Story perspectives

Fox Announces “Special Forces” Season 5, 15 Celebrity Recruits Premiere September 24

7/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Fox announced Season 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test will premiere on September 24, 2026, at 9 p.m.
Fifteen celebrity recruits—including Candace Cameron Bure, Ruby Rose, Rep. George Santos (R-NY)—will train in Malaysia.
Participants may leave only by quitting, medical withdrawal, task failure, or staff removal, with no voting.
Episodes air on Fox September 24 and Hulu the next day after staff including Rudy Reyes and others run an underground-bunker search challenge.

History

Historical Context

In 2000, CBS launched Survivor, a 16-contestant competition adapted from Sweden’s 1997 Expedition Robinson and retooled by Mark Burnett. Its $1 million prize and elimination format made it a top-10 ratings hit through 2005-06, establishing the modern reality-competition genre. Fox’s 2026 Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test follows that same jungle-elimination model with celebrity players.

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Story summary

Fox announced Season 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test will premiere on September 24, 2026, at 9 p.m.
Fifteen celebrity recruits—including Candace Cameron Bure, Ruby Rose, Rep. George Santos (R-NY)—will train in Malaysia.
Participants may leave only by quitting, medical withdrawal, task failure, or staff removal, with no voting.
Episodes air on Fox September 24 and Hulu the next day after staff including Rudy Reyes and others run an underground-bunker search challenge.

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