The Challenge season 41 episode 10 recap: Shocking arena exit for CT & Tay

The Challenge: Vets & New Threats' latest episode, which aired on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, featured a brutal test of physical balance with mental acumen, accompanied by a double elimination of Chris “CT” Tamburello and Tay Wilcoxson.

The daily challenge saw contestants placed on a stairclimber, which increases in speed, set high over water.

Their feet had to move up the stairs while they could not use their hands to steady themselves.

Meanwhile, at intervals, they were required to answer trivia questions on iPads. Those who stumbled or fell off will compete in the arena challenge.

CT struggled to keep his hands off the machine, despite multiple warnings from TJ. He claims that his feet were too big for the steps and ended up jumping into the water.

His partner, Tay, also struggled in the challenge, earning them a straight path to the arena.

“You can steal a partner”: TJ Lavin announces a twist in The Challenge: Vets & New Threats, season 41 

The Challenge: Vets & New Threat host TJ Lavin declares Michaela Bradshaw and Cedric Hodges the winners of the trivia challenge, who now influence the decision of which pair would go against CT and Tay in the elimination challenge.

Instead of sending the obviously weakest pair of picking Jonna Mannion and Gabe Wai, they strategised with Yeremi Hykel and Dee Valladares to send the stronger threats, Theo Campbell and Adrienne Naylor, against CT and Tay in the arena.

CT attempted to push for Leroy Garrette and America Lopez to go in, but the majority voted for Theo & Adrienne instead.

However, he still tried to exert influence until the end. On the arena challenge, CT was pretty confident as he had been there earlier and got out of it safely, saying:

"I’m trying to look at the silver lining here. We’ve been there before. We have the experience. We’ve gotta just execute."

The host, TJ Lavin, announced a twist, saying that contestants can swap their partners. The rules were that if anyone wills to stake the claim on any other partner, they will face one-on-one against the partner of the contestant they want to be paired with.

If they win, they get the desired partner for the rest of the season, and their existing partner goes to pair with the other person who loses, and the vote proceeds as usual.

But if they lose, not only will their partners remain the same, but they will also go straight away into the arena facing CT and Tay.

However, nobody stood up to stake a claim on another person's partners when TJ asked them, so Theo and Adrienne finally decided to go against Tay and CT in the elimination challenge.

In the elimination round called Busting Balls, the pair were challenged to shoot a set of balls against a series of targets with one blindfolded partner launching the ball while the other one guides their movements.

Theo and Adrienne hit the target first, followed by CT and Tay. Eventually, both teams went neck to neck, and CT and Tay lost the challenge by one point against the victorious pair Adrienne and Theodore, leading to their elimination from The Challenge: Vets & New Threat.

Tay has already won two arenas earlier, and CT was also one of the strongest players with probably the worst performance in the latest day challenge that led to his exit.

They could not, however, survive this arena together.

TJ Lavin bid him adieu with a serious compliment saying that:

"CT, you’re a GOAT. Pleasure having you, as always. I really cannot wait to see what you come back as."

CT replies to his remarks by assuring that he will return soon with some final praises for his partner, Tay, noting,

"I will come back. Wait ’til you see me next time.

I finally had a partner I could work well with. I’m looking forward to going home, getting some training and come back proper for the next one for sure."

Stay tuned for more updates.