Collin Gosselin Shares Family's Reaction to Special Forces Appearance

Collin Gosselin Reveals His Dad and Siblings' Reactions to Him Joining Special Forces

Collin Gosselin has the best fans cheering him on at home.

After all, the Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum shared a glimpse into the support he received from dad Jon Gosselin, his dad's ex-girlfriend Colleen Conrad—who has remained active in his life after the 2021 breakup—and his siblings before competing on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.

"A lot of tears and a lot of I love yous," Collin exclusively told E! News at the Special Forces season five red carpet in Los Angeles on Sept. 17. "My dad and Colleen—they were just so supportive of me and just so proud of me."

The 22-year-old—whose siblings include fellow sextuplets Leah, Alexis, Joel, Hannah and Aaden, and 25-year-old twin sisters Cara and Mady—emphasized how important that encouragement was.

He explained, "It's hard to pat yourself on the back until others say it too."

As Collin competed in the quasi-military training Fox series alongside Ruby Rose, George Santos, Alexia Umansky, Mauricio Umansky and more, he thought of one special person: a younger version of himself.

"I look at pictures of myself as a kid, and I'll do anything for that kid," he reflected. "That's how I think of it. 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.'" 

The In the Shadow of Eight author—who has been vocal about the alleged abuse he experienced at the hands of his mom Kate Gosselin, which she has denied—emphasized that starring on the competition series was also a message of resilience.

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"You can go through so much in your life, and you can have the worst childhood and the worst circumstances, and be dealt the worst hand of cards," he said. "Know your why. Put your head up every morning, even if it's hard, and just keep going. That's what I did this whole show."

"Remember why you're doing it," he added, noting that his mission is advocacy. "You can go through so much, but there's growth in the future, there's healing in the future, and there's love in the future."

While fans wait to watch the premiere of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test season five on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Fox or on Hulu the next day, keep reading for all the competitors.

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Pete Dadds/Fox

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Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

Pete Dadds/Fox

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