After barely appearing in the premiere episode of The Challenge: Ride or Dies alongside best friend James Simon, veteran Aneesa Ferreira returned partnered with Jordan Wiseley. His presence wasn’t acknowledged in the season. Following the finale, Aneesa admitted she isn’t sure she would have remained in Ride or Dies had she not agreed to team up with Jordan.
Aneesa Ferreira initially teamed up with best friend James Simon for ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’
Veteran Aneesa Ferreira initially paired up with her best friend, James Simon, for The Challenge: Ride or Dies.
The duo was barely featured in the premiere episode before she returned a couple of episodes later with three-time champ Jordan Wiseley.
Many viewers were confused by the unacknowledged partner switch and thought production manufactured a team for a storyline with his ex-fianceé Tori Deal, who went on to win the season. Aneesa has since confirmed the rumors.
Speaking to the Challenge Mania podcast in an interview posted in March 2023, she explained she got COVID-19 along with a few other castmates shortly after filming began. According to the veteran, someone from the crew approached her after testing negative and asked her to partner with Jordan.
Aneesa doesn’t think she would have competed in ‘Ride or Dies’ if she hadn’t agreed to team up with Jordan Wiseley
Although she understands why teaming up with the former champ would move the season forward, as she’s also best friends with Tori, the veteran acknowledged the last-minute cut “hurt” James.
The Real World alum thinks he has an “amazing story” to share with the viewers and knows she could have relied on him for support as they also trained twice daily together before entering the house.
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When asked if Aneesa had a choice when it came to teaming up with Jordan, the veteran admitted she isn’t sure she would have remained on the show if she didn’t.
However, the Pennsylvania native also doesn’t know who the crew would have paired Jordan up with, especially after sending home the alternates. Regardless, the duo made it to the finals and might have had a fighting chance for her first win had she not sustained an ankle injury.
How old is Aneesa, and is she married?
Born September 11, 1981, in Narberth, Pennsylvania, Aneesa is currently 41 years old. While she isn’t married and appears to be single at the time, she has had her fair share of public relationships.
During her rookie season, Battle of the Sexes (2006), Aneesa fell for castmate Rachel Robinson, and they had a short-lived fling before getting into an argument during Duel 2 when Rachel hooked up with someone else.
They have since made amends and competed in Battle of the Exes together, where they got eliminated by six episodes.
Several seasons later, she hit it off with newcomer Cory Wharton, but it didn’t end well when she felt he used her for gameplay. Throughout her 17-season career, Aneesa has competed in four finals, including spinoff All Stars, but hasn’t won a season yet. She’s earned a total of $62,071.
