Josh Clinton: Hey David.
David Leach: Hey man.
JC: How did you get cast on this show? Did you try out for another show first?
DL: I originally sent in my audition tapes for The Real World 19, which will be in Australia. Then, about the second interview I found out that they were casting Road Rules as well. So I went with that one instead.
JC: Were you a big fan of the MTV shows before you got on them?
DL: Yeah, I really liked Road Rules. My favorite season of Road Rules had to be the original season that Shane was on, Road Rules: Campus Crawl.
JC: So I bet your pretty excited to be on the RV now?
DL: Yeah dude, I’ve been waiting for 10 weeks now. Lamonte from “The Pit Crew” had been going in every time, and we didn’t know if we would get a shot or not since everything seemed to be swinging Lamonte’s way. We just didn’t know if it would ever happen for us.
JC: Right. Why do you think it took so long for the viewers to vote for you and give you a shot in “The Pit”?
DL: Well the first time the viewers saw me was on the “Launch Special”, and during that I looked like a big idiot. MTV picked the weirdest stuff to show for me. I sent them numerous tapes to air for the special, but they ended up picking the weirdest tape I sent them. That being me going off on my mom. So I’m with the viewers, I wouldn’t have voted for myself either after seeing that mess.
JC: Right, but you are on the RV now. Can you describe the differences between life on the RV and life in “The Pit Crew”?
DL: In “The Pit Crew” you basically live at home. You can’t work, you can’t go to school, you basically just have to sit around and try not to go crazy. You also have to be “on call” all the time, in case they need you for a “Pit Stop” or a “Pit Battle”. So basically I was living at home, listening to all of the haters saying that I would never get on and all of that. So really you just have to live your life until you get on the RV. Except you obviously can’t have a job or go to school.
JC: Yeah, it doesn’t sound like it. Since you were a fan of the old Road Rules before, what do you think of the interactive element for this season?
DL: I think it’s awesome. I have watched past seasons at home and there was always someone that I wanted kick off because I hated them. This gives everyone a chance to get rid of everyone they don’t want on, and get the people they do want on. So I think it’s cool. But it did start off a little slow. I think everyone was confused at first by the rules. By the ninth week, though, I think everyone has finally caught on to the concept.
JC: Yeah, I think so too. What do you think of the veterans so far?
DL: At first, I didn’t know how it was going to be. “The Pit Crew” is made not to like the veterans. We were taught not to like them before I got on the RV. Once I got on the RV, though, I got along with everyone and I’m having a really fun time. I really didn’t think I would either. I thought I would have to come on the RV like Angel. But really the RV is only miserable if you make it miserable. It’s only been a week, though, so anything can happen. You really don’t know what will go on in the future.
JC: Do you think that the RV is divided now, since there are three original members of the RV and three original members of the “Pit Crew”?
DL: Yeah, I definitely thinks things will get interesting now. Everyone that gets on the RV is against the volunteer system. I mean the volunteer system gives everyone the chance to stay on the RV for awhile. At the end, though, if they did the rotation system and it was my turn to go into “The Pit” in six weeks. That’s three weeks before the end of the show. Who wants to go into “The Pit” that close to the end of the show?! Your chances of getting back onto the RV are slim to none. So the volunteer system is good for right now. But it’s going to get really ugly at the end of the show if it keeps up. No one is going to volunteer themselves to go into “The Pit” three weeks, two weeks, or one week before the handsome reward.
JC: I don’t see that happening either. Was the marine mission that you did this week the hardest thing you have ever done?
DL: Yeah, definitely. I’ve never left Missouri before getting on this show. I’m from Kansas City all the way. I never had the opportunity to leave. So to be up in the mountains, you couldn’t breathe. It felt like you were constantly running. You could jog five feet and be out of breath because of the altitude. And being with the marines as well. MTV didn’t show half of the stuff that happened. We didn’t sleep in the RV. We slept in barracks like concentration camp style. No pillows, no sheets, just bunk beds. We also had to ride up this mountain in a Humvee for 45 minutes and it was nothing but rock. We were bouncing up and down the whole time. We had to stop 3 or 4 times for motion sickness. Another thing they didn’t show was that we had to ski down this mountain. I probably fell like 250 times. Me skiing is like Bambi on a frozen pond. It was horrible. So yeah, they didn’t show a lot of stuff, but it had to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I mean who wants to jump into ice water. That’s crazy.
