"I was asked to throw them in" — The Challenge All Stars: Rivals star Ashley admitted why she had to vote against Amber despite their bond

Ashley Kelsey explained why she voted against Amber Borzotra on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals episode 7, despite their connection in the game. In an interview with Parade on March 20, 2025, she shared,

"And what people don't know about this decision, though, is, the week before she goes home, the one that I go in that, I was asked to throw them in."

While she initially resisted the pressure to nominate Amber Borzotra and Fessy Shafaat, the dynamics of the game forced her hand in the end, and she voted against her close ally.

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Ashley Kelsey's honest take on voting against Amber on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals

The initial connection with Amber

Ashley and Amber first connected during their flight to Vietnam, where they shared emotional conversations about their lives as mothers.

"We were crying; I was crying. We were just the crying moms, just a hot mess," Ashley recalled.

She underscored that this emotional exchange set the stage for a strong bond, with both contestants spending a considerable amount of time together during The Challenge All Stars: Rivals. Ashley faced a difficult decision when it came time to vote, with Amber Borzotra and Fessy being considered for elimination.

"I was told I was the number they needed to vote for Fessy and Amber...I said no. There was no question. 'Absolutely not. Figure it out," Ashley explained.

Initially, Ashley resisted this, but the previous week’s events had left her with fewer options. However, circumstances later led her to a different outcome.

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The strategic decision to vote against Amber

As The Challenge All Stars: Rivals continued, Ashley realized that Amber and Fessy were likely to face elimination again.

"They're gonna keep coming up until they go in. Unfortunately, that's just what's gonna happen," Ashley stated.

With limited choices, Ashley was forced to vote in favor of sending Amber and Fessy into elimination, despite her bond with Amber. Ashley also prioritized her alliances with Frank and Sam, two competitors she had known for many years. She emphasized that Frank and Sam had always been her top priorities in the game, referring to them as her "number ones."

She recognized the need to protect these longstanding connections, even if it meant voting against Amber. Ashley’s partner, Dario, also played a role in persuading her to make the difficult choice.

"Dario looked at me and was like, 'I will throw you in this river if you do that. We have to vote for them,'" she said.

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Handling the fallout of her decision

The vote to send Amber home on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals came with definite repercussions, as Amber made her discontent known. But Ashley had let Amber know her plans prior to the vote occurring, affirming that she did "tell them" beforehand. Although Dario was reluctant to tell Amber, Ashley believed honesty was the best policy.

"Dario didn't want to tell them. He's like, 'We're not telling them.''I'm like, 'Yes, we are 100% taking them aside.'"

This action was included as Ashley's attempt at being honest, although it brought problems into the house. Ashley's status in the game continued to be complicated as she moved between personal connections and playing moves.

"We weren’t a team of four; we were a team of two," Ashley reflected.

She recognized that while personal connections are important, the nature of The Challenge requires contestants to prioritize strategic goals and alliances to remain competitive.

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Tune in on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals every Wednesday at 8 PM on MTV for new episodes.