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Why werent you there for the final?TJ LAVIN:I was actually a firefighter in Las Vegas.
I was trying to get on the fire department for four years and I finally got on it.

Credit: MTV
I was like, Dude, I have to go.
So they were like, Okay, cool.
Go do the fire department thing real quick and see how it works out.
So I did and it turns out Im a better TV host.
Im sorry to hear that.Its something that I thought I wanted to do.
Im very glad that I did what I did but it was super militaristic and Im not that guy.
I didnt know what to expect.
I felt very bad for being there, but I tried my hardest….
So its all good.
Talk to me about keeping the million-dollar secret.
I know they knew, but they didnt tell me until about halfway through maybe.
Im glad they didnt tell me, because that was a very hard thing to just keep under wraps.
I dont think I wouldve done that, but you never know.
I dont want to have that kind of stress.
But if you walk out on a million bucks, Ill just think youre stupid.
Did you enjoy shooting those scripted I have a secret moments?I kinda did like that!
It was pretty fun, I cant lie.
His name is Danny Wascou hes the story guy for Bunim-Murray.
He was super into it and that got me into it.
Because theyre not really hurt, theyre just buzzing and they recover quick.
They have a temper tantrum, like Camila kept getting whacked into the pole last season by her team.
That to me was hilarious.
So I loved it.
Have you ever thought about hosting a game show?I have.
Im totally interested in doing something like that, sure.
ButThe Challengeis where I belong, for sure.
Thats where I need to be.
I have a lot of fun when were doing a studio game shows.
Youll see this season theres one and its pretty funny.
Is that why youre wearing a suit in the promo?
Is that the trivia challenge?Yep, thats it.
Was it weird to be wearing a suit onThe Challenge?Yes, very weird.
I dont really wear suits too often, so its pretty funny.
But if you legitimately jumped off a 35-foot cliff, youd probably say that it was 50.
Has there been any questions you thought were too hard or mean?
Have you ever passed on a question out of sympathy?I dont think so.
Or maybe a BMX question once or twice.
Sometimes theres a thing that you really physically cannot get hurt at, so Ill try that out.
But the Bananas versus Derrick one with the hamster wheel was awesome too.
I think he definitely deserves to be back.
Hes awesome and hes a fun guy.
And I really do miss Diem.
She was just such a good, bright spot in these Challenges.
And to say I dont miss Knight, that would be lying.
He was such a good time as well.
His personality, so happy-go-lucky, he was such a cool guy.
The Challenge: Vendettaspremieres Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 9 p.m. on MTV.