Jack Vita Show: Entertainment | Reality TV | Survivor | The Traitors | Big Brother | The Challenge

From February 9, 2024 — Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick and Jack Vita are back for another recap of the latest episode of The Traitors. This week, they welcome season 1 contestant Robert "Bam" Nieves to the Jack Vita Show, as they break down episode 7, "Blood on Their Hands".

Bam and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. Both Bam and Stephenie were faithfuls that were onto the traitors. Because of their suspicions, both Bam and Stephenie were murdered. Unfortunately for Bam, he was perceived as a threat by the traitors, and was whacked at the start of the third episode. Stephenie was able to survive five murders and seven banishments, until she was murdered in the penultimate episode of season 1.

This week on The Traitors, the dominoes continued to fall. After Dan was banished in episode 6, Peter is offered an invitation to join the traitors. For the second straight season, The Bachelor is recruited to join the traitors. However, this time around, The Bachelor declines. Peter remains committed to the faithfuls, and wants to continue on his path to eliminate the remaining traitors. Peter is fully convinced that Parvati is a traitor, and it appears that at least most of the rest of the cast is as well.

Trishelle thinks that Dan outed Phaedra as a traitor to the rest of the group at the previous roundtable. Trishelle argues that due to the numbers that Phaedra has and the protection that the Bravo clique offers her, she is far a greater threat to win than Parvati is, whereas Parvati appears to be a dead woman walking. If Parvati is banished, Phaedra would have an opportunity to recruit one or two of her fellow Bravo girls to join the traitors. Trishelle argues that even if Phaedra is not a traitor, the show is a numbers game, and maintaining a numbers advantage over the other alliance is critical to the success of their group, moving forward. Thus, Trishelle pushes for the group to target Phaedra at the roundtable.

As Peter and Trishelle debate over who their next target should be, the rival alliance talks about targeting Peter, hoping to secure their own numbers and a path to the end of the game. It appears that Peter's alliance is putting itself in danger by excluding others from conversations and alienating the rest of the castle.

Sandra and Kevin successfully complete the mission and win shields, protecting them from murder. The contestants continue to strategize and prepare for the roundtable, until Alan drops a bomb on the cast and reveals that there will be no banishment that night. Instead, the cast would give out shields to each other, protecting a majority of the faithfuls from murder that night.

Sheree, Phaedra, CT, Kevin, John and Peter join Sandra and Kevin, gaining shields. This leaves Trishelle, Bergie, MJ and Kate up for murder. Trishelle is hurt that CT chooses to protect John from murder instead of her, when they have known each other for 20 years.

Phaedra and Parvati plot their next murder in the turret. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, as the audience will find out who is murdered next week.

Stephenie, Bam and Jack break the episode down. Did they like the format of this episode? Was the cancelled banishment a fun twist, or a bit of a letdown? Did it kill some of the show's momentum? What are Bam's thoughts on the new season of The Traitors? What would he have done differently from S1, if he was playing on S2? Later, Stephenie answers questions from the listeners, who have left questions for her in the YouTube comment section. If you would like to have Steph and Jack take your questions next week, comment away!

Jack and Stephenie share their initial thoughts from E7 (0:00 - 34:25)

Bam joins the conversation (34:25 - 1:12:10)

Stephenie answers your listener questions (1:12:10 - END)

You can follow Bam (@robert_bam_nieves) and Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram.

From February 5, 2024 — Big Brother winner and The Traitors Season 1 contestant Rachel Reilly Villegas visits the Jack Vita Show, joining Jack and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick to recap the sixth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!

Rachel and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. The two CBS reality television icons first met when they were pitted against each other on USA Network's Snake in the Grass, which aired in August 2022. Less than six months after butting heads with each other in the jungles of Costa Rica, the two met again in a castle in the Highlands of Scotland.

