The competition continues on August 12, 2026 with another episode of The Challenge: Cutthroat. Here’s everything you need to know before tuning in, including when the episode premieres, where to watch, what happened last week and a preview of what’s ahead.
- Episode: Episode 3
- Season: Season 42
- Episode Title: TBA
- Air Date: August 12, 2026
- Time: 3:00 AM ET / 12:00 AM PT
- Host: TJ Lavin
- Filming Location: Thailand
- Streaming Service: Paramount+
What is ‘The Challenge’ on Paramount+ About?
Hosted by TJ Lavin, The Challenge is a long-running reality competition series that debuted in 1998. Each season brings together a mix of reality TV veterans and newcomers to compete in physically and mentally demanding challenges for a cash prize.
Season 42, Cutthroat, features 24 competitors divided into three teams as they battle for a share of the $500,000 prize. Throughout the season, competitors must work together as teams to earn a place in the final, but in the end, the winning team captain will decide how the prize money is divided.
How to Watch ‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’
New episodes of The Challenge premiere Wednesdays on Paramount+ and are released weekly at 3:00 AM ET / 12:00 AM PT. Previous seasons of The Challenge are also available to stream on Paramount+.
You can stream Paramount+ through DIRECTV, making it easy to follow the competition all season long. Get started today!
‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’ Episode 3 Preview
Heading into Episode 3, the teams again have a new set of captains. Cory Wharton and Nurys Mateo will lead Team Grey, Brad Fiorenza and Alexis Lete will lead Team Blue, and Deb Chubb and Johnny Bananas will lead Team Orange.
Team Grey appears to be in the best position heading into the week, while Team Blue has the most to prove after struggling to find its footing as a team. Orange sits somewhere in the middle, but with Bananas and Deb now in the captain spots, the team has a new power dynamic to be aware of. Since a daily win gives the captains control over the elimination matchup, this week’s leadership could have an impact on who faces going home.
What Happened on ‘The Challenge’ Last Week?
Need a refresher? Here’s what happened in the first two episodes of The Challenge: Cutthroat, which premiered together last week.
Episode Recap
Season 42 kicked off in Bangkok with 24 players split into three locked teams: Grey, Orange and Blue. Right off the bat, an opening race and puzzle determined the first captains. Chris Underwood and Sydney Segal led Team Grey, Justin Hinsley and Michele Fitzgerald led Team Orange, and Anna Leigh Wilson and Nelson Thomas led Team Blue.
Then, the teams were selected by rival captains, which immediately created some uneven dynamics. Team Blue was particularly disadvantaged, as Grey captain Chris and Orange captain Justin appeared to have an unspoken agreement to help each other during the selection process.
At the end of Episode 1, T.J. revealed a twist: the captains rotate after each elimination, and everyone must serve as captain before anyone can repeat. Chris and Sydney chose Keanu and Adrienne to take over Team Grey, Justin and Michele selected CT and Tori for Team Orange, and Anna Leigh and Nelson handed Team Blue over to Cara Maria and Josh.
Episode 2 brought even more drama, particularly for Team Blue. After the team was disqualified in both heats of the daily challenge, Nelson and Brad got into a heated argument while trying to figure out what went wrong. Brad took issue with Nelson’s tone toward the women on their team, and the confrontation quickly escalated before the two apologized and made up shortly afterward.
Meanwhile, Grey co-captain Keanu found himself stuck in the middle of the women’s elimination. He wanted to protect his friends Anna Leigh and Reilly, but his plans unraveled when Anna Leigh learned she might be used as a decoy and threatened to throw the next men’s challenge. Keanu ultimately backed off and sent Reilly into danger instead, showing just how quickly alliances were already being tested.
Daily Challenge
In Episode 1, the teams competed in “Right This Sway,” where they had to race across a giant bridge with ropes underneath while the opposing teams tried to shake them off after a 10-second head start. Team Grey dominated the challenge, with four players making it across. Team Orange and Team Blue each got two players across, but Orange was faster, securing second place and leaving Blue in last.
Episode 2’s “If You Know You Know” challenge tested how well teammates knew each other while they were blindfolded and suspended 50 stories above Bangkok. Team Orange initially posted the best score but was disqualified for using a signaling strategy that helped teammates narrow down who was answering. Team Blue was disqualified in both heats for breaking the no sound rule, first when Cara Maria couldn’t stay quiet and again when Anna Leigh coughed, leaving them with zero points. Team Grey won its second straight daily challenge, and Cara Maria beat Tori in a sudden death tiebreaker to secure second place for Blue.
Elimination
In Episode 1, Johnny Bananas faced Team Blue’s Cedric Hodges in “Burn Out.” The two raced around the arena hitting light poles to change them to their team colors, with Bananas dominating the challenge and turning every light orange before time ran out, Cedric became the first player sent home.
In Episode 2, Reilly Smedley faced Deb Chubb in “Line ’Em Up,” where they had to arrange five lanes of giant balls into the correct color order. Reilly appeared to have an early advantage but fell behind, allowing Deb to take the win and sending Reilly home as the season’s first woman eliminated.
‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’ Season 42 Competitor Tracker
| Competitor | Original Show | Team | Status |
| Adrienne Naylor | Married at First Sight UK 8 | Grey | Active |
| Alexis “Lete” | WWE NXT | Blue | Active |
| Anna Leigh Wilson | The Amazing Race 35 | Blue | Active |
| Brad Fiorenza | The Real World: San Diego | Blue | Active |
| Cara Maria Sorbello | The Challenge: Fresh Meat II | Blue | Active |
| Cassidy Clark | Survivor 43 | Grey | Active |
| Cedric Hodges | Big Brother 26 | Blue | Eliminated (24th place) |
| Chris “CT” Tamburello | The Real World: Paris | Orange | Active |
| Chris Underwood | Survivor: Edge of Extinction | Grey | Active |
| Cory Wharton | The Real World: Ex-Plosion | Grey | Active |
| Deb Chubb | Love Island USA 4 | Orange | Active |
| Izzy Fairthorne | Too Hot to Handle 3 | Orange | Active |
| Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio | The Real World: Key West | Orange | Active |
| Josh Goldstein | Love Island USA 3 | Blue | Active |
| Justin Hinsley | Cheer | Orange | Active |
| Keanu Soto | Big Brother 27 | Grey | Active |
| Leonardo “Leo” Dionicio | Love Island USA 5 | Grey | Active |
| Michele Fitzgerald | Survivor: Kaôh Rōng | Orange | Active |
| Nelson Thomas | Are You the One? 3 | Blue | Active |
| Nurys Mateo | Are You the One? 6 | Grey | Active |
| Reilly Smedley | Big Brother 25 | Blue | Eliminated (23rd place) |
| Sydney Segal | Survivor 41 | Grey | Active |
| Tori Deal | Are You the One? 4 | Orange | Active |
| Will Gagnon | Are You the One? 9 | Orange | Active |
‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’ Episode Schedule
Follow the season with the episode schedule below:
| Episode | Title | Air Date | Status |
| Episode 1 | “Return to Cutthroat” | August 5, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 2 | “Crying Won’t Get You Off This Roof” | August 5, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 3 | TBA | August 12, 2026 | Upcoming |
New episodes premiere every Wednesday. This schedule will be updated as additional episodes are announced.
Watch ‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’ on DIRECTV
Never miss an elimination! Stream new episodes of The Challenge: Cutthroat every week on Paramount+ through DIRECTV, and catch up on previous seasons of The Challenge anytime.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was eliminated in The Challenge: Cutthroat premiere?
What is the prize on The Challenge: Cutthroat?
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