The Challenge: Fresh Meat II is the 19th season of the MTV reality game show The Challenge. Fresh Meat II is the sequel to the show's 12th season, Fresh Meat. Continuing with the precursor's advent of original contestants, Fresh Meat II also introduced a slew of previously unknown contestants who had never appeared on either The Real World or Road Rules.
Filmed in Whistler, British Columbia, Fresh Meat II featured two-player teams; each team had an alumnus of The Real World, Road Rules, or the original Fresh Meat, partnered with a newcomer of the opposite gender to The Challenge (collectively known as the new "Fresh Meat"). A "Meet the Meat" special premiered on March 31, 2010.[1] The season premiered on April 7, 2010, and concluded on June 9, 2010, with the reunion show.[2] Fresh Meat II marked the second time in which the show was renamed, no longer using Real World/Road Rules as the main title, but simply The Challenge, though host T. J. Lavin used "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" on the first episode in speaking to the contestants.
Fresh Meat II follows the same format as the original Fresh Meat season. The only difference in format is that the teams do not participate in a follow-up challenge prior to the Exile elimination. Therefore, the teams nominated for Exile do not have a chance to win a pardon and replace themselves with a non-winning team from the previous mission, as was the case in original Fresh Meat.[2][3]
At the end of the season, four teams will compete in the final challenge. First-place wins $200,000, second-place wins $60,000, third-place wins $40,000 and fourth-place wins nothing.[3]
^1 Age at the time of filming.
Each of the 13 Fresh Meat II cast members participated in a combine, testing their strength, stamina, and mental ability. The alumni used the stats from each player's obstacle course performance to determine their partner.[1]
The multi-challenge obstacle course included:
Other combine activities were completed (based on the stat sheets shown in the opening episode), but these activities as well as everyone's stats, were not shown in full.
First, each team must paddle a canoe across a giant lake to a puzzle. Once they finish that, they can head to a helicopter. Reaching the helicopter first is very important because it determines the penalty that teams will have to take before they can continue on to the second part of the challenge. The team that wins the first phase gets a two-minute headstart, the second-place finisher gets a one-minute headstart while the third-place finisher gets a 30-second headstart. The second phase of the challenge starts with a giant Sudoku puzzle, followed by a mountain bike ride except that the two bikes are tied together with a rope so the teams will have to stay together. After a puzzle that involves carrying color-coded logs to match a diagram, the teams must climb a very steep mountain, carrying a heavy bag. Once completed with a numbered puzzle, they're given helmets and an ice axe and have to climb the top of the mountain. The first team to climb up the mountain and reaches the flag, wins Fresh Meat II.[13]
The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Reunion was aired after the season finale and was hosted by Maria Menounos on June 9, 2010. The cast members who attended the reunion were: Kenny, Wes, Mandi, Carley, Landon, Jenn, Pete, Theresa, Ryan, Ev, Laurel, Noor, Danny and Jillian. A preview for The Real World: New Orleans is shown, thus ending another challenge reunion.[22]
In 2015, Carley Johnson married Brandon Mundt in Iceland. Together they have one child.[23][24]
On December 5, 2015, Theresa González and T. J. Jones welcomed their daughter, Easton Kaia, followed by their first son, Maddox, in April 2019.[25][26] The couple's second daughter, Layla Capri, was born on July 19, 2021.[27][28]
In 2017, Laurel Stucky appeared on MTV's Fear Factor, where she was paired with Aneesa Ferreira.[29] In 2019, she appeared on the fourth season of Ex on the Beach with former girlfriend Nicole Zanatta from Real World: Skeletons. The two first met on season 29 of The Challenge.[30] In 2020, she revealed she was a victim of sexual assault at the age of 21.[31]
In 2018, Cara Maria Sorbello appeared on Fear Factor alongside Chris Tamburello.[32] In the same year, she also appeared on How Far Is Tattoo Far? with her boyfriend Paulie Calafiore.[33] In 2019, Sorbello also appeared on Game of Clones.[34]
In 2018, Vinny Foti was hospitalized after suffering heart failure. He is married to Krista Foti and they have two daughters.[35][36]
Noor Jehangir competed on the second season of Holey Moley.[37]