As trailblazers on the first season of The Traitors, Stephenie and Rachel formed a bond early in the game that would not be broken. The two ladies squashed their beef from Snake in the Grass, and joined forces to create an impenetrable alliance on day one. Within the game's first few hours, Stephenie and Rachel correctly identified Big Brother 22 winner Cody Calafiore as a traitor, and eventually the two were able to gather the votes to banish him from the castle. Stephenie and Rachel led a powerful alliance of faithfuls. As the traitors caught on to their suspicion, Rachel was banished and Stephenie was murdered in the final episodes of Season 1. The eliminations of Rachel and Stephenie effectively clinched a win for the traitors, and Cirie Fields was able to capitalize, becoming the sole winner of the first season of The Traitors.

This week, Rachel helps Stephenie and Jack recap The Traitors S2 E6 "Backstab and Betrayal". It's the perfect time to check in with Rachel, as this season's two Big Brother alumni have been banished in back-to-back weeks.

Phaedra is furious that Dan has taken a shot at him, and Trishelle makes a comment in a confessional that she believes Dan was outing a fellow traitor. With the traitors losing a number, Parvati and Phaedra are presented with the choice between murdering a faithful or recruiting a faithful to join the traitors. Parvati sets her sights on Peter, as she is fearful of Peter booting her from the game at the next banishment, given the numbers and power he has. She decides to offer him even more power. The episode closes with Peter receiving a letter and an offer to join the traitors, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger: will Peter accept the offer?

Rachel, Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show! They discuss what led to Dan's banishment, where Dan went wrong and what he might have been able to do differently to better preserve himself. Rachel weighs in on Dan and Janelle's games, and shares some valuable insight, given that she has known both of them for nearly 15 years. Stephenie and Rachel reflect on their time on The Traitors and provide an inside look at how the game is played and how the show is made, while comparing and contrasting S1 to S2.

Will Peter accept the offer and become a traitor? Should he or shouldn't he? How would Peter becoming a traitor change the game? Was Peter the right person for Parvati and Phaedra to attempt to recruit? Who will be banished next from the castle? And who was the MVP of Episode 6? Comment below and let us hear your thoughts, while Rachel, Stephenie and Jack tackle all of these questions!

Prior to competing on The Traitors, Rachel appeared on Big Brother 12 and won Big Brother 13. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.

Rachel joins the show at the 49:20 mark.

You can follow Rachel (@RachelReillyVillegas) and Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram.

From January 26, 2024 — Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick returns to the Jack Vita Show to recap the fifth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!

Episode 5 picked up right where Episode 4 left off. Parvati and Phaedra are in the heat of a confrontation in the turret, after Parvati suggests at the round table that a housewife is a traitor. The traitors debate murdering Sandra and Tamra, ultimately deciding to whack Tamra, a move that appears to make Phaedra even less-suspecting of being a traitor.

At breakfast the next morning, CT presses Dan in front of the group, asking Dan to give him the name of who Dan thinks a traitor might be. Up to this point, Dan has been strangely quiet, which seems to be making the faithfuls suspicious of him. Dan has not been throwing out any names or targeting anybody. By this point, Janelle is convinced that Dan is a traitor. The two competed with each other on Big Brother 14, back in the summer of 2012. They entered The Traitors as allies, but now Janelle is going to take her shot at the two-time Big Brother finalist. Dan is on the defensive.

Peter is suspecting that Dan, Parvati and CT are the traitors. It is in the fifth episode that the former Bachelor lead starts to really shine. Peter not only correctly targets Dan, but he also concocts a scheme to provide cover for the six faithfuls that went for a shield, and tries to trap his suspects into attempting to murder a player that has a shield. It remains unclear whether the traitors will fall for it or not, with the episode ending on a suspenseful cliffhanger with the traitors plotting their next murder in the turret.

Dan puts forward a compelling argument at the roundtable, and is able to turn the vote in the direction of Janelle, banishing her from the castle. Dan appears to be backed into a corner, and it seems his "Dan Gheesling funeral" moment on The Traitors may be coming soon. Dan has a history of playing very aggressively with his back up against the wall. He will certainly have some tricks up his sleeve in Episode 6.

