‘The Challenge’ Star Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio Reveals A Cameraman Almost Died During The Final

Warning: This article reveals the winner of The Challenge: Total Madness.

The epic finale of The Challenge: Total Madness aired last night on MTV, which saw nine competitors go toe-to-toe in harsh mountain terrain. The final, which is said to have been one of the most difficult ever, wasn’t just tough for the stars running it though.

Winner Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio sat down with Us Weekly for their Watch With Us podcast, where he revealed just how grueling this final was, remembering that a cameraman almost died during filming.

“One of our cameramen almost died,” he recounted. “It was brutal. We were on this little tiny path and the morning of the second day of the final, this crazy blizzard blew in overnight that they hadn’t expected and it made visibility just absolutely terrible. One of the camera guys fell off of the trail and the snow was so deep that he literally sunk up to his neck in the snow and they had to like use tripods and camera equipment to pull this guy out, so he didn’t bury himself in an avalanche.”

Viewers of the show might not realize as they’re watching the intense competition that someone has to be there to film it, and the raw footage proves that it’s not drones doing all the leg work. These cameramen have to deal with the same terrain and obstacles as the stars they’re following, while also trying to get the best shot.

Johnny also went into great detail about the other difficult aspects of the final challenge, which started out with a nine-hour bus ride from the Czech Republic to Austria. Once he saw mountains in sight during a flat drive, the 20-time Challenger realized the final was going to be run at a high altitude.

The 38-year-old has won every high-altitude final that he’s competed on, so he knew it would play into his favor on Season 35. Johnny noted he spent a lot of time living in high-altitude and he wouldn’t have to adjust in the same ways that his co-stars, like Kyle Christie and Fessy Shafaat, would have to.

Johnny remarked the final took place around 11,000 feet, a staggering height for anyone not used to being in the mountains. Comparing it to parachuting height, Johnny said people don’t realize just getting up in the middle of the night, and going to the bathroom can knock the wind out of you.

For those wondering if Johnny will be laying down his hat after winning his seventh season of The Challenge, he isn’t. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the Worst Cooks in America star will be appearing on the hit MTV show “until the wheels fall off.”