Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test is (finally!) back for Season 4. The hit Fox reality competition show takes a group of eclectic celebrities out of the glitz and comfort of their everyday lives and puts them in a secluded location under severe conditions to be put through the demanding Special Forces selection process. Under the command of the Directing Staff (made up of an intimidating quartet of former military operatives), these stars undergo grueling physical and mental challenge. The only way out is to self-eliminate or medically withdraw. One contestant eager to test himself in the harsh environment of Morocco was Mark Estes, a successful TikToker and social media influencer.

Known for his part in the Montana Boyz content creator trio (comprised of Estes, Kaleb Campbell Winterburn, and Kade Wilcox), the former college football player rose to Internet fame via his country boy charm, good looks, and gym thirst traps. He also gained a number of fans due to his short-lived relationship with reality TV icon Kristin Cavallari. Now happily in a relationship with fellow influencer Sommer Ray, Estes saw Special Forces as a chance to “prove something” to himself. “I wanted to see if I still had that grit in me,” said Estes. “I wanted to show another side of me apart from TikTok or thirst trapping.”

Thanks to his athletic background and constant workouts, Estes was ready to handle the physical aspects of the test. “The physical part wasn’t necessarily the hardest part for me,” said Estes. “It was more the mental aspect of the challenges.” He even revealed that there were times when he contemplated quitting. “It’s not necessarily the challenges themselves that beat you down,” explained Estes. “It’s all the downtime in between when you’re lying on your cot or roasting in the 114 degree weather.”

Estes stopped by the DECIDER studio to talk about the season, his fellow contestants, and which of his fellow Montana Boyz he’d like to see on a potential Season 5.

DECIDER: I can’t wait to see how you do on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. What was your motivation for signing on?

MARK ESTES: I wanted to prove something to myself. I wanted to see if I still had that grit in me. Also, I wanted to show another side of me apart from TikTok or thirst trapping.

You were on The Viall Files, and Nick Viall famously appeared in Season 2 of the series. Did you reach out to former celebrity recruits like him before embarking on this journey?

I did. I talked to Dwight Howard from Season 1. He gave me some pretty good advice . It was cool to be able to chat with him before the show started.

Last season the series was in Wales, United Kingdom, and New Zealand and Jordan before that. What were your thoughts on the location?

They dealt with a lot of things in Wales that we didn’t have to deal with in Morocco. Though, the heat in the desert is really tough. Really tough. There are no ideal conditions anywhere.

My favorite part of the show is watching very different people connect through this experience. Perhaps that’s a bit of trauma bonding. Who were you closest with from the cast?

There’s a lot of trauma bonding [laughs]. It was great getting to know Johnny Manziel. We had some good chats at breakfast and during those long car rides in between challenges and stuff. It was pretty cool to be able to talk to him about a lot of stuff. We’ve kept in touch after the season too.

Season 4 includes social media influencers, like yourself, Brianna Chickenfry, and a lot of Bravolebrities. Were you familiar with any of your cast mates before starting Season 4?

I pretty much knew who everybody was, but I had hung out only with Bri before. I was on her podcast. Funny enough, me and my girlfriend had dinner with Bri probably a month before filming starting. We had no idea that we were both on the show. That was kind of cool.

You used to play football, and we know you’re always at the gym! Do you think your athletic background came in handy?

I definitely think it did. The physical part wasn’t necessarily the hardest part for me. It was more the mental aspect of the challenges. That was definitely tough.

Was it hard to watch other contestants struggle during the more physical exercises?

It was. I did my best to encourage people who needed a bit of help, but there’s not a lot you can do for them.

Kyla Pratt told us last season that she started to have thoughts about leaving just 2 days into the test. Did the thought of quitting ever cross your mind?

Honestly, quitting crossed my mind quite a bit. It’s not necessarily the challenges themselves that beat you down. It’s all the downtime in between when you’re lying on your cot or roasting in the 114 degree weather. All the little things keep adding up.

The Special Forces fan TikTok has already posted a thirst trap of you simply drying off after a shower. Was there anywhere the cameras didn’t follow you?

I don’t think so. We’re in that compound and there are cameras everywhere filming 24/7. However, there are no producers or glam teams running around. It’s all pretty raw and real.

What do you think the biggest challenge was for you to overcome during the show?

I was dealing with challenges in my own head that I didn’t know I had before I got there. I didn’t realize that I am afraid of heights. I didn’t realize claustrophobia bothers me. Everything’s different when there’s a real-life scenario in front of you, right? Some of the obstacles I faced were really tough, but I was able to overcome a lot of them.

Were you surprised by what some of your fellow contestants were able to overcome?

Nick Young surprised me. He’s a super funny guy. Super. He overcame a lot of stuff that I honestly didn’t know if he would be able to get through, but he’d always get to the finish line.

Staff does a great job of keeping their distance, but stepping up emotionally in the interrogation room. Did you think any of them had a soft spot for you?

[Laughs] I don’t know, but I would hope so. I saw them off camera, doing press and all that. They’re really good people, and they’re fun to chat with.

Out of all the staff, who would you want to grab a beer with and why?

I’d like to grab a beer with all of them, honestly. Rudy is definitely a cool guy.

If you had to pick any of your fellow Montana Boyz to maybe follow in your footsteps in Season 5, who would it be and why?

I like to see Kaleb do it just because he has the same background as me. You know, he’s athletic. He’s fit. I would like to see him go through it.

Now that you’re in the reality competition world, if you had to pick either Traitors or Dancing with the Stars to do next, which would it be and why?

It would have to be Traitors because I’m not a dancer [laughs].

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