George Santos didn’t go on Special Forces to make friends, but he walked away with some close bonds — especially with Candace Cameron Bure.
“I walked in knowing it was going to be an uphill battle for me, because these are celebrities — people with very public lives — and they’re trying to do the job, get the next job, and brand safety is a big thing,” Santos, 38, who was convicted of fraud and identity theft, exclusively told Us. “I’m like a nuclear football, so I figured nobody is going to want to talk to me.”
Santos recalled “some cold initial introductions that evolved later,” adding, “I was humbled by that. The conversations post-show were very positive. My fellow cast members have been amazing and phenomenal to interact with and build relationships with.”
While the former New York congressman initially hesitated to pick favorites, he ultimately named Cameron Bure, 50, as his No. 1.
“But my favorite person in the cast — I know we shouldn’t do these things, but I’ll just say it, I don’t care — it was Candace,” he gushed. “She’s such an awesome person, I genuinely love her. I mean, DJ Tanner [from Full House] — how could you not?”
Santos clarified that he knew why most of his Special Forces costars might want to keep their distance from him, adding, “I think it’s simple — it is what it is. I did it to myself, and I have to prove to every single group of people, every time I interact with them, that I’m far more than what you experience in the media.”
He continued: “So it’s fine, I’m OK with that. I’m OK with people having that opinion and then at least getting to know me, which is what a lot of people in this cast did.”
Special Forces, which premiered in 2023, puts celebrities through harsh training based on actual military selection processes. The cast faces intense physical and mental challenges designed to push them to their limits.
“You know, prison was hard. This was harder,” Santos shared with Us. “This challenges you. I mean, prison tortures you … [but] this really demands you to actually show up all the time, whereas in our broken incarceratory system in this country, you’re just meat.”
Santos credited his past prison experience with giving him “awareness and wherewithal to be self-aware” before joining Special Forces.
“I remember going in, because the setup was so similar, I’m like, ‘No, not this again,’” he quipped. “I think Hannah Stocking was sleeping next to me. I think I made a comment like, ‘Oh no, not this setup again.’ And they were like, ‘What do you mean?’ I’m like, ‘I was in prison, this is how we slept.’”
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
