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The Challenge: All Stars season 5 released a new episode, titled A Star-Holder Is Born, on March 5, 2025. It showcased Veronica and Katie manipulating the house vote before the elimination, attempting to save themselves and evict a different duo from the competition.
They pitted Amber against Melissa by spreading rumors, while Katie redirected the momentum, convincing Melissa to deflect the target to Dario and Ashley. Earlier in the episode, Veronica and Frank agreed to eliminate stronger teams from the race before the finale.
As a result, Veronica told Amber that Melissa and Nicole wanted to send her and Faysal into elimination to stir chaos right after talking to Melissa and Nicole.
Veronica's initial target was Melissa and Nicole, however, once they got the numbers to flip to Dario and Ashley, Veronica, and Katie let that happen since they were deemed one of the stronger teams on the show. Consequently, their elimination would benefit Veronica and Frank's plan.
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The Challenge: All Stars fans took to X to comment on Veronica and Katie's gameplay. They applauded their strategy and praised them for not only evading elimination but also successfully sending a strong team into the elimination round.
"Katie & Veronica ran that nomination without having get exposed for the mess they stirred up political mothers," a fan wrote.
"THIS. IS. HOW. YOU. PLAY. THE CHALLENGE @KatieCooley26 & @v_cakes using their skills to manipulate this game Vet’s understand how this game works. Watching them continue to outwit these rookies is classic, awesomeness. Lil’ baddies," another fan commented.
"Veronica & Katie went from being the unanimous house vote to saving themselves AND Frank & Sam, AND waking Melissa up AND getting a strong team into the jungle. Please put some respect on era 1. They tryna TEACH yall the game beyond the physical aspect," a netizen tweeted.
The Challenge: All Stars fans were impressed by Veronica and Katie's strategy to change the house vote.
"And that, friends, is why Veronica and Katie are considered All-Stars," a user reacted.
"This was just evil manipulation A classic to be honest, kudos to Katie & Veronica," a person commented.
"Veronica and Katie are more smart than I thought. Yall playing the game good OGS," another fan wrote.
Other The Challenge: All Stars fans expressed a similar sentiment.
"Veronica Einstein the best player to ever play the game? wow she’s a strategic mastermind," one user posted.
"MOTHERS. I love Veronica making big moves on every single all stars season she’s been on and now she’s taking Katie with her. Like it’s just a mother class," a person reacted.
"Veronica and Katie just put on a true masterclass in how #TheChallenge is meant to be played. Proof you don't need to win challenges to exert power and influence," another netizen commented.
"It is a very good day for my own game" — The Challenge: All Stars alum Veronica comments on her strategy getting played out
As soon as Corey saw Veronica going from room to room talking to people, he knew "something" was up. He admitted to getting his guard up, wondering what gameplan Veronica had in mind. After having a conversation with Melissa and Nicole, telling them not to disclose the name they had agreed to send into the elimination round, Veronica approached Amber and said:
"I just had a conversation with Nicole and Mel for the house vote. She's okay saying your name."
Amber believed The Challenge: All Stars cast member and assumed that was why they avoided her throughout the day. Amber then circulated the news to the rest of her allies, hoping to convince them to turn against Nicole and Melissa.
While speaking to The Challenge: All Stars cameras, Amber said:
"I'm believing Veronica. I don't think that she would lie to me."
Like the other cast members, Nany was confused about where the house stood and the consensus. She stated it was a "giant scramble," where the house's target suddenly shifted from Veronica and Katie to another team.
Soon after, Melissa suggested the idea of deflecting the target to Dario and Ashley, which, when backed by Katie, became the house's consensus. Later in the episode, when the players cast their votes, Dario was shocked to hear his name. He confessed he had no idea he and Ashley were being targeted.
Although the players were unsure about how they ended up with Dario and Ashley, they decided to go with the majority. In contrast, Amber voted for Nicole and Melissa, convinced they had plotted her elimination. Melissa and Nicole immediately dismissed the allegation, saying it was untrue. At that point, Veronica took to a confessional to say:
"Katie and I are just trying to keep ourselves safe. It's definitely playing out exactly how I expected it so it is a very good day for my own game."
In the end of the episode, Corey and Big T were eliminated from The Challenge: All Stars after failing to defeat Dario and Ashley in the arena.
The Challenge: All Stars airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET exclusively on MTV.
