Paramount appears to learn from its 'Big Brother' racial double standard on 'The Challenge'

Three contestants were abruptly removed from MTV’s long-running athletic reality competition series "The Challenge" this week following a reported racial incident that the show chose not to air.

At the beginning of Wednesday’s episode of "The Challenge: Cutthroat," host T.J.

Lavin entered the house without Leo Dionicio, Josh Goldstein and Nelson Thomas present.

"Leo, Nelson and Josh all broke the code of conduct here on 'The Challenge,' so they're all gone," Lavin told the remaining contestants .

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.

DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW! The show did not air the incident that led to the three disqualifications or provide any additional details.

Page Six reported that Dionicio, who is Black, used the N-word during a game and Goldstein, who is White, repeated it.

According to the report, Thomas became angry over Goldstein’s use of the word and later damaged the kitchen.

Production then removed all three contestants.

The Paramount+ original is the 42nd season of the long-running MTV franchise.

"The Challenge" is generally classified as reality television, but the modern version is built around athletic competition.

Contestants run, swim, climb, wrestle, carry heavy weight and race through obstacle courses that test strength, endurance and mental toughness.

Seasons typically end with a grueling final that can stretch across multiple days and resemble an adventure race more than a reality show.

The controversy also bears a striking resemblance to one Paramount faced three years ago on another reality competition show.