning this.'”

But then she learned the theme of the season was Rivals and her partner was Aneesa Ferreira, who has never won after 18 seasons. “God, TJ, where’s Hunter when I need him?” she says with a laugh, adding that she’s up for round two with her Final Reckoning partner. “Oh my God, that would be terrifying, but Hunter is a great competitor. I would love to take the money from him again.”

Below, Ashley reveals why she’s back for All Stars: Rivals (and didn’t make her big return for season 40), finally breaks her silence about getting kicked off Spies, Lies, and Allies, and more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Did you get the call for season 40?

ASHLEY MITCHELL: I’m going to be honest with you: I don’t think so, but I don’t really know when they call. I don’t think I did, no.

Were you shocked that you weren’t invited for such a big season?

I had put the whole reality TV thing behind me. I have a lot of anxiety naturally, so competing on the show gives me more anxiety, but even worse is watching it back. People don’t know this, but on the last season I did, my anxiety was so bad, I could barely sleep some nights. I thought this was all behind me, the reality TV thing was in the past, and I was okay with that, so not getting the call for 40 didn’t bother me. I live in Costa Rica now, I have Airbnbs, and I have a very simple life where I don’t use social media. Then when they called me for All Stars, I had a lot of thoughts: “Am I really doing this again?” But I knew as soon as they called that I couldn’t say no because I just know what a lucky, lucky, lucky life experience this is, every single time I have the opportunity to experience it. I always think in this life, everything happens for a f—ing reason, so who knows if I went to 40, what would’ve happened?

Why did you want to come back for this season?

I’m addicted to The Challenge. When you first start and you see people doing The Challenge over and over for years and years — “some people,” as in my partner — I’m like, “Why would they keep coming back if they’re never going to fricking win and they don’t have a chance?” But anytime that TJ gives me the call, girl, I’m going to show up. There’s a thousand reasons why I love it, and also I hate it at the same time. I’m a masochist. It’s torture.

Your exit from your last season was pretty controversial, since we didn’t see it happen onscreen. How did that affect you going into this season?

I was nervous. I was expecting to be walked in and hated, which I have been for a long time now for reasons, in my opinion, that aren’t exactly fair. I thought this time maybe people will have an actual reason to be mean to me. They’ve been horrible to me for the past six years since I’ve won the million dollars, but now that they have just a little tiny speck of something negative to throw at me, and honey, I knew that they were going to try to throw it. But we’ll see. A lot of the people on the show are my real friends in real life, and they know the truth and the real me. When I walked in the house, there wasn’t an animosity and I felt like I could breathe. I felt like I had friends, I had Sylvia and Shane. But you’ll see me process through the season, as you see in some promos, me and Aneesa have a few words, and I think processing other people’s opinions of me is going to be a challenge for me this season.

Are you able to share more now about what actually happened that led to you getting kicked off Spies, Lies, and Allies?

I don’t think there’s really much more to say besides [there was] an argument. A lot of the rumors are exaggerated, which is what happens when the footage is not there — which it just wasn’t there because there were no cameras. But it really was just an argument that got out of hand. And emotions were flared far too high, and we’ve seen many people like Turbo get pulled off the show for the same reason. It was definitely a learning experience for myself; a lot of my explosions are from really, really deep anxiety and pressure on myself, so I tried to work on that a lot more this season.

It’s just hard. People will say, “You’re a bad friend” or “You can’t be trusted,” just because I didn’t share my money with a man who was threatening me and my family, which now that I look back, it’s the most ridiculous freaking thing anyone could ever think I’m not trustworthy for doing. You have people throwing dirt on your name for years at this point, making up lies and telling false truths. And whenever I respond with the actual truth, whenever I freak the f— out — and I do — then I’m the bad guy. It’s going to be hard with me and Aneesa just because she’s one of those people who’s fake, and I’m one of those people who aren’t. She’s very, like, “say what everyone wants to hear,” and I’m going to say exactly what needs to be said, whether you want to hear it or not. Either you will love me or hate me for that, and that’s why Aneesa doesn’t like me, because her and her friends are definitely the complete opposite of that.

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What was your reaction when you learned this season was Rivals and Aneesa was your partner?

TJ hates me. This must be punishment from sins in my former life. Why have I come back this season? I was not prepared. Not that I wasn’t training, but I was just not the best I have been. I’m only getting older, and I was not prepared for the phone call. I was a little shocked. And then I go and I see Aneesa is my partner, and I’m like, “I’m going have to hold this team physically,” and that was something I was not prepared for. But I will admit, I was happy to know that politically she’ll be able to help us because she’s the ass-kisser — everyone likes Aneesa because she will clean their a–hole with her tongue. Also, neither of us are that physically fit, so maybe everyone’s going to take us to the final. Fingers crossed. But I want people to be more political, like backstabbing and a real f—ing Challenge, not a big Vacation Alliance where we all hang out afterward. Let’s actually play a game where we fight for money, and I think that this season is that.

What do you think is going to surprise your fans about how this season goes for you?

People will see a different side of me, but then don’t worry, they will see the old side as well, sadly but surely. That is kind of the theme of the season: Everyone has grown, but you’re not going to completely get rid of who you used to be. You’re not going to get over some of the s— we’ve done to each other. At some point, it’s all going to bubble up. Once people want to start coming for me or being rude toward me, then I snap, and I turn into a psychopath. I came into this season really thinking that I need to be good, I need to be nice, but — you know what? — I don’t think that anymore. I don’t want to be nice to these people, I don’t f—ing like them, and I’m not going to be nice to people that don’t deserve it. So it’s going to be a really good season.

You’ve always brought the showmance energy, so can we expect to see any new hookups or flings for you this season?

No showmance this season. All the boys had girlfriends and wives, and so that was kind of whack. Just tell TJ to give me a call for All Stars 6, and I have a line of guys that I want him to bring the next season.

Who’s at the top of that list?

[Laughs] I’ve got to put Mark Long up there since he created All Stars. I’ve got to give him the props. The Godfather. [Laughs] Oh goodness.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

The Challenge All Stars: Rivals, which moves from Paramount+ back to MTV, premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.