Oh, and Kate Chastain is back. The S1 contestant made her grand appearance at the Episode 5 roundtable.

What will Dan's next move be, and who will he target? Will he target Phaedra or Parvati? What will happen in Episode 6? Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show, providing thoughtful analysis and color commentary on Episode 5, and looking ahead and predicting what will happen in Episode 6. Stephenie also shares stories and insights from her time on The Traitors Season 1. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.

You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @steph_lagrossa_kendrick.

From January 21, 2024 — The fourth episode of season two of Peacock's Emmy Award-winning show, The Traitors, is in the books, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick is back to break it all down on the Jack Vita Show!

This week, The traitors were presented with a daunting task. Dan, Parvati and Phaedra were ordered to 'murder in plain sight.' The traitors were tasked with the mission of retrieving a chalice from the castle's library and giving it to an unsuspecting faithful. If the faithful were to touch the chalice before midnight, that faithful would be murdered and eliminated from contention.

Parvati took on the challenge, pouring wine into the chalice and going undercover as the castle's unofficial bartender. With time ticking away, she finally was able to get Ekin-Su to drink from the chalice, sealing the Love Island (UK) star's fate in the game. The next day, the cast was shocked when every contestant arrived at breakfast and nobody had been murdered. Host Alan Cumming arrived and informed the cast that someone had been poisoned, and the victim of the murder in plain sight would be revealed at the day's mission.

At the challenge, Ekin-Su was revealed as the victim of the murder and the cast was shocked. It appeared that Ekin-Su did not relay any information to the rest of the cast about drinking out of a glass that Parvati had given to her, the night before.

With paranoia running high, the castle appears to have split into two factions: the Housewives and the "Gamers", consisting of contestants that have competed on reality competition shows. Sandra was playing both sides, and after hearing of the Housewives' plan to target either Dan or CT, she flipped the vote and Larsa Pippen was banished from the castle. Larsa was a faithful. Through four episodes, the faithfuls have yet to oust a traitor. However, there seems to be trouble in paradise, as the episode closes with Phaedra confronting Parvati, after Parvati said that she believes that one of the Traitors is a Housewife.

Will Parvati and Dan throw Phaedra under the bus, in an attempt to cover their own rear ends? Are the faithfuls starting to catch on to any of the traitors? What will happen in episode 5? Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show, providing thoughtful analysis and color commentary on episode 4, and looking ahead and predicting what will happen in episode 5. Stephenie also shares stories and insights from her time on The Traitors Season 1. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.

The Traitors also announced via social media that Season 1 star Kate Chastain will soon be entering. Stephenie and Jack react! Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show, and don't miss our E5 recap, dropping Friday, January 26!

You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @steph_lagrossa_kendrick.

From January 18, 2024 — Peacock's Emmy Award-winning reality competition show, The Traitors, is back for its second season!

Last Friday, the series dropped the first three episodes of season two, streaming exclusively on Peacock.

For the entirety of Season 2, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick will join us weekly on the Jack Vita Show, providing coverage and analysis as she and Jack recap every episode! Stephenie placed seventh on season one of The Traitors, reaching the penultimate episode, when she became the final faithful murdered. Prior to The Traitors, Stephenie competed three times on Survivor.

Stephenie first appeared on reality television in the year 2005, when she competed on Survivor's tenth season, Survivor: Palau. After outlasting her entire Ulong tribe, she quickly became a fan favorite, and was immediately invited back to play again on the show's eleventh season, Survivor: Guatemala. Five years later, she returned for Survivor's 20th season, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Stephenie's husband Kyle Kendrick enjoyed a ten-year Major League Baseball career and pitched for the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.

