George Santos says “Special Forces” didn’t air Ruby Rose trying to ‘lift his 260 lb’ body

Shelby StivaleSat, October 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

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George Santos; Ruby RoseCredit: PETE DADDS / FOX (2)Key Points -

George Santos tells Entertainment Weekly about a moment on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test that didn’t make it to air.

The former congressman looks back at his time on the show, after self-eliminating during the Oct. 1 episode.

“I’ve gotten a lot of love,” he says.

Ruby Rose tried to turn a diva down into a diva up on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

George Santos took quite a few tumbles during his two-episode stint on the Fox reality show, but one — much to his chagrin — didn’t make it to air. The former congressman tells Entertainment Weekly that at one point during the Sept. 24 premiere, his leg got stuck while walking through a tangle of mangroves.

“They sped that through, but that was a struggle session,” Santos recalls, laughing. “Ruby was behind me trying to lift all 260 pounds of me.... I’m like, ‘Girl, you’re gonna hurt yourself.’”

George Santos on ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’Credit: Pete Dadds/FOX

Rose had already come into the competition with past injuries. The actress was hurt on the set of Batwoman in 2019, nearly severing her spinal cord and herniating two discs in her neck. Both she and Santos self-eliminated from Special Forces during the Oct. 1 episode to ensure they weren’t injured any further.

Special Forces sees a group of celebrities competing in military-style challenges while sequestered in the Malaysian jungle. Santos tells EW that when he met Rose, he “had to play it cool” because he’s a huge fan.

“[On] me and my husband’s first date ever, we went to the movies to watch Pitch Perfect 3. I love Ruby—from Resident Evil to Orange Is the New Black, to Pitch Perfect, to Batwoman. These are all things I watched. This is my genre of entertainment,” the politician explains. “When I saw her there, I was shocked. Like, ‘Oh my God.’”

He was even more starstruck when sitting down next to Candace Cameron Bure, whom he knows as DJ Tanner from Full House. They’ve even formed a close friendship outside of the show. “I talk to her often. I love her,” he says.

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Santos decided to step away from Special Forces just before the recruits were set to climb a ladder suspended 300 feet above the jungle canopy. Heights weren’t the problem; his sciatica pain was, which Santos tells EW he’s been working on since leaving the show.

“I’ve been in a real health journey and trying to do this the right way, not cheating, not taking the shots and all of that. Trying to do better about it,” he says. “It’s gotten better, but it’s still an issue that is gonna be there until I fix me as a whole. I’m working on that.”

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When Santos joined Special Forces, he wanted viewers to see a different side of him after his past indiscretions. (Santos was in federal prison for 84 days before being released in October 2025. He previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.)

“I think people got to see the goofy side of me. Who I am as a person instead of just reading a headline,” he explains. “The connotation of being a politician is already kind of heavy because politicians have that historic ick to them.”

Santos feels like Special Forces viewers got to see him “as a human being,” someone who is “just a millennial” and “a little messy.” He adds, “I’ve gotten a lot of love, I have to say.”

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

on Entertainment Weekly

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”