Chris "CT" Tamburello didn't have a midlife crisis when he turned 40. Just the opposite. He calls it a breakthrough in midlife.
"I went to a doctor instead of getting myself a fancy car, because I was sick," the long-time reality star told Mashable in an interview Wednesday. I was wondering what was wrong with me. I'm not living up to expectations. Mental health was what it was. I had it in my head. I was killing myself slowly.
After a lot of tests and a lot of discussion with his wife and doctor, Tamburello decided to start taking care of himself.
I was killing myself slowly.
He said he cut a lot of bullshit out of his life. I stopped drinking, stopped eating bad food, and talked to people that I could talk to.
His life has changed a lot. If you watched The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies this season, you'll see that Tamburello looks like he jumped into a time machine. The days of "dad-bod" are over. He looks like the guy who once carried Johnny Bananas on his back.
He would tell you he's a different person now despite his appearances. He won this season of The Challenge because of that. He and Kaycee Clark won the grand prize of $400,000, but he took home a whopping $400,000. Three out of the last four seasons, the team has won titles. That's an unheard of level of success in the modern era of the show, where contestants train for The Challenge like it's a pro sport.
Tamburello walked away from the show for a long time. I came out of retirement because I didn't want my kid to see me from the past. I wanted to get in shape and get right. I think I've done that.
In action. Credit: MTV
The season was played perfectly by the vet. The cast of MTV's show was filled with new faces from other reality shows. The veteran players were smart in their alignment, eliminating rookies and putting rookies against themselves to keep the pros safe. This was helpful for the four-time champ, who was the reigning winner. The target on his back was delayed until the rookies were done. It was a little surprising to us, considering the cutthroat nature of the game.
I wanted to get in shape and get right. I think I've done that.
Many people had a chance to take a shot at Tamburello. I appreciate that they stuck to their word. Things could have been different for me. My road to the final could have been a lot harder.
Tamburello was able to keep himself out of eliminations. He made zero mistakes when the final came. He was as strong as ever, and never tired over the multi-day run.
It's possible that Tweet has been deleted.
The best qualities of a competitor might not be physical. He didn't get into drama. He whispered self-serving ideas into other people's ears. He was neither an ally nor an enemy. He was a brawler with a bad temper back in the day.
He said that he has learned that work is smarter than harder. I've taken a backseat and a more passive approach to The Challenge.
In a house full of younger people who've carved out lives as reality TV stars, Connecticut is different. The Real World: Paris aired 18 years ago. There was no formula for being a reality star back then, people weren't thinking about how to get storylines, there were no meta conversations about airtime or which character you were, and that was that.
A lot of people try to fit in on The Challenge in the modern era. I'm not quite sure what my role is. I've been doing it for a long time. I took the chance to play the hand the best I could, at the same time. It's paying off, what can I say?
America's finest sport is MTV's 'The Challenge'.
He fulfilled the role of the legend in the house. Everyone respects and fears the player. He's either Tom Brady or Michael Jordan. He's one of the few remaining connections to The Challenge's roots, back when the show was a booze fest with less money on the line. He or Bananas are the best male Challenge contestants ever, no one else comes close. The show still had its training wheels on, but Bananas won seven times to the five wins by the other team. Tamburello has surpassed Bananas in lifetime earnings.
It's possible that Tweet has been deleted.
In the season's thrilling finale, he and Clark decided to share some of the cash with their fellow finalist. The ultimate winners decided how much of the $1 million grand prize they took home, after TJ Lavin threw in a twist at the end. Tamburello and Clark decided to give the other four $50,000 each. Their fellow competitors appreciated the generosity of them. Since his first Challenge in 2004, it's possible that CT has come a long way.
"If it wasn't for all of them in the final, I wouldn't have been able to get as far as I did," he said. I know what it's like to make it to a final and then walk away with nothing. You know what I mean, 400 is enough?
A lot of people try to fit in with the show. I'm not quite sure what my role is. I have been grandfathered in.
In the season finale, Tamburello said he would be back. He jokingly referred to the Challenge house as Never-never Land in our conversation.
He said he would get to be a kid again. I live in a bunk bed. I need to get some snacks. I have to wait for someone to pick me up and tell me what to do.
As fun as it is,CT is not naive about what will happen in the next season of Challenge. The majority of the cast has never won a title, so the target on his back is big. He's not sneaking up on anyone anymore.
He said it would go back to how it used to be. I'm going to jump off the plane and into the fire.
