Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test is unlike any reality show you’ve ever seen. Celebrities undergo grueling training with an elite team of former special forces personnel, designed to mimic the real military selection process. Season four premiered Sept. 25 on FOX and streamed the next day on Hulu.
Recap
The premiere cast consisted of 18 celebrity recruits stationed in Morocco for military-style challenges that test both body and mind. The episode, titled “Behind Enemy Lines,” wasted no time pushing participants to their breaking point with helicopter rappelling, mud crawls, and heavy load carries up steep inclines.
One of the most dramatic moments came early when Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright became the first to drop out. After facing her fear of heights with the helicopter rappel, she admitted the exhaustion from running was too much to handle and voluntarily withdrew on day one.
Casting
The show seeks to select public figures with harrowing and even traumatic backstories. They are paid an appearance fee depending on their celebrity status, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, with bonuses if they remain in the competition longer.
Contestants with Compelling Backstories
The cast is stacked with personalities carrying unique motivations and baggage, and this season features several family members competing together.
One family pair is the mother-daughter duo Teresa Giudice and Gia Giudice, from The Real Housewives of New Jersey. They’re no stranger to reality television and hardship. Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband were convicted of fraud, for which Teresa served nearly a year in federal prison back in 2015. Gia, a recent Rutgers University graduate, was rumored to be involved in an academic cheating scandal, leading to an alleged suspension in June 2025 from Bravo’s Next Gen NYC after these allegations emerged.
Another duo is the married couple, Eric Decker and Jessie James Decker. Eric is a former Denver Broncos wide receiver, and Jessie is both a singer-songwriter and a New York Times best-selling author. Detailing their time on the show, she shared, “We went through something really hard together, and it really does bring you closer together.”
Another married couple is Andrew East and Shawn Johnson East. Andrew is a former NFL player, and Shawn is a retired Olympic gold medalist gymnast. Shawn spoke about their experience and said, “I think it strengthened our marriage just because we got to do something surreal together. We both got to see each other struggle and kind of persevere and go through a bunch of really hard things individually.”
But aside from some interesting duos, there are a few more notable stars.
One of them is Brianna LaPaglia, who endured a very public breakup from singer Zach Bryan back in October 2024. She has since shared about the emotional abuse she endured by Bryan and shared that it’s helped prepare her for Special Forces. “I think what that taught me about myself is how much, like, adversity I can really withstand and go through, and it sounds crazy, but it was like training me for Special Forces in a way, right? If I can get through that, then I can get through anything, and if I can do what I did last year, then Special Forces, it’s like a walk in the park. So I think it just taught me a lot about my mental strength,” stated LaPaglia.
She went on to note that she chose to do the show in response to her manager’s assumption that she wouldn’t be able to do it. She admitted, “I had never seen full episodes of the show before. I had only seen clips. So, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. Thank God, because if I had watched it, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Johnny Manziel, a Former NFL player for Texas A&M, was in the spotlight for many scandals early in his career. He played just two seasons before controversies such as drug use and domestic violence accusations contributed to his downfall. As Manziel was battling the challenges of the course, he shared about his career struggles and said, “I think, after I got my most success and won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman, I think I just got treated differently.” In 2023, he revealed he once attempted to end his life in an installment of Netflix’s Untold series.
Additional cast members consist of models, other former NFL and NBA players, and influencers.
What They’re Competing For
Ultimately, the goal is to prove your own strength to yourself by finishing the course without quitting. There can be more than one winner, or none at all. Many contestants report feeling just as many mental challenges as physical. Cast members have reported being forced to write “death letters” to loved ones before arriving in case of unfortunate events. Let the mind games begin.
Behind the Scenes: Rules and Restrictions
Participants must follow strict rules to keep the competition intense, including:
- No communication: Contestants must surrender their devices and remain cut off from the outside world for the duration of filming.
- Limited food and sleep: Diets were bland, lacking flavor and sustenance, mimicking the caloric restriction soldiers face in the field. Sleep is rarely more than four or five hours per night.
- Total obedience: Recruits address staff only as “staff” and must follow orders instantly, with insubordination potentially leading to elimination.
- Privacy: There’s no going to the bathroom alone, because they rely on a buddy system in true combat fashion.
- Constant surveillance: Hidden cameras roll nearly 24/7, capturing both training and downtime. Contestants are never fully off the clock.
Differences from real special forces training
- Length: The show is condensed to about 10 days, different from actual special forces selection courses, which last weeks to months.
- Skill training: Real special forces learn weapons, tactics, survival, navigation, demolitions, etc. Contestants receive controlled versions of the physical/mental tests.
- Safety: While the show creates a dramatic sense of danger, safety remains a top priority. Medical staff shadow recruits at all times, ready to intervene when exhaustion or injury becomes dangerous. In fact, no one is allowed to leave after filming wraps without being checked by a doctor. Courses are designed by military veterans to replicate Special Forces selection challenges, while adjusting intensity for non-soldiers. The cast still experiences a version of what real recruits endure; however, it is compressed and tailored for safety and television.
The Bigger Picture
The series is as much about physical training as it is a mental battle. Producers seek out celebrities who’ve faced struggles as a way to facilitate personal growth. In the premiere episode, a trainer described this as the best therapy possible. Season 4’s mix of unique backgrounds ensures the show is a test of resilience, redemption, and the will to endure when quitting remains an option. Only seven people over the course of three seasons have completed the course. We’ll see how many walk away with the rare and unique accomplishment this round.