Special Forces: World's Toughest Test: Details and 9 strict rules contestants must follow

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test is a military training television series that challenges a group of celebrities to endure brutal military style training led by directing staff (DS) agents, testing their physical, mental, and emotional resilience.

In the fourth season of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, which premiered on September 25, 2025, contestants are exposed to extreme conditions in Morocco, where they are enrolled as recruits as they undergo brutal exercises under the supervision of former Special Forces operatives.

The show airs on Fox every Thursday at 9:00 pm ET/PT, with the episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu. The diverse batch of celebrities participating this season includes:

Teresa Guidice, Shawn Johnson East, Ravi V. Patel, Randall Cobb, Nick Young, Mark Estes, Kody Brown, Jussie Smollett, Johnny Manziel, Jessie James Decker, Gia Giudice, Eva Marcille, Eric Decker, Christie Pearce Rampone, Chanel Iman, Brittany Cartwright, Brianna LaPaglia, and Andrew East.

As a normal thing in real-life military training, the celebrities in this series are also expected to follow a certain set of rules strictly.

Here are the nine rigid rules that cannot be compromised and need to be adhered to by the Special Forces: World's Toughest Test contestants.

Celebrities need to follow nine strict rules in the Special Forces: World's Toughest Test

1. Contestants must not disclose their casting to anybody until the show starts

Once the celebrities receive a casting call for Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, they cannot reveal the information to anybody and remain a secret, often for several months.

During season 3 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Bachelorette alum Trista Sutter had to follow the rule due to which her husband, Ryan Sutter, posted a cryptic Instagram message about her absence, which led to speculation about their relationship.

2. Celebrities must obey all orders from the Directing Staff

The show requires contestants to follow all orders from the Directing Staff (DS) without reasoning. Season 1 contestant Melanie Brown revealed in a press conference that there was no leniency or special treatment for celebrity participants.

3. Limited hygiene products are only allowed

Participants are provided only basic hygiene requirements, such as soap, a toothbrush, and deodorant, which makes their quality of life far different from the lavish lifestyles they are used to.

4. Only two sets of clothing are given

The living conditions on the show are intentionally grounded. Hannah Brown, the season 1 participant, revealed that they received only two sets of clothing for the entire series, including a few pairs of undergarments. They have to sleep on small cots in tents, often going to the loo with buckets and minimum privacy.

5. Contestants cannot take personal photos with them

Contestants are not allowed to bring personal photos or mementos to the show to isolate them from distractions and help to focus on the challenges present.

Nick Viall recounted in a podcast that fellow contestant Tom Sandoval violated this rule by secretly bringing photos of his partner, Rachel Leviss.

6. Participants are not allowed to have their phones and electronics during the show

Participants cannot bring their phones or other electronic devices into Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, ensuring complete disconnection from the outside world. Season 1 contestant Gus Kenworthy described the phone ban as beneficial, noting that being disconnected allowed him to focus entirely on the mental and physical demands of the show.

7. The challenges don't have a fixed timing

One of the difficult challenges for Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test is that the training activities can start at any time of the day, even during the REM cycle, as they are mostly unpredictable. Contestants never know in advance when or what the next task will be.

8. They have to follow a bathroom buddy system

As safety and teamwork are critical on the show, contestants cannot go to the bathroom alone and must follow a buddy system. Mel B. shared that participants must ask their fellow competitors if anyone needs to use the washroom, and they go together.

This way, they cannot escape because the partner never returns to their barracks alone and waits for the fellow partner to finish.

9. Compulsory medical and psychological check before exit

Due to the extreme physical and mental stress experienced on the Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, all contestants undergo thorough medical and psychological assessments before leaving the show.

Anthony Scaramucci, who participated in the first season, narrated earlier in 2023 that everybody sees a doctor before leaving to check and handle whether they are suffering any physical pain or mental pressure.