Half of the unique contestants have now gone residence on The Problem: All Stars Rivals. On Wednesday (March 19) evening’s new episode, it was Ashley Kelsey and Dario Medrano who discovered themselves packing their luggage after being defeated in a puzzle elimination by Nany Gonzales and Turabi “Turbo” Çamkıran. They got here fairly near profitable the every day problem, which noticed them coasting off of a cliff on a four-wheeler, but it surely was Adam Larson and Steve Meinke who acquired it performed the quickest, and Ashley and Dario discovered themselves focused in the home vote.
Ashley and Dario had an fascinating story to share this season; whereas a few of the different “rivals” pairings had been by way of extra minor tiffs, they have been in a long-term relationship with each other that resulted in heartbreak. They every got here into the season with different long-standing private relationships — Ashley with fellow Actual World: San Diego alums Frank Sweeney and Sam McGinn and Dario with real-life bestie Leroy Garrett — however that didn’t assist them keep away from the sector. In actual fact, Dario’s determination to show his again on Leroy and accomplice Devin Walker led to an explosive blowup between Dario and Devin which may’ve put them at odds with others in the home.
So how was it for the 2 to try to forge a brand new relationship collectively as teammates this season — all whereas navigating a home filled with OG Problem veterans? And what didn’t we get to see about their time on this season? TV Insider chatted with each to seek out out.
On their present relationship standing…
Dario confirmed, with out mincing phrases, that these two are simply mates at this level. “Ashley and I are mates. That’s type of what that’s. And she or he’s elevating her daughter, doing an amazing job. I’m in South Florida, and yeah, there’s nothing between us,” he defined.
Ashley confirmed as a lot as nicely, including, “The factor is, I’m in such a distinct place now. I’ve a baby and I take that very significantly. I don’t simply let anyone into my life. I haven’t even dated since me and her dad broke up, and I’m like, ‘You reside in Florida, logistically this isn’t gonna make any sense anyhow,’ and that was one thing that was buried within the grave… I believe we’re in an excellent place now that we’re simply mates, and we are able to talk now, and I believe that’s approach higher.”
On their reactions to being paired collectively…
“I used to be sick. I used to be bodily sick,” Ashley stated of her preliminary response to discovering out she’d be with Dario this season. “It was as a result of I hadn’t seen the person so lengthy. Six years of no communication. I’m speaking like, ‘Bye,’ walked out the door. I haven’t seen him, talked, nothing. So I used to be like, ‘My coronary heart,’ you recognize what I imply? And particularly as a result of he was somebody that I actually cherished, so I’m like, ‘Oh gosh, I don’t know the way that is gonna go.’”
For Dario, the response was rather less dramatic, although. He stated he skilled “confusion” over the pairing however added, “I simply hadn’t seen her in so lengthy. I didn’t know what to anticipate… I wasn’t essentially fearful as a result of I knew that she was a brilliant good individual and there wouldn’t be any confrontation.”
On how they discovered to be companions differently…
Regardless that they didn’t rekindle something romantic on All Stars, Ashley and Dario did type a strong staff mentality collectively and left in a greater place.
As Ashley defined, “I all the time knew we might work nicely collectively as a result of we truly have been a very good partnership in life like once we have been collectively. There’s clearly explanation why we didn’t work out, however I knew that was by no means going to be a difficulty. However what the difficulty I believed was going to be is that we weren’t going to speak very nicely as a result of we didn’t actually hang around exterior the sport. So I preferred that like all through our journey, that type of modified and shifted from us simply enjoying within the challenges and type of going our separate methods in the home to us like truly consuming dinner collectively, and he cooked me like breakfast. So it was a pleasant little transition. You could possibly see the evolution taking place [throughout the season].”
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On the alliance we didn’t see…
Followers of Actual World: San Diego and Battle of the Seasons may be questioning why Ashley didn’t get extra of an help from Frank and Sam, however based on her, there was extra to the story than met the attention.
“We have been working collectively your complete time. I believe folks simply didn’t see it,” she stated. “Within the elimination the place I went within the first time, I truly instructed Frank to say our title proper there in entrance of all people as a result of I knew we have been getting into, and I used to be like, ‘Say our title. Don’t put your playing cards on the market. That’d be so silly.’ Everybody heard me say it… He was truly actually upset as a result of he was like, ‘I might not need anyone to ever suppose that I might try this to you as a result of I completely wouldn’t,’” she defined. “We have been working collectively lots nearer than it seems… However it was so good to have them again as a result of I additionally realized it was good to have my quantity ones the place I knew they have been going to have our backs it doesn’t matter what. Within the sport, you possibly can say that you’ll, however like to actually really feel in your coronary heart that they’re not gonna go towards you is like the perfect feeling within the sport.”
On the drama that ensued with Leroy and Devin…
Dario went together with a plot to ship Leroy and Devin in, which led to an explosive confrontation with Devin. So does he remorse his transfer? You betcha!
