Collin Gosselin making shock return to reality TV ahead of tell-all memoir about estranged mom Kate
Collin Gosselin is headed to the jungle of Malaysia for “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” Season 5 ahead of the release of his tell-all memoir focusing on his life growing up with parents Jon and Kate Gosselin.
The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star, 22, announced his casting via Instagram on Wednesday with a video showing the complete cast.
“The secret is out…” he opened his caption. “I’m so excited to announce that this fall, you can watch me take on the challenges of ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test!”
He continued: “This experience was so special to me, and I met some truly incredible people along the way. I can’t wait for you all to watch us tackle these challenges together. See you soon!”
Collin will be joined in the cast by several other current and former reality stars including “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Brandi Glanville, “Selling Sunset” star Breana Tiesi, and father-daughter duo who also appeared on “RHOBH,” Alexia Umansky and Mauricio Umansky.
The rest of the ensemble is rounded out with “Full House” alum Candace Cameron Bure, “Orange is the New Black” actress Ruby Rose, former U.S. Rep. George Santos, NBA champion Matt Barnes, champion boxer Alycia Baumgardner, “Baywatch” alum David Charvet, actor Oliver Hudson, Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy, Olympian Maxim Naumov, and comedian Hannah Stocking.
In the forthcoming fifth installment, the new group of celebrity recruits will attempt “to endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process,” per Fox.
Former operatives of Directing Staff (DS) Rudy Reyes, Billy Billingham, Jason “Foxy” Fox and Jovon “Q” Quarles return to manage the new troops’ training as the team gets deployed to Malaysia where they will take on “the world’s toughest test in the most hostile environment a soldier could operate in … the jungle,” reads a synopsis.
“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 description reads.
“In this experiment, there are no votes and no eliminations — just survival. These celebrities, who are so used to being in the spotlight, will quickly learn the meaning of ‘no guts, no glory’ — and no glam.”
Fans of the reality series may recall that Collin’s mom, Kate, 51, starred in Season 1. However, she was quickly eliminated after she sustained an injury in the first episode.
Collin’s casting arrives shortly after he announced his plans to release a bombshell memoir, titled “In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood,” about his life growing up in the public eye alongside his seven siblings — Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Hannah and Leah, and twins Cara and Madelyn.
According to a description of the book, Collin promises to deliver the “never-before-told story of how [Collin] escaped and found his way back from the dark.”
His memoir will recount him “being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy.”
It’s no secret that Collin has had a years-long tumultuous relationship with his mother. The young business owner has even previously accused Kate of “child abuse and child exploitation,” which she’s denied.
In September 2024, Kate’s lawyer told the US Sun that he didn’t believe Kate had done anything to “intentionally harm” Collin, and that she “did what she did to protect herself and her family” from her son’s “troubled behavior.”
Collin hasn’t shied away from publicly throwing jabs at his mom online ahead of the release of his book. However, last month Kate hit back at her son’s claims, calling him “mentally ill.”
