The competition continues on September 16, 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 8
- Season: Season 42
- Episode Title: “Is This Safe?”
- Air Date: September 16, 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 8 Preview
Shocking news, a bizarre feast and dwindling numbers stir the game.
Heading into Episode 8, Team Grey still does not have a captain. Cory Wharton left the game last week for a family emergency and the vote to replace him deadlocked when Cassidy Clark and Adrienne Naylor each put themselves forward and neither side would move. TJ Lavin gave the team a night to settle it, so the season resumes with the smallest team in the game trying to agree on who leads them.
That decision matters more for Grey than it would for anyone else. The captain is automatically safe from elimination and controls the team’s nomination, which means whoever wins the vote also decides which of their four remaining teammates goes into the arena the next time Grey loses. Grey is down to four players after Cory’s exit, against seven for Orange and five for Blue.
What Happened on ‘The Challenge’ Last Week?
Need a refresher? Here’s what happened in Episode 7 of The Challenge: Cutthroat.
Daily Challenge
Episode 7 opened with Team Blue’s captain problem getting louder. Nelson Thomas pushed to remove Josh Goldstein, arguing that Josh’s automatic safety left him as the only man Blue could ever nominate. When the vote came, Nelson had only Cara Maria Sorbello behind him, and Josh stayed on as captain.
The daily challenge was “Perfect Match,” staged around a lake holding 30 puzzle pieces that weighed 80 pounds each. Teams could carry two pieces at a time across a course that totaled to roughly five miles of running, and TJ Lavin added a twist: every member of a team was tied together for the entire challenge. The first team to assemble their puzzle won.
Team Orange won, their fourth daily win in five weeks. That left Blue and Grey in the bottom, and captains Josh Goldstein and Cory Wharton were told to each nominate one of their male teammates for the arena.
Elimination
In the end, there was no elimination in Episode 7.
Before the arena, Cory Wharton learned that his daughter Maya was being airlifted to a children’s hospital in Texas. Maya was born with tricuspid atresia, a congenital heart defect, and was facing complications. Cory told his teammates he needed to go home, said his goodbyes and left the competition, finishing in 17th place.
At the arena, TJ addressed Cory’s exit and called off the elimination for the week. With Cory gone, Grey had no captain to make their nomination, and Team Blue was told they were safe.
That left Grey with one piece of business: choosing a new captain. Cassidy Clark and Adrienne Naylor both nominated themselves, and the vote came back a 2-2 tie with nobody willing to switch. TJ gave the team a night to resolve it, ending the episode without a captain or an elimination.
‘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 | Eliminated (22nd place) |
| 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 | Withdrew (17th place) |
| Deb Chubb | Love Island USA 4 | Orange | Eliminated (18th place) |
| 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 | Eliminated (19th place) |
| 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 | Eliminated (21st place) |
| Reilly Smedley | Big Brother 25 | Blue | Eliminated (23rd place) |
| Sydney Segal | Survivor 41 | Grey | Withdrew (20th place) |
| 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 | “Keep My Name Out Your Mouth” | August 12, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 4 | “Say It To My Face” | August 19, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 5 | “Down and Dirty” | August 26, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 6 | “Leave Room For Jesus” | September 2, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 7 | “You Need Me” | September 9, 2026 | Aired |
| Episode 8 | “Is This Safe?” | September 16, 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
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