Now 22, Collin Gosselin grew up on camera on TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8. He became the second in his family to compete on Fox’s Special Forces. His mother, Kate Gosselin, competed on the first season. She didn’t do very well. The former child reality star shaded his estranged mom’s run on the show and vowed to “redeem” the family name. Keep reading for all the details.
Collin Gosselin Shades Mom’s Time On Special Forces
Collin Gosselin is finally ready to tell his truth after years of silence and family estrangement. His mother, Kate Gosselin, reportedly sent her son to a facility in 2016 when he was 11 or 12. His father, Jon Gosselin, rescued him and won custody. Hannah Gosselin also lived with Jon, but the other six children stayed with their mother.
The former child reality star is releasing a book in October that reportedly details the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother. Kate Gosselin has denied any claims of abuse. Despite their estrangement, Collin Gosselin is following his mom’s footsteps by competing on Season 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
Kate Gosselin competed on the first season but suffered an injury in the first episode and left the show. Her son threw shade at her early exit in Season 5’s premiere on September 24.
“My mom did this course, like very early on, and got out [after] the first challenge. There’s definitely a part of me that’s like, I can do better than that,” Collin Gosselin told the cameras. So, how’d he do?
Former Reality Star Vows To ‘Redeem’ Family Name
Collin Gosselin is already a step ahead of his mom on Special Forces. He made it through the first challenge and continues on with 14 other contestants. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville was injured in the challenge and went home.
In his confessional, Collin Gosselin revealed his motivation for competing on the reality show. “I guess you could say I’m here to redeem the Gosselin name.” But that wasn’t his only reason for returning to reality TV 15 years after TLC ended his family’s show.
“I look at pictures of myself as a kid, and I’ll do anything for that kid. That’s how I think of it,” Collin Gosselin told E! News. “It’s hard to sit back sometimes and say I’m proud of myself, but I think we should do that more to ourselves to say, ‘I’m proud of everything I’ve done.’”
He also told the outlet that he had the full support of his father and his father’s former girlfriend, Colleen Conrad. Collin Gosselin is still close to her and considers her his “real mom.”
His book Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood comes out on October 13, 2026.
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox on Thursdays at 9 PM Eastern. How far do you think Collin Gosselin will make it?
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger