'Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test' Teaches Season 3 Cast the Meaning of "No Guts, No Glory"

Some reality competition shows test contestants and tempt them with a monetary prize at the end. Other shows offer the chance at true love. For Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, the celebrity contestants have to go through rigorous training to prove themselves, but it's not about winning a prize or eliminating the weaker players. Instead, it's about showing that these cast members are more than what some may perceive them as.

The same goes for the Special Forces Season 3 cast, which is made up of lots of different kinds of celebrities with varying degrees of experience with the outdoors. From former reality TV contestants to spouses of celebrities and actors who are famous in their own right, the cast is here to once again challenge themselves through military style training.

It's not uncommon for reality shows that feature established reality stars or other celebrities to show a side of them that fans probably hadn't seen before. With Special Forces, that's true ten-fold. Especially since the Season 3 cast includes celebrities like Denise Richards, an actor who is also known for her time on The Real housewives of Beverly Hills.

There's also Christy Carlson Romano, known for her Disney Channel stardom. She once played a military school captain in Cadet Kelly, but who likely knows very little about real training. Olympians Nathan Adrian, Marion Jones, and Jordyn Wieber are also part of the Season 3 cast.

But there are some Special Forces cast members in Season 3 who are also a little more athletic than others. Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton and former wide receiver Golden Tate could have what it takes early on to tackle (no pun intended) the challenges ahead of them. Then again, the tests the cast members face on this show aren't immediately easy for those without any formal military training.

Special Forces is based on the British show SAS: Who Dares Wins. Like the original series, the U.S. Special Forces show is filmed at different locations each season. Season 3 was filmed in Wales. And, according to Season 3 cast member and former Bachelor star Trista Sutter, they filmed around May 2024.

In May, fans became concerned when they noticed her absence from social media, and some of them suspected some marriage troubles for her. Then, in November 2024, Trista posted on Instagram to settle things down and explain where she had been at that time.

"Was it a divorce/nervous breakdown/mid-life crisis/death/trial separation back in May?!" Trista wrote in the caption under a promo video for Special Forces. "Not unless that's what you call Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, season 3! Thankfully, none of those things are associated with my experience in filming the show, but as you get a glimpse of in the trailer, the angel on my shoulder."