What Really Happened With Amber B on The Challenge

What Really Happened With Amber B on The Challenge

Amber Borzotra—or Amber B as everyone in the house calls her—is kind of a walking contradiction in the world of reality TV. She’s the girl who came out of nowhere to win her rookie season of The Challenge: Double Agents, yet she spent the next three years being treated like a social pariah by people who couldn't figure her out.

If you've watched her lately, you know things changed fast.

Basically, the "Amber B" story isn't just about winning a check for $450,000 alongside CT Tamburello. It’s actually about what happens when a neurodivergent woman tries to navigate a game built on social manipulation, and how a late-in-life diagnosis finally explained why she always felt like the odd one out.

Why the House Never Quite Trusted Amber B

Let’s be real: most of the "Big Brother" alliance members like Kaycee Clark and Fessy Shafaat spent seasons claiming Amber was "fake." They couldn't wrap their heads around her being so nice. In a game where everyone has a knife behind their back, Amber’s genuine kindness felt like a performance to them.

But there was something else under the surface.

In early 2023, during the Ride or Dies reunion, Amber dropped a bombshell that honestly changed how a lot of fans viewed her entire career. She was diagnosed with autism at age 34.

For years, castmates complained about her "masking"—though they didn't have the word for it then. They’d say she was mirroring people or that her emotions felt "off" or "too much." If you're autistic, you know exactly what that is. It’s a survival mechanism. You try so hard to fit into the social rhythm of a room that you end up looking "unnatural" to neurotypical people.

It’s heartbreaking, really. She was out there winning eliminations and running marathons while fighting a silent battle with sensory overload and social confusion.

The Turning Point on All Stars: Rivals

Fast forward to 2025. Amber made her return on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals (Season 5), and it was a totally different vibe. She was paired with Fessy, which, if you know their history, was a recipe for disaster. Fessy is the guy who famously blindsided her on Spies, Lies & Allies, and they spent years in a cold war.

Surprisingly? They actually worked.

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They won two of the first three daily challenges. Amber wasn't just a "number" anymore; she was the power. But the old ghosts of the game came back. She trusted Veronica Portillo (a classic mistake for any Challenger) and got caught in a web spun by Frank Sweeney.

Amber didn't go out quiet, though. She called Frank out as the "mysterious they" pulling the strings. She was eliminated in Week 7 by Nany and Turbo, but for the first time, she left the game feeling like she actually had friends.

The Reality of Motherhood and the "Mama" Era

While the show is her career, Amber’s life off-camera has been the real highlight lately. She and her partner Chauncey Palmer welcomed their daughter, Sunny Fox Palmer, on May 29, 2023.

It’s wild to think that during The Challenge: World Championship, she actually competed while unknowingly pregnant. She was feeling nauseous, having headaches, and thought she just had a nasty bug. She ended up bowing out of the game to give her partner, Troy Cullen, a better chance with Kaycee, only to find out days later she was going to be a mom.

What Most People Get Wrong About Her Wins

There’s this annoying narrative that CT "carried" her to her win on Double Agents.

Stop it.

Yes, CT is a goat. But Amber B won two Hall Brawls that season. Do you know how much heart it takes to run head-first into someone in a narrow corridor? She’s 5'9", she’s got a model’s frame, and people constantly underestimated her strength because she didn’t look like a CrossFit champion.

She is also the first Big Brother alum to ever win The Challenge. That’s a massive historical marker that gets glossed over because people were too busy debating if her crying was "real."

The Future of Amber B on The Challenge

So, what’s next? Honestly, Amber is in a spot where she doesn't need the show, which makes her a more dangerous player. She’s unmasked now. She understands her autism, she knows why she reacts the way she does to the house chaos, and she isn't trying to please the "Vacation Alliance" anymore.

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If you’re looking to follow her journey or understand the impact she’s had, keep these things in mind:

  • Watch her unmasking: Her interviews post-2023 are much more raw. She’s stopped trying to "act" like a typical reality star.
  • The representation factor: She has become a massive advocate for neurodivergent women. The "fake" labels have mostly been replaced by a community of fans who finally see themselves in her.
  • The All-Stars Circuit: Expect to see her more on the All Stars spinoffs rather than the main MTV flagship. The environment is slightly more manageable and the filming schedules are shorter, which fits her life as a mom.

Amber B changed the game by simply refusing to let the house break her spirit, even when she didn't have the words to explain why she felt so different. She’s proven that "kind" doesn't mean "weak," and "different" doesn't mean "fake."

If you want to stay updated on her latest moves, your best bet is following her Instagram or catching the All Stars 5 re-runs, where you can see her finally playing the game on her own terms.