Summary

Battle Camp showcases reality stars from diverse backgrounds bonding through competition and romance.

In an interview with Collider, Gabi Butler and Louis Russell reveal how they develop connections with other players, forming flirtmances and showmances.

Despite the challenges, Gabi would do Battle Camp again, while Louis emphasizes the intense and unscripted nature of the show.

Battle Camp united some of Netflix Reality Universe’s biggest stars in a competition for ultimate bragging rights. The beauty of the show lies in watching the interactions between reality stars who come from diverse walks of life and experiences. The larger scope of the NRU features doc-follow and competition series, but for certain individuals, there is a common thread. Louis Russell’s original series, Too Hot to Handle, was a competition series. Gabi Butler’s was not, but the Cheer star is known for her competitive spirit. And that’s where their pasts are connected. But then, they both did something in Battle Camp that connected them even further. They caught feelings for other players, as they admit to Collider in an interview.
“To be honest, Michael, when it comes to romance, it can blossom anywhere there is light. So yes, there was a lot of light in camp,” Louis slyly admitted. While the game’s mission is to not catch votes, they caught hearts; Gabi developed a brief flirtmance with Tony Castellano, while Louis began a showmance with late arrival Bri Balram. Even though they didn’t let them affect their game, both players from the Wolves caught some unlucky breaks courtesy of the Wheel.
Despite Being Traumatizing, Gabi Would Do ‘Battle Camp’ Again

“I would do it all over again.”

Image via Netflix

Despite a career in a very competitive world through Cheer, there was something about Battle Camp that pushed Gabi to her limits. She described the show as definitely shocking, traumatizing, and mind-boggling. Thanks to her inclusion on the show, Gabi can now call herself a Netflix Reality Universe All-Star.
“I would say it was definitely an honor the fact that Netflix thought of, ‘Hey, let’s bring in this person.’ So for me, it was kind of like, ‘Aww, they thought of me to bring me into this crazy little puzzle piece of a show,'” she says. “And I got to meet some really amazing people from other shows that I hadn’t even watched. The chemistry from everybody, just seeing everybody’s background and seeing how different, but how similar we all were, was really interesting, and honestly, I would do it all over again. It was a great experience, and definitely made a lot of amazing friends.”
The beauty of Battle Camp is how the solo and team games are separate yet connected. How did Gabi manage to maneuver through? “So balancing the team aspect and the solo aspect of the game, I felt like it was a little bit similar because in a way, yes, you’re riding for your team, but when you’re solo, you’re kind of still riding for your team,” Gabi says. “My motivation through when I was doing my punishment, and that was a solo, I was actually thinking about Louis, Trey [Plutnicki] and Bri. They’re pushing me to be better. Just hearing their voice when we were doing that is the only thing that kept me really going.”
Louis Explains How Real ‘Battle Camp’ Is

He never imagined Battle Camp to be THIS intense.

Image via Netflix

When asked how he would describe Battle Camp, he started to joke by parroting the tagline of “Unbeatable, unbreakable, unhatable,” but finalized his answer with, “Intense, unknown, family bonding.” While many of the participants may have only known each other through the screen, their bonds on the show soon became unbreakable. Whether they were allies or rivals, the camaraderie through competition made Battle Camp shine bright. For Louis, being a part of Battle Camp was very important as it gave viewers to his other side you didn’t see on Too Hot to Handle.
He says, “It means a lot, because I feel like, one, people don’t really know me because of the show that I did. Where Gabi’s show is watching the life of a cheerleader and how intense it is. But with me, it’s just like, ‘Oh, he’s the man that chats to the girls and stuff like that.’ But I’m deeper than that, and I’m a lot more than that. So to be able to be in a place where it shows different emotions and different challenges, and being in a place where it’s versatile, allows me to actually show who I am and what I can do. I feel honored in that sense that I was able to be picked for that.”
Now that we’ve got all the niceties and honors out of the way, it’s time to ask the tough question. Did he expect Battle Camp to be so cutthroat? “No… not at all,” he adamantly says.

Related

‘Too Hot to Handle’ Doesn’t Need Another Season

Has the heat fizzled out?

“I thought, yeah, because, Too Hot to Handle, right, it’s not scripted, but it’s controlled in the sense of mayhem. It’s controlled. Not a lot of mayhem goes on because of the control. Battle Camp: not controlled. You have to be a savage. And I was not expecting it to be so savagery. When Gabs did the challenge, the breakable challenge, right, to see that, let alone do it, to see it, we’re just reality stars. Well, Gabi is an actual athlete. Everyone else, reality stars, yeah? To see someone actually have to put their physical to the test. It was crazy. That’s why, when she did it, the emotion that came out was so real. It’s so real in there. It’s so real.”
Gabi and Louis Address ‘Battle Camp’s Romances

“It’s just so intense in there that it can build, you know, romance.”

Of course, the name of this game is to win. But if you don’t, your name may end up on the dreaded Wheel. And, if fate decides to land on your name, the Wheel will knock you right out. The only other way to prevent yourself from seeing your name on the wheel was to prevent yourself from being voted on. In this game, camp is not the place to catch votes, but for some, they caught feelings. Both Louis and Gabi were guilty of this. Perhaps that’s why they were paired up for our interview!
They both acknowledged that in the short time they were at Battle Camp, the relationships were so strong. Not just romantic, but friendships. “Me and Gabs, like we built a relationship. It’s just so intense in there that it can build, you know, romance.” As Gabi says, “There’s a lot of emotion going on.”
Battle Camp is now streaming on Netflix.

Battle Camp

Release Date

April 23, 2025

Network

Netflix