Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of child abuse.
Following the recent announcement of his tell-all memoir– and the whirlwind of drama that’s followed– Collin Gosselin is set to make his return to reality TV on Season 5 of Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
For those out of the loop, ‘Special Forces’ is a competition show where celebrities are pitted against each other in a series of military-esque drills and challenges designed to replicate some of the real-life elements involved in the United States Special Forces’ selection course. The “recruits” are led through physically and mentally exhausting tasks by ex-Special Forces operatives in tough terrain, with previous locations including South Island, Wales, and Morocco. Unlike a normal competition show, recruits are eliminated voluntarily, as they can choose to drop out of the running at any time. They can also be withdrawn by the medical team for their own safety, or the directing staff can disqualify them for failing to complete specific elements of the course.
This week, Fox announced the premiere date for ‘Special Forces’ Season 5, while also revealing the star-studded cast who will be shipped to Malaysia to face the harsh and grueling challenges of the jungle.
Joining Collin on the upcoming season are Alexia and Mauricio Umansky, daughter and ex-husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards; champion boxer Alysia Baumgardner; Bre Tiesi of Selling Sunset; actress Candace Cameron Bure of Full House; actor David Charvet of Baywatch; and disgraced U.S. Congressman George Santos.
Rounding out the cast is comedian Hannah Stocking; two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion LeSean McCoy; NBA Champion Matt Barnes of the Golden State Warriors; U.S. Olympic figure skater and bronze medalist Maxim Naumov; actor Oliver Hudson of Scream Queens; and actress Ruby Rose of Orange is the New Black.
Some notable alumni from the first four seasons of ‘Special Forces’ include Sister Wives star Kody Brown, former Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval, and Collin’s estranged mother, Kate Gosselin. Kate appeared on Season 1 of the reality series, but was medically withdrawn from the competition on Day 1 after she was suspected to have broken her neck. (Kate later told People that she was “still so angry” about her early exit, but claimed she will never go back.)
‘Special Forces’ will be Collin’s first reality show appearance since Kate Plus 8 ended in 2011. Collin and his siblings starred alongside their parents on Jon and Kate Plus 8 from 2007 to 2009, then the family (minus Jon Gosselin) went on to star on ‘Kate Plus 8’ for two years following Jon and Kate’s divorce.
While Collin has largely stayed out of the spotlight, he’s become very outspoken in recent years about the abuse he faced as a child at the hands of Kate, who allegedly zip-tied his hands and feet together and locked him in the basement. (Kate, through her attorney, has refused to comment on the allegations, but she recently said that she would sue Collin for making the accusations if she could.)
As you know, Collin– who is one of Jon and Kate’s sextuplets– has been estranged from most of his siblings since Jon was awarded custody of him and his sister Hannah. Years earlier, Kate had placed Collin in a mental health institution for what she claimed were behavioral issues and Collin having “special needs”; however, Collin and Jon have denied for years that Collin has “special needs.”
In June, Collin announced that his tell-all memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, will be released in October, and The Ashley has reported extensively on Kate’s reaction to the upcoming book.
At this time, Kate has not commented on Collin’s ‘Special Forces’ announcement.
Season 5 of ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ premieres September 24 on Fox.
RELATED STORY: Kate Gosselin Says She’s “Confident with Zero Doubt” She Did the Best She Could with Son Collin
(Photos: Fox; Instagram; TLC)
2 Responses
I hope he makes it to the end and genuinely does extremely well!
Who I was not expecting to see on the roster for this season was George Santos 😂💀
Taking a pause to enjoy the mental picture of Kate punching air over this one lolololol. Also, I simply cannot wait until his book sales make him #1 New York Times Best Seller. I’m not going to read it (I’ll wait for the Netflix or Tubi movie) but I’ll buy one to support him!