Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test brought Eva Marcille back to Morocco for the first time since she was there to film The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip—the season that, according to Marcille, will “never” see the light of day.

In January 2023, Marcille was among the all-star crew of Real Housewives to jet off to Morocco to film what was supposed to be the fourth season of RHUGT. The season, however, was shelved by Bravo in light of legal issues involving an incident that allegedly occurred between Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo.

“It’s not coming out, it’s never happening,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum told Decider over a recent phone call. However, she did thank Bravo for introducing her to the foreign country, as her previous experience helped prepare her for the elements she would encounter when it came time to film the fourth season of Special Forces, the FOX competition series that puts celebrities through the rigorous military selection process.  

“Going to Morocco for Girls Trip and playing with my friend Brandi Glanville is extremely different from being on the top of Atlas Mountain and in the Sahara Desert with 120-degree weather, hanging off the side of a helicopter,” Marcille said.

With some help from her new pals, which included actor Jussie Smollett and Sister Wives star Kody Brown, Marcille—whose father and brother both served in the military—learned just how strong she truly was through this experience. “I did not know my own strength,” she said. “I thought I was tough before, but I am 10 times tougher than I ever thought I was.”

When Decider caught up with Marcille ahead of the Season 4 premiere, she revealed the advice she got from her brother before shipping out to Morocco, what it was like to have her “Bravo sister” Teresa Giudice by her side, and how her former Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star Kenya Moore “motivated” her to sign on for the show. Check out the full interview below.

DECIDER: I am such a big Special Forces fan and I can’t wait to see you on the show. What was your motivation for signing on?

EVA MARCILLE: There were a couple of things. I wanted to dare myself to get outside of my comfort zone. But also, my eldest brother is career military for the Marines and Sergeant, and my father did three tours of Vietnam when he was drafted. [I wanted] to try to get a better understanding and appreciation for the service that they did, not just for me as their family, but for those that they don’t know and how hard it truly is. If they can make that risk and that choice to put their lives on the line for a career, and I have the opportunity to go and do it for a few weeks? Absolutely.

Did you get any advice from them beforehand?

I did. My brother’s advice to me was, “Nothing lasts forever.” It doesn’t matter how heavy it is, how tired you are, how much it hurts, keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing. Because before you know it, it’ll be over. Nothing lasts forever. 

Right. This too shall pass.

This too shall pass. The beauty is after going through the course and being a part of this amazing experience and show, that thing that “nothing lasts forever” also reminds me [of] the friends that I made while we were there, the bonds that we created, the staying in the moment and appreciating each moment because even the best of them still don’t last forever.

Have you watched past seasons? Were there any stories from previous contestants that inspired you?

Oh, my girl Kenya Moore. She did the first season and I know how strong she is. I also know how hard she’s worked to live the life she has. To see her stretch herself and as competitive and determined as she is, I was motivated by her. Also, Cam Newton. Cam Newton is one of the best football players of all time. He’s the strongest man I could even think of. I was motivated by seeing their strength, but I wanted to understand what more it took beyond physical strength. Because obviously it wasn’t about being the strongest person. It was about getting through the toughest tasks. So is my mental strong enough? Are my physical, mental and emotional strong enough? Those are all of the things that really will come into play. 

Right. The mental aspect is so often talked about in this show.

It’s the part you don’t think about. You don’t really consider the mental. You’re like, “How many pushups can I do? How fast can I run a mile?” That’s what you focus on, physically, only to realize beyond missing your loved ones, your children, your spouses, it does get taxing. I mean, they’re yelling at you all day long. 

You’re not the only Real Housewife on Season 4. Teresa Giudice and her daughter Gia Giudice were also on. What was it like to have that Bravo bond?

Oh, my goodness, to have my Bravo sister! Our true bond happened right here on Special Forces. I think Teresa and I are a lot like each other, where people think they know who we are, but they have no idea who we truly are. This show was an opportunity to throw away all the glitz and glam—she’s just a beautiful lady, she can’t help it—and put her to the test, as you would Eric Decker, who is a big athletic man right next to her. No one cared about your gender, your celebrity, what you did before. It was all about being a teammate, succeeding in your task, not letting others down, and not letting yourself down. Having Teresa and being able to create that bond with her and then her daughter being there, too, Gia, who is a force to be reckoned with … to see Teresa’s strength while she does her challenge and then watching her watch her daughter was beautiful. 

Speaking of Bravo, you were last in Morocco for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season that never was, or has yet to be. Who knows!

 It’s not coming out, it’s never happening. 

What was it like to go back to Morocco?

Thank you, Bravo, for introducing Morocco and Marrakesh to me. To be back there felt good just because I was not completely foreign to the elements and where I was going. However, going to Morocco for Girls Trip and playing with my friend Brandi Glanville is extremely different from being on the top of Atlas Mountain and in the Sahara Desert with 120-degree weather, hanging off the side of a helicopter. It was just different. 

A lot less catty drama, I imagine.

There is no room for cattiness at all. We were trying to find food that we could identify. The things that we had to go through, they go so far beyond what we take for granted every single day, let alone prioritize.

That lends itself to what you were saying before, which is how close you became with the cast. I know some people in the past have referred to it as trauma bonding. Who were you closest with?

I would say Jussie Smollett, if there was one person. Jussie and I just bonded immediately. We were obviously fish out of water, but we had that same spirit of determination, which is the spirit of, “I don’t care how hard this is. It has to break me. I will not break.” Having that bond and having someone to help motivate me and [say], “You got this, girl.” I remember there was one moment where I literally was having a full panic attack and he leaned over to me and he was like, “Eva, it’s fine. It’s just water. It’s you and Marley,” who’s my daughter, “It’s you and Marley, and everything is fine.” It literally put me into the headspace that I needed to be in because I was freaking out. So Jussie was my guy.

You really do find yourself bonding with everyone because you never know who you’re next to. You never know what you’re going to need to do but what you do know is that everyone here, we have to stay together. If I put on sunglasses, everyone puts on sunglasses. So if Kody Brown wanted to wear sunglasses, sunglasses were up. It was one of those realities. So, I bonded with Kody Brown, which was a surprise. I’m a fan of the show. I did not think that he would be the person that I went to for some motivation. But Kody Brown is one fierce man.

And then Chanel Iman. She is a supermodel. You see her height, but you don’t understand her strength. I know from doing this show with her and seeing her push through [that she is] such a motivator to others. She and I bonded a lot, especially with haircare. But everybody—Teresa and Gia. All the guys—Ravi [V. Patel]. Nick Young used to be my neighbor. He and I used to be neighbors in Los Angeles years ago. Coming in, he was actually one of the only people that I knew. I’ve heard of a lot of other people. I was a fan of a lot of people, but I didn’t know any of them really personally.

I think the bonds are always the best part of this show.

Now we’re family. If I need blood, who’s my type? Because I know who to call for a transfusion.

What is the biggest thing you learned about yourself through this experience?

The biggest thing I learned about myself through this experience is that I did not know my own strength. I thought I was tough before, but I am 10 times tougher than I ever thought I was. I am more determined than I ever thought I was. I pushed myself to do things I would’ve never imagined I was even capable of doing, let alone being successful in. What I have learned from this is that I didn’t even know my own strength, I can truly do anything, and my ability to self-motivate has been pushed through the roof, which I didn’t even know was possible because I am pretty optimistic. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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