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Mitchell’s heart was in the right place at the time, but she didn’t know how to handle her new relationship with Nelson. “I didn’t really have a lot of experience with people like Nelson. I don’t think I knew how to look up information or anything about him — other than that he was a cast member and I was a cast member of ‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies’. I didn’t know how to act around him, I didn’t know how to handle things,” she said.
Ultimately, Mitchell’s cast mate became a focus for the other players, with each player vying for her affections. It was clear that Mitchell and Canbeldek was the two that were drawing the most attention from the other players. It was also revealed that both girls had been stealing from the other player in a attempt to win him over. “It was like, ‘Oh my god, they’re both so good and so strong and so successful that they have to get each other one way or the other. She’s going to get what she wants.'”
The game was ultimately played out on the show, with both girls getting what they wanted. Mitchell became known as the “Challenge Champion” because she was the only one that didn’t back down from the game. She and Canbeldek became known as “The Spies, Lies, and Allies” because they was something that allowed the two to get the most out of the game.
“Challenge” Champion Ashley Mitchell has a reputation for not only stealing millions of dollars — but hearts as well. While she may fall for her cast mates, her short-lived romance led to fiery blowups. Such was the case during “The Challenge: Spies, Lies, and Allies”, which aired in 2021. Mitchell’s short-lived romance with her cast mate Nelson Thomas had her less focused on the game, and more focused on her hurt feelings.
The drama began when Thomas moved on from Mitchell to pursue things further with German competitor Berna Canbeldek. The former “Real World: Ex-Plosion” cast member had become neighbors with Thomas in Texas, and the two formed a friends-with-benefits relationship — one that had Mitchell catching feelings. “I know that he’s probably not boyfriend material,” Ashley said. “… Can I see myself with Nelson? Oh, Lord, I need Jesus. I think I like Nelson,” Mitchell admitted on the show, per MTV. However, Thomas didn’t second that emotion, proclaiming, “[Ashley] is funny; she’s smart. [But] is there something between us? I wouldn’t say all that.”
Mitchell lost her temper with Canbeldek during the season, yelling “You don’t respect me at all!” at the rookie and adding, “She doesn’t care about Nelson until I hang out with Nelson.” Canbeldek was ultimately eliminated early on, but she did meet up with Thomas in Ibiza following filming. “We literally thought we [would] end up together forever … But when we were out in the real world, [it wasn’t] really working. It was a shocker,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
