All About ‘Special Forces’ Season 5, Including the 15 Celebrities Taking on Grueling Military Tests

‘Special Forces’ season 5 will see 15 celebrities, including Candace Cameron Bure and Oliver Hudson, deployed to Southeast Asia. Here’s everything to know about ‘Special Forces’ season 5, including the cast, premiere date and filming location.

NEED TO KNOW

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 premieres on Sept. 24

The hit Fox competition show will see 15 celebrities deployed to Asia

The season 5 cast includes Candace Cameron Bure, Oliver Hudson and former U.S. Rep. George Santos

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 will see another squad of celebrities take on military-style challenges.

The hit Fox reality competition series, which first premiered in 2023, puts a group of stars through grueling challenges inspired by the real-life U.S. Special Forces selection process. Guided by former Special Forces operatives, the recruits are pushed to their physical, mental and emotional limits as they take on demanding exercises in harsh environments.

Unlike most reality competitions, there are no votes, traditional eliminations or cash prizes. Instead, contestants leave by voluntarily withdrawing, being medically unable to continue or being removed by the directing staff. Shawn Johnson East and Gia Giudice both made it to the end of season 4.

Now, season 5 will put a new group of celebrities to the test, including Oliver Hudson, Candace Cameron Bure and Collin Gosselin.

Here’s everything to know about season 5 of Special Forces.

When does season 5 of Special Forces come out?

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 premieres on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the next day.

Who is in the cast of Special Forces season 5?

Special Forces season 5 will put 15 celebrities to the test.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum Collin is among the famous faces joining the competition series, marking his return to reality TV. His casting comes after his mother, Kate Gosselin, competed on season 1.

He’ll be joined by several other familiar TV faces, including Full House alum Bure, Orange Is the New Black actress Ruby Rose, Baywatch alum David Charvet and Rules of Engagement star Hudson. Reality TV stars include The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Brandi Glanville, Selling Sunset’s Bre Tiesi and father-daughter real estate duo Alexia Umansky and Mauricio Umansky.

They will compete against a slew of athletes, including Olympian Maxim Naumov, NBA champion Matt Barnes, champion boxer Alycia Baumgardner and Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy.

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos and comedian Hannah Stocking are also among the cast.

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Several of the season 5 recruits have reflected on the intense experience ahead of the premiere.

“I still can’t believe I did this 🤣😭😂 by far the worst / best thing I have ever endured 🫣,” Tiesi wrote on Instagram in July 2026.

Santos similarly described the experience as transformative in a July 2026 Instagram post.

“This was an experience out of my element and which I was absolutely not in shape for!” he wrote. “I’m proud of this experience. That changed how I view myself and take care of my body, soul and mind.”

Where was season 5 of Special Forces filmed?

The fifth installment of Special Forces was filmed in Malaysia, where the celebrity recruits faced the challenges of the country’s rugged jungle terrain.

“Recruits must adapt to uncomfortable conditions, unpredictable terrain and harsh jungle warfare tasks, including a claustrophobic, high-pressure search of an underground bunker to find crucial military weapons; a supply load retrieval while suspended 300 feet above the jungle floor; endure a barrage of chemical gassing while retrieving coordinates of an enemy vessel; and much more,” the official season 5 synopsis reads.

Where can I watch Special Forces?

Ahead of the season 5 premiere on Sept. 24, viewers can catch up on the first four seasons of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test on Disney+ or Hulu.

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