NEW YORK (AP) — George Santos has filled quite a few roles over the years: swindler, congressman, prison inmate, and podcast host. Now, he’s adding reality TV contestant to that list.
Fox announced Wednesday that Santos will appear this September on the fifth season of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” a punishing competition that puts participants through military-inspired challenges — including chemical gassing — set deep in a Malaysian jungle.
Santos took to X to share the news alongside a promotional photo of himself standing stone-faced beside a tree. “I took my fat behind off the coach and tried something new!,” he wrote. “And it changed EVERYTHING! I can’t wait to share this experience with y’all!”
He’ll be competing against more than a dozen others, including former NBA player Matt Barnes and actor Ruby Rose. Fox has described the show as the “ultimate test of physical, mental and emotional resilience.”
Santos won a House seat representing New York in 2022 as a Republican, but his tenure lasted less than a year after it came to light that he had invented large portions of his personal biography. He was expelled from Congress while facing criminal charges that included stealing from campaign donors, fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits, and lying to Congress about his personal finances.
He eventually pleaded guilty, but President Donald Trump commuted his sentence after he had served roughly 84 days behind bars. Santos later attempted a political comeback with another House run, but abandoned the effort almost immediately after failing to raise any money.
Just last month, online prediction marketplace Kalshi reported Santos to federal authorities after he publicly claimed he would attend Trump’s State of the Union address, then allegedly placed a bet against his own appearance. The incident led Polymarket, another online prediction platform where Santos had been working as a paid influencer, to cut ties with him. Santos has called the allegation “preposterous.”
He did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
According to Fox, the show’s challenges include navigating a claustrophobic underground bunker search and retrieving supplies while dangling high above the jungle floor.
