Updated

Updated · Newsday · Jul 15

George Santos Joins Fox's 15-Recruit Special Forces Cast as Season 5 Premieres Sept. 24

Updated

Updated · Newsday · Jul 15

George Santos Joins Fox's 15-Recruit Special Forces Cast as Season 5 Premieres Sept. 24

Q: Will a father-daughter team and a son seeking redemption conquer the jungle or crumble under pressure?

It is too early to know whether they will conquer the jungle or crack under pressure. What is clear is that Season 5 of *Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test* includes both a father-daughter team and a son with a personal comeback narrative. Mauricio Umansky and his daughter Alexia Umansky are competing together, while Collin Gosselin joins the cast amid renewed public attention on his difficult childhood and upcoming memoir. They will face one of the show’s harshest settings yet: the jungles of Malaysia. Fox says recruits will undergo punishing tasks modeled on real Special Forces selection, including a claustrophobic bunker search, a supply retrieval while suspended 300 feet above the jungle floor, and chemical gassing. The format offers no traditional votes or eliminations, making endurance and mental resilience the central test. That setup could work in different ways for these contestants. A father-daughter pair may benefit from trust and emotional support, but family dynamics can also add pressure in extreme conditions. For Gosselin, the show presents a visible chance to reshape his public image, but the same spotlight can intensify stress. The only firm answer for now is that all three will be tested in a severe, high-pressure environment alongside 12 other celebrities. Whether they thrive or fall apart will be determined when the season premieres on September 24 on Fox, with streaming the next day on Hulu.

3 articles · Updated · Newsday · Jul 15

Fox added George Santos, 37, to the 15-person cast of "Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test," with Season 5 set to debut Sept. 24.
Malaysia is the backdrop for this season’s challenges, which include a bunker search, a supply retrieval suspended 300 feet above the jungle floor and chemical-gassing drills.
Santos enters the show after a turbulent political and legal run: elected in 2022, expelled from Congress in 2023, convicted and sentenced in 2025, then granted a Trump commutation last October.
The former congressman also remains under Justice Department scrutiny after Kalshi referred him over trades tied to his claimed attendance at Trump’s Feb. 24 State of the Union address.