George Santos joins Special Forces opposite Ruby Rose
Former Congressman George Santos is joining Season 5 of Fox's military-style reality series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, where he will face actor Ruby Rose and more than a dozen celebrity recruits in a Malaysian jungle. The network says the September premiere will test physical, mental, and emotional resilience through grueling challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Santos will compete on Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 5.
- Actor Ruby Rose is among the celebrity recruits facing jungle warfare-style tasks in Malaysia.
- The season premieres Thursday, September 24, 2026, on Fox.
- The cast also includes Matt Barnes, Real Housewives stars, NFL talent, and Collin Gosselin.
- Santos said on X the experience "changed EVERYTHING" and that he cannot wait to share it.
Fox revealed the Season 5 roster this week, confirming that the expelled former New York congressman is trading political headlines for military-themed TV. ABC News reported that contestants will face chemical gassing and other Special Forces-style trials in a Malaysian jungle.
The casting lands in the same chaotic lane as other Bizarre News & Florida Man stories: public figures reinventing themselves in the most extreme way possible.
What show is Santos joining alongside Ruby Rose?
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test puts celebrities through selection-style drills led by former special forces operatives. Fox bills the series as the "ultimate test of physical, mental and emotional resilience."
There are no viewer votes and no standard boardroom eliminations. Recruits leave only if they quit, fail, get injured, or are forced out by directing staff. Season 5 deploys the group into jungle conditions Fox calls among the harshest environments a soldier could face.
Who else is on the Season 5 cast with Ruby Rose?
Beyond Santos and Ruby Rose, the troop includes former NBA player Matt Barnes, actress Candace Cameron Bure, NFL Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy, and Real Housewives personality Brandi Glanville, according to Deadline's cast gallery and Fox's announcement.
Also enlisted: Collin Gosselin, formerly of Jon & Kate Plus 8, who is returning to reality TV ahead of a tell-all memoir about his estranged mother, Kate Gosselin. Kate herself competed on Season 1 of the same series in 2023.
Other names on the roster include Oliver Hudson, David Charvet, Maxim Naumov, Hannah Stocking, Breana Tiesi, and TV personalities Mauricio and Alexia Umansky.
When does Special Forces Season 5 premiere?
Fox says Season 5 premieres Thursday, September 24, 2026, in the 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET/PT slot. Santos previewed his participation on X with a promotional image and wrote that he "took my fat behind off the coach and tried something new," adding that it "changed EVERYTHING."
Whether Santos, Ruby Rose, or any of their famous castmates endure the bunker searches, high-altitude supply retrievals, and chemical-gassing drills remains the show's central cliffhanger. For now, the story is simple: one of America's most notorious political figures is about to become a reality-TV recruit.