Nick Viall has his eyes on the athletes competing on season 4 of Special Forces.
“Eric [Decker] is obviously a former NFL player,” Nick, 44, shared on the Thursday, August 7, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast. “No NFL players have passed a course because it’s an emotional test more than a physical test because at some point, they’re literally torturing you for eight to 10 days straight. You are made to feel like your worst self.”
NBA player Nick Young, Olympic soccer player Christie Pearce Rampone and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson will join NFL players Johnny Manziel, Randall Cobb and Andrew East on Fox’s hit reality show.
Similar to previous seasons, celebrities will take on demanding training led by an elite team of ex-Special Forces operatives.
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While some viewers may be quick to assume the athletes will excel on the show, Nick reminded fans not to underestimate some reality stars.
“In the first two seasons, of the five people who passed the course, three of them were from Bachelor Nation,” he shared.
In season 2, Nick won the show alongside Tyler Cameron. The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown also passed the final test in season 1.
This year, viewers will be able to watch family members compete on the show. Teresa Giudice will join her daughter Gia Giudice, while Jessie James Decker and Shawn, 33, will join their husbands for season 4.
“Does one quit while the other stays?” Nick asked before sharing a hypothetical. “What if Eric’s like, ‘F*** this s***,’ and Jessie’s like, ‘No!’
One person who reached out to Nick before filming was Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia. The former Bachelor star told the influencer that the show isn’t for the faint of heart.
“Briana did reach out to me and ask me if she should do it,” he said. “I didn’t get confirmation that she was doing it. I was like, ‘You should definitely do it and I think you will do well.’ I gave her just a couple of tidbits and then never heard back.”
Before a new season kicks off, Nick was quick to remind viewers that Special Forces is the real deal and not your average unscripted show.
“It’s several days of literal Special Forces training,” he said. “It’s not a reality TV show. It is a real-life simulation. They are not engaging with producers. There are no craft services. There’s no downtime. No one is making you avocado toast while you do your makeup or anything like that. You’re in a real-life special forces training simulation.”
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As for the compensation, Nick claimed contestants are paid the same whether they last one day or make it to the very end.
“There’s no incentive,” he explained. “They all got paid what they got paid. They can leave all they want and still get the same amount of money. It’s only for pride.”
Special Forces season 4 premieres on Fox Thursday, September 25, at 9 p.m. ET.