JC: Yeah, that was a little insane. Once this show is over with, do you think you would want to do future Real World/Road Rules Challenges?
DL: I definitely do not want to become a “lifer”. And I think we all know what that means. I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 40. But yeah, it’s been my dream to do a challenge. Every kid in America my age wants to do a challenge. So if the opportunity comes for me to do one, I will definitely take it. I’m not going to beg to be on one like some people do. If they don’t come to me, I won’t do it. But if they come to me, I’ll definitely take it.
JC: Is there any veterans that you would like to face in future challenges then?
DL: Yeah, I’ve been watching them since I was 15 years old. It’s pretty much the same people doing the challenges. I would look forward to meeting Alton or any of the “classic” people. Any of The Real World: Denver people would be good as well. I think it would be cool to face them, but not only that just to meet them. Basically, before I got on the show I was a “superfan”. I watched everything and can name all of the seasons of the Challenges and stuff. So to go up against any of them would be awesome.
JC: Right. You just said you were a “superfan”. I talked to some of the veterans of these shows and most of them believe that they are casting only “superfans” now, who are not in it for the experience. They just want to become famous from being on these shows. What do you think about that?
DL: Yeah, I think a lot of people are like that. But I don’t want to become really famous doing this. I’m in for the experience. My goal, before this show, was to become a high school theater teacher. So that’s pretty low key as you can get. After the show, I want to do a few challenges and then go back to Kansas City. I’ve got my Associate’s Degree, so I want to go back home, finish my school, and become a young teacher that takes over my old high school theater department. I can see why some people say that, though. The “Pit Crew” comes off as camera-stealing, attention grabbing, meatheads. The way we come off, I don’t see how we would appeal to anyone. That’s not how we really are, though, and I know that’s not how I am. If I did these shows until I was 40, I would never become what I wanted to become and that’s a teacher.
JC: Right. That’s really cool. We saw this week that you and Dan have developed this friendship. Can you explain a little more about that?
DL: Dan is from Missouri too. We lived like 3 hours from each other and didn’t even know it. I have more in common with him than anyone. That’s my buddy. Everyone has a buddy on the RV. So to see him go, I don’t know who’s going to come on next. If Shane gets back on the RV, I’ll probably be voted off next week. I trust Dan to play the game fairly with me, so to see him go makes me worried. It would be the same with like Adam and Kina or vice-versa. Everyone has their own comfort zone on the RV. They have that person that they trust and can talk to about anything. I just don’t want to see Dan go.
JC: Do you think that there is anyone else on the show that you could be friends with when the show is over with?
DL: Definitely. I can see myself talking to Kina and Adam and everybody after the show. Like I said, though, there is a LONG ten weeks ahead of us. Anything can happen, so who knows. But as of right now, I like to think that I could pick up my phone and call any of these guys on the RV right now after the show. Now is that going to happen? Probably not. With the concept of the show, you can’t leave this game without any enemies. That’s just how it goes.
JC: So is there anyone that you really don’t like on the show?
DL: There really isn’t. I would love to give you the dirt, but so far before you do me wrong, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I’ve heard bad things about everybody from heresay. “Pit Crew” vs. “The RV”. But when you get on the RV, you can’t play the game like that. If we were fighting during the military mission, there would be no way we would finish it. Even if you don’t like someone, you have to put that aside and get things done. If you don’t, you won’t complete a mission and win any money. After seeing Angel, I thought I was going to come on and raise hell but you really can’t do that. The people on the RV are not bad people. You have to be a team.
JC: Alright. Well thanks for your time and good luck with everything.
DL: Thank you.
Coming up tomorrow on “Road Rules Week” is my exclusive interview with a member of the RV that has been around for the longest, Susie Meister. Stay tuned…
For the first time ever, the audience is in control of the game. With a real-time shoot schedule, viewers rule this new season as they call the shots to determine which of the Road Rulers will end up in the Pit Battle elimination round at the end of each episode and who from the Pit Crew will replace the loser. It all happens at http://roadrules.mtv.com where Road Ruler hopefuls can enter to win a chance to become part of the Pit Crew. Fans can also browse Road Ruler blogs, watch online-only previews and find other exclusive Road Rules content. – Road Rules: Viewer’s Revenge airs on MTV on Wednesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT time
