Chris Tamburello has been a fixture on MTV for longer than some of his fans have been alive. Better-known as CT, Tamburello began his MTV career in 2003 as a cast member on The Real World:Paris. Since then, he has become a regular on The Challenge and has earned 5 wins. Despite being nearly 40-years-old, CT remains a fierce competitor and has returned for the latest season of The Challenge. Although CT has lived a good chunk of his life in front of the reality TV cameras, there are still lots of things viewers can learn about him. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Chris Tamburello.
1. He Had A Brother Who Was Murdered
During his time on reality TV, Chris Tamburello has gone through some challenging times. In 2008, his brother, Vincent, was shot and killed in Vermont after a dispute with another man. The person who killed Vincent was found guilty and sentenced to prison time. In 2014, CT was faced with another tragedy when his cast member and long time on again/off again girlfriend, Diem Brown, passed away after her third battle with cancer.
2. He Does Use The Name CT Outside Of Reality TV
Most reality fans are so used to referring to Chris Tamburello as CT that they probably don’t even know his real name. However, for Chris, the name CT is actually more of a stage name. People who know him off camera simply refer to him as Chris, and that’s just how he likes it.
3. He’s A Dad
In 2017, Chris and his wife, Lilianet, welcomed their first child, Chris Jr. CT is a devoted father and is loving every moment of being a parent. However, he has had to miss some major moments in his son’s life due to his busy schedule with The Challenge. CT says he thinks about his son every day while he is away and hopes to win another championship to make him proud.
4. He Plans To ‘Retire’ At 40
Chris Tamburello has dedicated a great deal of his adult life to competing on The Challenge, but it’s not something he plans to do forever. During an interview with Rolling Stone, he said, “Honestly, I can’t see myself doing this when I’m 40. I mean, I know I said that about turning 30 when I was in my twenties. Then I said it about turning 35. But honestly, they’re popping these shows out at a much faster rate now. Back in the day, they’d make one or maybe two a year. Now we’re pumping out four or five. It’s a lot different.” Since Chris will turn 40 this year, there’a good chance this season of The Challenge could be his last.
5. He Played College Basketball
Chris Tamburello attended college at The University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth. In fact, he was a student at the school when he appeared on The Real World:Paris. CT graduated from UMASS with a degree in business management. He was a member of the school’s basketball team which competed in the division III Little East Conference.
6. He’s Been Accused Of Having No Respect For Women
During his younger days, Chris Tamburello was what most people would describe as a party animal. As a result, he was sometimes accused of taking things too far. One of his The Challenge cast members, Trishelle Cannatella, accused him of being disrespectful towards women. She even said that CT made her feel unsafe after pushing her into a stove while filming a season of The Challenge.
7. He’s From Brooklyn
Being a ‘Boston bro’ is a huge part of Chris Tamburello’s identity, but he’s actually from New York. CT was born in Brooklyn. It’s unclear when he ended up moving to Massachusetts, but it goes without saying that the state’s most well-known city left its mark on him.
8. He’s Only Filmed One Season Of The Challenge In The U.S.
One of the biggest perks of being on The Challenge is the opportunity to travel. Seasons of the show have been filmed all over the world in places like South Africa, Thailand, Jamaica, and New Zealand. In fact, since being on the show, CT has only filmed one season in the United States.
9. He Holds A Challenge Record
You’re probably thinking that CT holds the record for the longest running cast member on The Challenge, but that isn’t the case. In his Rolling Stone interview, Chris revealed that he holds “the record for the longest-running alcohol restriction,” which he considers to be like an award.
10. He Has A ‘Real’ Job
Although CT has had a lot of success in his reality TV career, that isn’t the only thing he relies on for Monday. He says that he has always held down a ‘real’ job and always returns to work in between seasons of The Challenge. Unfortunately, didn’t give any insight on what is it that he does.
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