George Santos, whose public life has seen him navigate roles from a controversial congressman to a prison inmate, is now adding reality television contestant to his eclectic resume. The former New York representative will appear on the fifth season of Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, a grueling competition set to air in September.
The show promises to subject participants to extreme military-themed challenges, including chemical gassing, within the harsh environment of a Malaysian jungle. Santos announced his involvement on X, sharing a promotional image and declaring, “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!”
He is slated to compete against more than a dozen other contestants, including former NBA player Matt Barnes and actor Ruby Rose, in what Fox bills as the “ultimate test of physical, mental and emotional resilience.”
Santos was elected to the House from New York in 2022 as a Republican, but he wound up serving less than a year in the office after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story. He was expelled from Congress while facing criminal charges over stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.
He pleaded guilty but had his sentence commuted by President Donald Trump after serving around 84 days in prison. He later tried to reboot his political career with another run for the House, but quickly abandoned the run after raising no money.
Last month, Kalshi, the online prediction marketplace, reported him to federal authorities after he boasted he would be going to Trump’s State of the Union address, then allegedly bet against his own attendance. That caused Polymarket, another online prediction platform where he was working in an influencer capacity, to end its paid relationship with him. Santos has said the allegation is “preposterous.”
He did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Among the challenges on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, according to the network, were a claustrophobic search of an underground bunker and a supply load retrieval while suspended high above the jungle floor.
