You both came onto the show with some drama from your previous seasons. Kyra, what was it like to start the game with Cashel, even partnering up with him in the first challenge?Kyra: That was crazy. I never thought I was going to do something like that and choose my ex-boyfriend as a partner in my first challenge. But sometimes, with these shows, you know some of the people that are going to come on just from word of mouth and people talking. I had zero clue that Cashel was going to be there. So the second that I saw him, it was bittersweet. It was a mix of emotions. I knew that he was going to have my back. And we had that mutual trust because we loved each other at one point.But at the same time, I was like, “This is going to be so distracting. What if he tries to flirt with me?” Obviously, he did little cute things throughout the show. But I still was, like, “I can’t get distracted by this man.” So it was a mix of emotions for him to be there. And then, when he went home, once again, I knew that he was a strong competitor and would have my back. But it was a little bit of a relief to watch him go and just be like, “Okay, I don’t have to deal with this.“Kyland, you and Alyssa ended up sending in Xavier and Shan partly because of what happened on Big Brother 23. I know that Xavier had some words about the move, even to this day calling it “stupid.” How do you look back on the decision you made?Kyland: I mean, as far as looking back, it’s easy to feel really good about all my decisions. Because it’s a game, and you have to make game decisions. And it’s just about whether or not you use all the information that you have. I was fortunate to be in a position in the house where I had a lot of information; I had a lot of relationships. And so, for me, it wasn’t a matter of any sort of retribution or revenge. I actually had to be convinced to put in Xavier at the time. Shan was easy, because everybody wanted her for different reasons. Even the people who I thought were her best friends were quick to want to throw her name out there as their number one choice. So I was like, “Okay, that’s easy.” And then I pretty much had the same thing with Xavier. I was like, “Alright, wait. Alyssa is his best friend, as far as I know, in this game, and she wants to throw him in.” I already don’t have the most trust in him. I was willing to work for him. But I figured, at the end of the day, we’ll just see what happens in the field. If he puts me in, it is what it is. But no one I was super close to was willing to trust him and work with him, whether it was Tyson or Alyssa. There was just no reasoning. The analogy I keep using is that if you double down on an 11 in blackjack and get a 4, you didn’t make the wrong decision. It’s just how the cards played out.Finally, in honor of the infamous “[expletive] They Should Have Shown” episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what’s one moment from your time on the show that you wish had made the edit?Kyra: They were pretty accurate in showing the friendships that I had in there. But Angela and I actually knew each other before the show. And we were super, super close. I won’t say which challenge, but during one of them, she was even like, “I would have thrown that for you to win.” So she had my back in there hardcore. I definitely wish they showed that.Kyland: I think about the comedy aspect. There were super funny people in the house, between Derek, Tyson, and Danny. Obviously, with Danny, all the attention right now is on the Kiki moments. But he’s just so funny and has so much personality. Same thing for Tyson. They have all these quips but are great in regular conversational humor. Those guys are hilarious.Next, read our interview with Derek Xiao and Shannon St. Clair, who were eliminated in The Challenge: USA Episode 6. Photo by Jonne Roriz, courtesy of Paramount