In our first recap, Stephenie and Jack break down the first three episodes of The Traitors. There have been some changes made to the show's format. The contestants have the option to abandon missions and earn shields, protecting themselves from banishment. Janelle Pierzina made a bold decision to go for a shield in the first episode, earning safety, much to the dismay of some of her fellow faithfuls. Would Stephenie have made the same decision?

In the first episode, two of the show's three traitors are named. The two traitors selected by host Alan Cumming must select a third traitor to round out their team. Why did Dan and Phaedra choose Parvati to be the third traitor? Stephenie and Jack provide analysis.

Stephenie compares differences between season two and her own season of The Traitors. Jack shares why he thinks season two is already significantly better than season one. Stephenie also discusses her cameo appearance in Episode 3. Stephenie provides an insider look, as well as expert analysis, and never-before-heard stories from season one! All this, and much more, in our recap of Episodes 1-3! Our Episode 4 recap will be out in a few days.

You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @steph_lagrossa_kendrick.

Last month, 25 year-old sports reporter Haley Jordan was crowned Miss Indiana USA 2023. She will compete in the Miss USA pageant in Reno, Nevada later this fall, which will ultimately feed into the Miss Universe pageant in November.

Haley has been a longtime friend of the Jack Vita Show! She first appeared on the podcast back in early 2021, helping Jack break down the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The following month, she joined Jack to discuss Super Bowl 55, one day after the big game.

In the time since we last checked in with Haley, her career has taken off as a sports reporter. For two years, she covered Indiana University athletics for Hoosiers Now on Sports Illustrated/FanNation. Since August 2022, Haley has provided color analyst and sideline reporter services to volleyball and men's and women's basketball broadcasts on ESPN+. She currently is the pregame show host and in-game emcee for the Indianapolis Indians Triple-A baseball team, a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. She recently accepted a position as a full-time high school teacher, teaching sports broadcasting to students.

In 2017, Haley was named Miss Indiana, and competed in the Miss America pageant. In 2020, she lost her mother to brain cancer. After losing her mom, she thought she'd never compete in another pageant. Through her grief journey, she decided to get back on the saddle, and finished second in the 2022 Miss Indiana USA pageant. A year later, she took the crown.

Haley returns to the Jack Vita Show to discuss her mental health journey, her Miss Indiana USA story, overcoming grief, her Christian faith, her career, and her love for sports and CBS' hit show, Survivor! Find out what adventure Haley wants to embark on next, after completing her time as Miss Indiana USA (and hopefully, Miss USA and Miss Universe)!

You can support Haley on her path to Miss USA and follow her on Instagram (@tvhaleyjordan and @missinusa) and Twitter (@HaleyJordanTV)!

From August 17, 2023 — Earlier this year, emergency room nurse Amanda Clark-Stoner appeared on the first season of Peacock's reality competition show, The Traitors. Amanda visits the Jack Vita Show to discuss her time competing on The Traitors and share her incredible life story of overcoming drug addiction and depression and turning to Jesus Christ.

Amanda placed 12th on The Traitors, as she was the 9th member of the cast eliminated. Despite having strong relationships with the cast, as a faithful, she mysteriously had to leave the show in episode 6, for reasons unknown to the audience. The show did not reveal why Amanda was forced to leave the show. In this episode of the Jack Vita Show, she sets the record straight, detailing how she was eliminated from contention, after testing positive for COVID-19. How did Amanda contract COVID on The Traitors? Were there quarantining protocols in place? Did other cast members contract COVID? Amanda sets the record straight on her elimination.

Amanda also reflects on her time on The Traitors. What was her strategy, and how would she have continued to play, had she not been forced out? Who did she bond most with and have an alliance with, and what did she think of the celebrities that came in to the mansion? Who from the cast is she still close with now? Is there anything about the show's format and presentation that Amanda would change about it, moving forward?

