Fox has unveiled the cast and key art for Season 5 of "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," a lineup that pairs faith-and-family favorite Candace Cameron Bure with disgraced former congressman George Santos, and drops them all into a Malaysian jungle this September.
The network's reality competition series, which pits celebrities against military-grade challenges run by former special forces operatives, will premiere Thursday, September 24, at 9 p.m. ET. Page Six exclusively revealed the Season 5 poster, which features Bure, actor Oliver Hudson, and former "Baywatch" star David Charvet in military-inspired gear beneath the tagline: "Fame means nothing in the jungle."
Fifteen celebrity recruits will face a gauntlet designed by four Directing Staff members, Rudy Reyes, Billy Billingham, Jason "Foxy" Fox, and Jovon "Q" Quarles, all described as former special forces operatives. Fox called the jungle setting "the most hostile environment a soldier could operate in."
The full roster reads like a casting director's fever dream. Alongside Bure, Hudson, and Charvet, Season 5 features former NBA player Matt Barnes, boxer Alycia Baumgardner, reality television personality Brandi Glanville, Collin Gosselin, former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, figure skater Maxim Naumov, actress Ruby Rose, social media personality Hannah Stocking, model Bre Tiesi, and father-daughter pair Mauricio and Alexia Umansky.
And then there is Santos.
The former New York congressman pleaded guilty to charges including stealing from donors, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, and lying to Congress. He served roughly 84 days in prison before President Trump commuted his sentence, AP News reported. His post-prison trajectory has been anything but quiet: a failed political comeback, and more recently, allegations that he bet against his own attendance at Trump's State of the Union address on a prediction marketplace. Kalshi reported him to federal authorities over the alleged wager, and Polymarket ended its paid relationship with him.
Santos promoted the show on X, writing: "I took my fat behind off the coach and tried something new! And it changed EVERYTHING! I can't wait to share this experience with y'all!" The New York Post characterized his reality TV stint as "his latest post-prison escapade" in a pattern of seeking new platforms after each controversy.
Season 5's challenges match the setting. Recruits will crawl through an underground bunker searching for military weapons in what the show describes as a claustrophobic, high-pressure environment. Another task suspends them 300 feet above the jungle floor to retrieve supply loads. A third involves a chemical gassing exercise in which recruits must locate the coordinates of an enemy vessel while under duress.
The series has built its brand on stripping away celebrity comfort and forcing public figures into raw physical and mental tests. Malaysia's jungle terrain raises the stakes beyond what previous seasons offered in other locations.
Candace Cameron Bure, best known for her role as D.J. Tanner on "Full House" and her long run as a Hallmark Channel lead, has been one of the most visible openly conservative women in Hollywood. Her presence on the poster, front and center, signals Fox is banking on her audience. Hudson, the son of Goldie Hawn and brother of Kate Hudson, built his career on network comedies including "Rules of Engagement" and "The Cleaning Lady." Charvet, the French-born actor and singer, became a household name on "Baywatch" and "Melrose Place" in the 1990s.
The cast also includes names that have drawn scrutiny in prior seasons of the franchise. The show has consistently leaned into controversial casting as a way to generate attention, and Season 5 is no exception. Santos alone guarantees headlines. Pairing him with Bure, a figure whose fan base skews toward faith-driven, family-oriented viewers, creates a tension the network clearly welcomes.
Barnes, the former NBA forward, played 14 seasons in the league and has been a fixture on sports media and reality television since retiring. McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowl running back, spent most of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. Baumgardner held world championship titles in women's boxing. The Umanskys, Mauricio, the real estate mogul and star of "Buying Beverly Hills," and his daughter Alexia, bring the reality TV dynasty angle.
Reyes, Billingham, Fox, and Quarles return as the Directing Staff, the former military operators who design and oversee every challenge. Their job is straightforward: push each recruit until the celebrity quits or breaks through. The format does not award immunity or offer alliances. It is a test of individual endurance, and the Directing Staff controls the pace.
Fox has not disclosed the total number of challenges planned for the season, nor has it detailed the elimination format beyond the general premise that recruits can be removed, or can voluntarily withdraw, at any point.
The show occupies a distinct lane in reality television. It is not a dating show, a talent competition, or a popularity contest. It borrows its structure from actual military selection courses, and the Directing Staff's credentials give it a credibility that most celebrity-driven programming lacks. Whether that credibility survives the presence of a convicted fraudster on the roster is another question.
Season 5 premieres September 24 on Fox. The jungle does not care about your résumé, and for at least one cast member, that might be the point.
