George Santos' next gig? Reality TV show contestant

NEW YORK (AP) — George Santos has worn many hats: Swindler, congressman, prison inmate, podcast host. The obvious next gig? Reality TV show contestant.

In September, Santos will appear on the fifth season of Fox's “Special Forces: World's Toughest Test,” a grueling contest where participants will be subjected to chemical gassing and other military themed challenges in a Malaysian jungle, the network announced Wednesday.

“I took my fat behind off the coach and tried something new!,” Santos wrote in a post on X along with a promotional image of himself standing next to a tree with a stern expression on his face. “And it changed EVERYTHING! I can’t wait to share this experience with y’all!”

He will go up against more than a dozen other contestants — including former NBA player Matt Barnes and actor Ruby Rose — in a show Fox has billed as the “ultimate test of physical, mental and emotional resilience.”

Santos was elected to the House from New York in 2022 as a Republican, but he wound up serving less than a year in the office after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story. He was expelled from Congress while facing criminal charges over stealing from donors and his campaign, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits and lying to Congress about his wealth.

He pleaded guilty but had his sentence commuted by President Donald Trump after serving around 84 days in prison. He later tried to reboot his political career with another run for the House but quickly abandoned the run after raising no money.

Last month, Kalshi, the online prediction marketplace, reported him to federal authorities after he boasted he would be going to Trump’s State of the Union address, then allegedly bet against his own attendance. That caused Polymarket, another online prediction platform where he was working in an influencer capacity, to end its paid relationship with him. Santos has said the allegation is "preposterous."

He did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday.

Among the challenges on Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” according to the network, were a claustrophobic search of an underground bunker and a supply load retrieval while suspended high above the jungle floor.

FILE - Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for sentencing, April 25, 2025, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Three inmates were killed and more than 20 were injured in two separate prison clashes in Sri Lanka on Thursday and Friday, a government minister said.

In a third detention facility, officials used tear gas to control inmate protests on Friday.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Friday that one inmate died at Colombo Magazine Prison in the capital, Colombo, late Thursday when about 40 prisoners clashed after breaking out of their cells.

Two inmates died Friday morning at Kuruwita Prison in Kuruwita town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital, Wijepala said.

Between the two incidents, 23 inmates were injured and admitted to hospitals, Wijepala said, adding that the violence was related to narcotics dealers and rival criminal gangs.

Prison officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Separately, prison officials used tear gas to control inmate protests at the Pallansena Correctional Center on Friday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The reports of the three deaths come a month after a clash in Negombo prison on July 6 left at least 26 people dead including seven prison officers.

Sri Lankan prisons are highly congested, with more than 39,000 inmates crowded into a system with a total capacity of just 10,000, according to a recent speech in Parliament by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

“The number of prisoners in Sri Lanka today is four times the capacity,” said Senaka Perera, president of the Committee for Rights of Prisoners. “In fact they have been patient for so long.”

A large number of jail inmates are suspects awaiting trial for alleged narcotics-related offenses. Recent laws tightening bail conditions have resulted in prison overcrowding, Perera said.

The poor living conditions in the congested prisons keep inmates in constant agitation, which triggers incidents, Perera said.

His organization has made numerous pleas to authorities to categorize drug addicts as medical patients and establish separate rehabilitation facilities, Perera said.

Sri Lankan soldiers stand outside the Magazine Prison following an unrest in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo)