With his rag-tag alliance being picked off one by one, Ryan scored himself a mega target on his back when he clashed with multiple members of the majority Bachelor alliance. Trading insults with Brittany Hockley and almost coming to blows with Konrad Bien-Stephen, Ryan had alienated himself from the core alliance of former Bachelor stars.
With tensions clearly heating up in the house, the Bachie alliance jumped at the opportunity to put Ryan and his partner Sugar Neeks into an elimination round. Unfortunately for Ryan and Sugar, they lost the challenge.
But in a shock twist, Brihony revealed that no one would be going home during that episode. While Ryan and Sugar were thrilled to get a second chance at the competition, the rest of the house couldn't have been less thrilled to welcome the duo back into the house.
The surprises didn't stop there, however, and Brihony also revealed that Brittany and her partner Conor Curran had the power to pair the contestants together for the next challenge. Pairing Sugar and Ryan up for another round, Conor and Brittany's strategy worked like a dream as they finally saw Ryan eliminated on Monday night.
Speaking to 10 Play following his elimination Ryan admitted that he had loved the overall experience of The Challenge Australia. "Anything where you get to go overseas and explore a different country -- just like I'm A Celebrity -- and do pretty wild things that you wouldn't have done even if you had travelled there on your own... it's a blessing, to be fair."
In the lead-up to joining the series, Ryan said he watched all of one episode of the US version, saw contestants abseiling down a building and immediately turned it off again.
"I just sh*t myself," he said, laughing. "I thought it was best I don't watch these things. It's better I have no idea what I'm getting into because otherwise, I'll stress.
"But that was worse because everyone going into this knew what was going on and how to do it," he added. "I was like, f**k. I probably should have watched more."
Surprised by how much of a social "mind game" The Challenge was, Ryan said he never wanted to play a deceitful game.
"If I didn't like anyone, I just told them," the former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here star said. "I'm not going to say to someone, oh you're such a good bloke let's eat together, and then go say sh*t behind their backs. It's not what I'm about.
"I don't do it for cameras and I don't do it in real life. Unfortunately, there were a few people who did that, and it caused me to get a bit fiery."
On the first night, as the contestants settled into their new shared home in Argentina, alliances already began forming.
"I think it was a bit unfair to have six people just, on the first night, stand in a circle and say this is our new alliance. Before anything even started," Ryan said of the Bachelor alliance.
"Six very, very boring people in a group. Unfortunately, that's the game. Anyone can win and anyone can go through. It's not about your fitness, it's not about your size."
Looking back at the more heated moments in the house, Ryan said he felt provoked. "I didn't go on the show to get like that, I went in there to entertain people, make them laugh and do my best at the challenges.
"Unfortunately, seeing people do things and the way they spoke caused me to [get into fights] and it's not nice but, at the end of the day, I wouldn't change any of it because I defended myself."
While his experience with several members of the Bachie crew soured his time in The Challenge, Ryan still came out of the competition with some newfound connections from his own alliance.
"I did make some really good friends out of the show, ones that I will keep with me for a while. I speak to them a lot, and there are obviously the ones I won't.
"I've probably got about five good mates I made out of that show, and that's four more than I went in with. Now I have a total of seven friends in life -- two are my parents," he joked.
Looking back on his time on The Challenge Australia, Ryan said he wouldn't do anything differently, the only thing he'd hope would be different were things out of his control. Ahead of the show, Ryan went through a series of health hurdles. First getting COVID after the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Ryan then had pneumonia, a severe flu, and bronchitis. Sick for three months leading up to the show, Ryan also had a serious shoulder injury that affected him throughout.
"My shoulder came out in the house the very first day," he explained. "It took 10 minutes to put back in! I had Grant [Crapp] sitting on top of me trying to pull my arm out."
Strapping his shoulder for most challenges, Ryan said he's now had a shoulder reconstruction, and if given the opportunity he'd return to The Challenge stronger than ever.
"Oh I'd do it again, don't you worry. I'm going in with f**king vengeance. I'll be literally training for this show. I'm going to be a big bastard and I'm going to be f**king ready! I'll be very dangerous for that house."
The Challenge Australia airs Monday nights at 8.30 on 10 and 10 Play on demand
