C.T. Tamburello Teases Return to 'The Challenge' amid Bitter Divorce: 'Never Say Never'

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss The Challenge at times," Tamburello said on Saturday

CT Tamburello The Challenge 35 Unit
C.T. Tamburello. Photo: Riccardo Giardina/MTV

Is Chris "C.T." Tamburello planning a return to The Challenge?

On Saturday, the reality star, 42, teased just that, telling fans that he was going on a fitness journey "from being a fat ass to getting maybe Challenge ready."

"I don't know," Tamburello said. "Look, I'm not saying… never say never, okay? I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss The Challenge at times."

He went on to note that he's been "offered" to rejoin the reality competition series, but it was "just not the right time because of all that's going on" — hinting at his ongoing divorce from estranged wife Lilianet Solares, as well as time spent raising his son Christopher Jr.

"But with all these spinoffs coming and going, I may have to grab that bag," said Tamburello, in reference to the expanded Challenge franchise, which has included The Challenge: All Stars and The Challenge: World Champions. "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know."

Tamburello first rose to fame in 2003 as a cast member on The Real World: Paris. He went on to become a prominent player on The Challenge, winning five times across his 19-season run. He won two spinoff seasons as well.

He's said to have taken home $1,365,000 in prize funds over the years and last competed on The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, in 2021, which he won. Since then, he's been dipping his toe into acting, starring in 2022's The Most Dangerous Game and appearing in the upcoming film, Hunting Games.

In his Instagram video, Tamburello explained that he was looking forward to sharing his journey of getting back into shape.

"It's no secret I've been basically eating my emotions for five months," Tamburello said. "And I plan on getting back down to 215 lbs. cause, I went from 215 lbs. to 240 lbs. and we can't have that. We worked too hard to get back down there. We're going to tighten that up real quick, right? Since I got to put myself out there anyway, I'm going to do it."

In this image released on June 5, (L-R) Chris 'C.T.' Tamburello and Lilianet Solares attend the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and broadcast on June 5, 2022.
C.T. Tamburello and Lilianet Solares. Jeff Kravitz/Getty

Saturday's post came a day after Tamburello opened up in a since-deleted video about what has unfolded since he filed for divorce from Solares, 31, in November.

The former couple welcomed son Christopher Jr., known as CJ, in 2016 and tied the knot two years later. Their wedding aired on MTV as a two-part special titled CT's Getting Married, and Solares has previously appeared in video calls with Tamburello on The Challenge.

Last month, the pair reached a temporary court agreement regarding finances and custody that included Solares conceding to move out of the home she shared with Tamburello and into a rental property to which he will contribute $7,200. Tamburello also agreed to provide Solares with an additional $761 a month in temporary support.

Ct and Lilianet
C.T. Tamburello and Lilianet Solares. CT Tamburello/ instagram

But in his post, Tamburello took issue with their financial arrangement, accusing Solares of "hiding money" from him and speculating that her new boyfriend has been paying all of her bills. He claimed that initially, Solares told him, "I don't want child support. I don't even want alimony." He'd supposedly suggested having her return the $200,000 he said he gave her to open up a nightclub amid the divorce.

Now, "I'm hemorrhaging for the next how many months paying for everything," he complained.

Tamburello also alleged that, despite the agreement, Solares continues to live in his house. He claimed CJ would prefer to live with his father.

Solares never responded to PEOPLE's request for comment — though hours after Tamburello's rant, she posted a screenshot of a psychiatric organization's web page defining Narcissistic Personality Disorder to her private Instagram Story with the caption: "All [I] am going to say..."

The Challenge Chris "CT" Tamburello
Chris "C.T." Tamburello. Lars Niki/Getty

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On Saturday, Tamburello said he was grateful "for the kind words and more specifically, the advice" he received from his post the day before.

"Real quick, look — I said what I said and I said it with my heart," Tamburello said. "Look, I'll be honest, I just couldn't hold it in anymore and felt like I needed to address the allegations and things that were being said about me from one end. Whether it came out right or wrong, it is what it is."

"I'm moving forward," he added. "And I'm really looking forward to sharing more of my life with everybody, especially with all the love and support I've been getting."

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