Carli Lloyd is coming back to TV but not as a soccer star nor as a match commentator or studio analyst. The USWNT legend is joining a new reality TV show on FOX called “Special Forces: The Ultimate Test.”
Special Forces will see 16 celebrities take part in physical challenges that are part of actual special forces selection processes, according to the Hollywood Reporter after FOX announced the series on Wednesday.
Fox Recruits ‘Special Forces’ Competition Series https://t.co/FSu98Q42DH
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 7, 2022
Carli Lloyd Reality TV Show Details
Set to premiere in January 2023, “Special Forces: The Ultimate Test” is based on a British show called “SAS: Who Dares Wins.” Lloyd is among a mix of athletes, actors, musical artists, TV personalities and people who are celebrities only for being on just this type of reality show.
Contestants are not eliminated like many reality TV shows; instead, just making it through the training is the goal.
“’Special Forces: The Ultimate Test’ puts celebrities you know and love through the most pure and authentic test of endurance that I have ever seen; in many ways, it is more about mental strength than physical strength,” said Rob Wade, an executive with a seemingly meaningless title at Fox. “It’s an eye-opening glimpse into the most intense training in the world and gives a taste of the grit and bravery our armed forces show on a daily basis, which was a life-changing experience for these celebrities.”
The other athletes joining Lloyd on this show are Nastia Liukin (gymnastics), Mike Piazza (MLB), Danny Amendola (NFL), Dwight Howard (NBA) and Gus Kenworthy (skiing, I think?). Of those athletes, only Liukin, Howard and Lloyd have won Olympic gold medals.
Other famous(?) people on the show include Hannah Brown, Kate Gosselin, Kenya Moore, Drew Pinsky, Mel B., Tyler Florence, Montell Jordan, Beverley Mitchell, Anthony Scaramucci and Jamie Lynn Spears.
If you ask me, this is the perfect reality TV series for Carli Lloyd to show off just how hard she tries. One of the lasting images of her final international tournament was Lloyd running sprints after a semifinal defeat at the 2020 Olympics last year (the other lasting image was her not joining her teammates in making a statement against racism).
Carli Lloyd, it will surprise literally none of you, is doing wind sprints alone. pic.twitter.com/Lsl5ty0CmY
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) August 2, 2021
Since retiring, Lloyd has dabbled in TV as a commentator and took part in the 2022 World Cup draw, but she’s also spent a lot of time on social media. She joined Hope Solo’s podcast to call out the culture in the USWNT and went on a a bizarre seven-and-a-half-minute rant about culture on her Instagram page.
We can’t see how she handles the diverse cast of characters on “Special Forces.” We’ll be disappointed if she’s not in better shape than all the other celebrities.