Amanda was conceived when her parents were 17, and she was adopted and raised by her maternal grandparents. After struggling with serious health issues, Amanda's grandfather committed suicide when Amanda was 11 years-old. This traumatic event, combined with the abandonment she experienced as a young child, and the bullying she was enduring at school, sent Amanda into a dark depression, which led to drug and alcohol abuse. Amanda overdosed more than once as a teenager, and at the age of 15, she was arrested.

Amanda tells the unbelievable story of how God intervened in her life and pulled her off the path she was on, as she got clean and gave her life to Jesus Christ. In the time since, Jesus has transformed her heart and her life. Amanda tells her story on the Jack Vita Show!

You can follow Amanda on Instagram (@_amandastoner).

Amanda's time on The Traitors (0:00 - 1:01:30)

Amanda's story of overcoming drug and alcohol abuse (1:01:30 - END)

From July 23, 2023 — 35 year-old sales executive and licensed NBA agent Robert "Bam" Nieves recently competed on Peacock's Emmy Award-nominated reality competition show, The Traitors. Four years ago, he appeared on the Netflix dating show, Dating Around. Prior to his time on reality television, he played running back for the Syracuse Orangemen football team from 2006 through 2010. Now, Bam visits the Jack Vita Show for the first time to discuss his time on The Traitors, his football career, his love for sports, his life and his Christian faith.

Bam suffered an unfortunate fate on The Traitors, as he was the second contestant murdered from the castle and the third player eliminated, in Episode 3. Bam had a close bond with Christian de la Torre, who proved to be a traitor, in every sense of the word. Christian played a critical role in the murder of Bam. Bam tells his side of the story on the Jack Vita Show. What was his plan, what went wrong for him, and what might have he done differently, if given a do-over?

What were Bam's thoughts on the celebrities and reality television veterans that he competed alongside, such as Rachel Reilly Villegas, Brandi Glanville, Kyle Cooke, Ryan Lochte, Arie Ludendyk Jr., Cody Calafiore and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick? What about his fellow newbies? Who did Bam click with, and who has he since developed good friendships with, since competing on The Traitors, in Scotland? Bam provides a peak behind the curtain, and shares some information about what didn't make the air. Find out why Bam was convinced early on that Cody was a traitor. Bam shares his casting story and tells all on The Traitors.

Word on the street is that The Traitors Season 2 will be all celebrities. What are Bam's thoughts on the potential format? And what athletes would Bam like to see compete on Season 2?

Later on, Bam and Jack talk some sports. Bam reflects on his football career and time playing at Syracuse University, where he was teammates with future Super Bowl champion and two-time All Pro defensive end Chandler Jones. Bam has a great story of the first time he met two-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy, in high school! Bam and Jack discuss how the NFL and NBA have changed over the last 20 years. Jack details why his interest in both leagues has waned, as he has shifted more of his focus to college football and college basketball. Meanwhile, Bam defends the current state of the NBA. After all, he is a licensed NBA agent! Bam also discusses his work as an agent, and how he has helped bring talented athletes over from Africa, to the United States. Along the way, Jack and Bam debate the legacy of players that switch teams, and rehash the old Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady conversation. They also weigh in on what they believe Shohei Ohtani's future holds, as the MLB trade deadline quickly approaches, with Ohtani in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

Lastly, Bam discusses his Christian faith and how he made attending church each Sunday a part of his weekly routine, and the impact it has since had on his life!

You can follow Bam on Instagram (@robert_bam_nieves)!

The Traitors (0:00 - 1:13:15)

Bam's football career, LeSean McCoy story, NBA, NFL and MLB talk (1:13:15 - 1:43:30)

Bam's sports agency, philanthropy and Christian faith (1:43:30 - END)

Earlier this year, Michael Davidson of Oneida, Kentucky, made his reality television debut, appearing on season one of Peacock's The Traitors. Michael visits the Jack Vita Show to discuss his time on The Traitors, along with his Survivor and Big Brother fandom, and share his incredible life story of overcoming terrible childhood trauma and going from an atheist to a born-again Christian.

