For the first time in several years, MTV reality star Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio is a single man after splitting with his longtime girlfriend, Olympic athlete Hannah Teter. In a new clip from the upcoming season of MTV’s The Challenge: Vendettas , Bananas can be seen aggressively flirting with Big Brother 18 houseguest, Natalie Negrotti, who is also taking part in the new season.
In the video clip, Bananas explains this is the first time in five years that he’s taken part in an MTV The Challenge as a single man. He notes that he and his girlfriend have “called it quits” and he is now “single and naked” as the day he was born.
The video also features Bananas asking Natalie to tell him more about a box she’s holding. He says he’s been curious about it all day and asks her, “Can I touch your box?” Bananas then reaches out and runs his hand across the receptacle Natalie is supporting with her shoulder. Upon feeling the box and rubbing his hand on it, Bananas states, “Your box is smooth… Wow.”
Clearly flustered by Bananas and his blatant flirting, Natalie smiles, shakes her head, and points at Bananas. The BB18 alum then asks, “How did I get stuck next to this one?”
Bananas further mentions something about Natalie’s “butt,” at which point she does a “talk to the hand” motion and says she’s “not going to go there.”
This interaction was not the only flirty moment between Bananas, 35, and Natalie , 27, according to Us Weekly . Bananas also overtly flirts with Natalie when in The Challenge: Vendettas house.
Bananas says something in broken Spanish to Natalie, asking her what he just said. She obliges him, saying he just noted how he likes “pretty, small girls.” Bananas seems amazed by this and says, “Oh, you are good” to which Natalie responds by telling him that Spanish is her first language. Bananas mentions that Spanish is the language of love, asking, “Is it not?”
New Year, New Challenge and I’ll be on it! Don’t miss me on the premiere of The Challenge: Vendettas starting THIS TUESDAY at 9/8c on MTV! #TheChallengeVendettas @ChallengeMTV pic.twitter.com/7ubTSLVDy7
— Natalie Negrotti (@NataliaNegrotti) December 27, 2017
The conversation continues with Bananas noting he will only speak to Natalie in Spanish from now on. He makes her laugh by then saying that he is her husband. Natalie tells Bananas that he’s not her husband but maybe her future ex-husband. Bananas adds, still in Spanish, that he likes kisses on his head, making Natalie chuckle.
In English, Bananas then offers to give Natalie a “struggle snuggle” in his bed if she needs emotional support.
The Challenge: Vendettas twist! Johnny Bananas is single https://t.co/FZArubi0gY
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 25, 2017
The snippet also includes a video confessional by Natalie who tells viewers that although she thinks Bananas is “really cute,” she’s not ready to settle down or get married to him.
This is the first season of MTV’s The Challenge in which individuals from a reality show airing on another network, in this case, CBS ‘s Big Brother , are taking part. Natalie’s counterpart on The Challenge: Vendettas is Victor Arroyo, also from Big Brother 18 , who she claims rebuffed her affections during the first two weeks of BB18 , which has made them adversaries of sorts.
The Challenge: Vendettas premieres on Tuesday, January 2, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on MTV.