Dario revealed that he and Leroy have cleared the air about his participation in that plot, however he nonetheless needs it wouldn’t have occurred. “We’re nonetheless very shut. He stated to me that there was nothing that I may have performed or would do that will ever change our relationship, however that actually bothered me,” Dario stated. “All I may do is admittedly clarify the place I used to be coming from and my thought course of so far as simply enjoying the sport. If I may return, I might positively change some issues. Hindsight is 20/20. It’s by no means a illustration of how I really feel about him, our relationship. It wasn’t malicious, it wasn’t. It wasn’t like I voted him in. I simply want I might have given him a heads up, and it was only a egocentric thought, however all you are able to do is transfer previous it, acknowledge it. We’ve spoken about it in depth. And that i’s simply a type of issues. We’ll transfer on.”
As for Devin, nicely, Dario defined, “I acquired a little bit emotional. I believe within the second, particularly when it’s somebody you care about, you possibly can let your feelings get the perfect of you, and that’s type of what occurred. Devin was simply searching for his staff, and I perceive that, and I simply type of misplaced my cool in that second, however that’s actuality TV. ”
Ashley, however, thinks Devin deserves a share of the blame for his or her shouting match: “I by no means noticed that pool scene till I watched it on TV. I didn’t even know that it occurred, however that’s the place the communication was a little bit rocky with me and Dario as a result of I didn’t know he had type of outed himself in a approach. He was by no means attempting to gun for them. That’s the massive false impression. He simply knew that Frank was going to make it occur, and he was making it occur as a result of everybody collectively within the full home wished it to occur as a result of we would have liked one of many two groups gone. Did we desire them to remain? In fact,” she stated. “It made it seem to be he was actually concentrating on on Leroy, which he wasn’t. And the entire battle began with him having a dialog with Leroy about what was happening — as a result of it type of got here out a little bit bit, clearly as a result of he’d outed himself I clearly now see that — however Corey [Lay] stated one thing. In order that they have been having a dialog, after which clearly Devin came to visit, and the entire thing began when he was simply type of attempting to only discuss to Leroy as a pal. And I believe it didn’t must escalate. If it simply stayed between them, then I believe Leroy would have been like, ‘I get it. I get what’s attempting to go down in the home proper now.’”
On going through Nany and Turbo within the area…
Ashley and Dario emerged victorious of their first elimination bout towards Corey and Massive T, however that also didn’t give them a confidence increase once they went in towards Nany and Turbo.
“I used to be not assured in that elimination, and it type of confirmed,” Ashley stated. “I’m excellent at puzzles, however I didn’t go first, and we thought we have been gonna have like most likely 5 – 6 rounds. We thought it was gonna go lots longer, so we thought I might be capable to type of like get in there, however since I didn’t go first, Dario had the puzzle extra, and he’s not assured in them… And we have been getting into with Turbo, who’s the puzzle king, who whips by way of this stuff so quick, which we had simply witnessed with Fessy and Amber, and that’s type of what he does in all of the Survivor exhibits. He performs these puzzle video games, so I used to be like, ‘Oh nice.’ They usually’re such a robust staff. Nany has gained one million eliminations. So clearly my confidence was fairly minimal in there, and I believe it translated a little bit bit.”
“I knew that they have been an amazing staff. They’ve been across the block. Turbo is sweet at virtually every little thing, so is Nany,” Dario added. “So I knew it was gonna be a troublesome matchup. However puzzles aren’t essentially my robust swimsuit, so it wasn’t a sport that I felt assured about as soon as I noticed it. However these are two worthy opponents, and when you can beat these two, then it could have given us a number of confidence to type of proceed ahead.”
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On being a part of All Stars and attending to play with some true OGs of the present…
Ashley has been part of The Problem since Battle of the Seasons in 2012, and Dario first joined in 2015 with Battle of the Bloodlines. So each have been round for greater than a decade, however nonetheless, being on All Stars meant competing towards a few of the present’s most senior vets, and each mirrored on that have.
“It was an amazing expertise. It’s a big selection of ages. I used to be on the youthful aspect of the group, however total, everybody’s coming from completely different walks of life,” Dario stated. “Lots of people have youngsters and households, and a few of these guys I grew up watching. So it’s a brilliant cool expertise. It was an amazing expertise, and total, it was an amazing good thing to be part of.”
Ashley had an identical sentiment, saying, “It was truly actually cool as a result of I had by no means met Katie [Cooley]. So what’s what’s humorous — and which is a damaging too for me — is I hadn’t watched her gameplay. I had clearly seen Veronica [Portillo] in Champs vs. Execs, however I wasn’t there very lengthy along with her, and I nonetheless didn’t get to see her gameplay there. And I used to be like, ‘Oh you sneaky factor!’ I didn’t know that’s what she’s nice at. I didn’t know she’s nice at inflicting the chaos. Katie, I had no thought. I went again and watched some issues afterwards, and I used to be like, ‘You’re a little bit loopy individual!’ However she’s so candy and like loving, and I cherished her a lot. It was actually enjoyable to get to play with some those who I by no means thought I might, but additionally I ought to have like performed a little bit extra analysis. I wanted to know a few of their previous gameplay as a result of it does assist to know type of who’s screwed somebody over earlier than.”
The Problem, Wednesdays, 9/8c, MTV