Michael's parents were drug dealers, and when he was a small child, both of his parents were murdered in the middle of the night. Michael was raised by his grandmother, and due to her own health difficulties, Michael had to grow up quickly from a young age, so that he could help take care of her. Michael spent most of his childhood and early adult years feeling angry, and with good reason. He had been forced to overcome challenges at a young age that most Americans will never face. Unhappy, angry, and turned-off by the church caused by negative interactions with so-called "Christians", Michael was an atheist for much of his life. Then, in 2011, he visited a church with a friend, which led to an encounter with Jesus Christ that forever changed his life. Michael experienced a transformation of heart, as he went from an atheist to a born-again Christian. His newfound faith brought purpose, meaning, direction, peace and joy to his life.

From an early age, Michael was a big fan of reality television, particularly competition shows such as Survivor and Big Brother. His love for these shows was a temporary escape from his difficult circumstances. In fact, he even found inspiration from CBS icons Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Cirie Fields and Rachel Reilly — all of whom he would compete with and against on The Traitors. Michael discusses his Survivor and Big Brother fandom. How did Michael start watching, and who were some of his favorite Survivor contestants? What were some of his favorite seasons? What did he think of Stephenie and Cirie when he watched them from afar as a viewer, and did his view of either of them change in any way when he met them on The Traitors? What was it like meeting them for the first time? Find out how Cirie inspired Michael to apply for reality television. Hear about his in-game relationship with Stephenie, Cirie and Rachel. Would he have ever turned on any of them? Where did Michael's loyalties in the castle lie?

After growing up watching reality television, what was it like for Michael to finally get a chance to compete on a show, now as a full-grown adult and father in his mid-30s? Michael shares his casting story, and discusses his time on The Traitors. Michael gives his take on how the game played out while he was still in contention, and after. Michael was banished from the castle in the fourth episode, making him the sixth person eliminated from the show. He also shares some fun stories that didn't make the air, one of which involves U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. Michael answers questions about the show's production, such as, Did the contestants actually live in the castle?

After appearing on The Traitors, Michael competed on an episode of Let's Make a Deal in April.

The first hour of today's show focuses on Michael's reality TV fandom and firsthand experiences on The Traitors. Later on, Michael tells his incredible life and faith story (1:03:50 - END). Hear about how Jesus Christ changed Michael's life, and how he survived childhood trauma.

June 16, 2023 — 18 years ago, Brooke Stephens — then Brooke Struck — embarked on a journey of a lifetime, when she traveled to the jungles of Guatemala to compete on the 11th season of Survivor, Survivor: Guatemala.

At the time, Brooke was a law student at Pepperdine University. Now, she practices family law in the Sacramento area and is a mother of three.

We catch up with Brooke and chat about her life since appearing on reality television in 2005. Brooke has not done very many interviews in recent years, so we were very thankful that she made time for the Jack Vita Show!

Brooke discusses her time on Survivor, her casting story, her take on her own season as a viewer, her thoughts on playing against returning players Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick and Bobby Jon Drinkard, stories from the Mayan Empire and more! Who was calling the shots on the original Nakum tribe? What would have happened, had there been no tribe swap? Who would have been voted out at the next Nakum tribal council, and how would the rest of the game have played out? What was Brooke's pre-jury trip like? But before Brooke answers these questions, she and Jack have a visit from a special, surprise guest.

Later on, Brooke talks about life after the show, her career in law and what it is like being a pastor's wife. Brooke opens up about her Christian faith, which helped guide her family through the loss of her father when she was just 11 years-old. Brooke shares her testimony and discusses why Jesus Christ is at the center of her life (1:21:00 - END). Along the way, there is plenty of Survivor discussion, fun and laughs, including the story of when Brooke and Jack met up in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this year! It's an episode you will not want to miss.

If you need a lawyer in the state of California, check out Brooke's law firm, Merus Law.