The “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” season 4 finale pushed its last five celebrities to their limit. Gia Giudice, Kody Brown, Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, Shawn Johnson, and Andrew East entered the Fox finale on November 20 with only one goal left: survive the final phase of training camp. The moment marked a full-circle moment for Shawn, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum who has now gone on to win a major reality TV competition.
On day nine, the recruits were “captured” and thrown into a brutal mock interrogation meant to shred their mental strength.
Directing staff member Jason “Foxy” Fox warned them before it began, calling the interrogation “the last place you want to be, apart from death.”
The recruits created fake backstories to mislead interrogators, but the punishment was intense. Kody and Brianna endured buckets of water poured over their heads while Gia, Andrew and Shawn were repeatedly submerged in water as the staff pushed them to break.
Andrew East & Kody Brown Fall Short in the Interrogation Phase
Shawn stayed solid through the test, but Andrew struggled under pressure. The directing staff called his performance “abysmal,” and Foxy noted, “If a recruit can’t grasp the situation they’re in and adapt to it, they’re not going to do well on this phase. They’re going to fail it.”
Rodolfo “Rudy” Reyes delivered the verdict. “11, you did not apply the tactics and the training that was explained to you for this portion of the course. For that reason, you have failed the course. Give me your armband.”
Andrew accepted the decision with gratitude. “What a ride it was,” he said in a confessional. “I’m bummed that I didn’t pass selection but I didn’t fully understand the situation. I did not voluntarily withdraw myself, so I can rest easy knowing I gave it all I had.”
Kody followed soon after. Foxy said the “Sister Wives” star “knows what he needs to do but he’s not willing to do it.” Rudy told him, “Alright No. 4, we gave you opportunities and you just did not apply what was briefed to you. You shut down.”
Kody owned the outcome. “The withdrawal was very heartbreaking, but 100 percent I agree with it,” he said. “In the end, the level of stress just made it so that I shut down to a stubbornness.”
Final Face the Most Terrifying Test Yet
With only Gia, Brianna, and Shawn left, the directing staff delivered their final—and most frightening—test. Each recruit had to be buried alive and refuse to confess that they were military recruits.
The moment Brianna lay down in the mud, her resolve cracked. She admitted, “I lied. I’m here with Special Forces.” Her confession ended her journey with only 10 minutes left in the selection process.
That left Gia and Shawn as the only two recruits standing.
Gia Giudice & Shawn Johnson Complete Selection and Win the Season
FOXThe victory was emotional for both women. Gia, the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum, reflected on the moment with pride.
“Shawn and I are going to be bonded for life,” she said. “We completed the selection. I truly didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. I knew I had to persevere and push through for myself and my family and also, most importantly, the DS because they really believed in me.”
Shawn said the experience changed her on a deeper level. “They literally strip away people’s core and it’s a very humbling experience,” the Olympic gold medalist shared. “I learned that you can’t just tune the world out and get your job done, you have to be able to balance both.”
Their completion of the course marked a rare and powerful finish to one of TV’s toughest competitions—and a major win for the DWTS alum who pushed far beyond the ballroom.
