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The first iteration of Fear Factor aired on NBC back in 2001 through 2006. There were a couple of brief reboots in 2011 and 2017. If you don’t remember it, you’re lucky! Fear Factor was a reality competition where people did various dares for a $50,000 cash prize. Competitions included things like jumping in between tractor trailer trucks on a moving highway, lying in a pit of snakes, and eating a variety of gross sh-t. It basically taught me that I am a huge scaredy cat!

Fear Factor is also the reason why Joe Rogan is still a thing. Before that, he was a C-list actor who most notably starred in NewsRadio and hosted UFC shows. Look at how far he’s come now: influencing presidential elections and convincing a whole slew of people that vaccines are bad and Elon Musk is good. There’s been a couple of attempts to revive the show over the years, but none have stuck. This fall, Fox is giving it another go. On Monday, they announced that Fear Factor: The Next Chapter is a part of their 2025-2026 lineup, but they won’t say whether or not Rogan will return as host.

Fear Factor is back.

On Monday, May 12, Fox announced that the stunt game show will return in its upcoming season, nearly 25 years after it initially premiered on NBC.

The new iteration of the series, Fear Factor: The Next Chapter, is a “reimagined” version of the show that Joe Rogan hosted from 2001 to 2006, with some new twists making it “bigger, bolder and more daring,” per the network.

“Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting — and fear is a weapon,” reads the official logline for the reboot.

No release date is slated yet, but the reinvented series was announced as part of the network’s 2025-2026 slate. Fox also did not weigh in on whether Rogan, 57, will return as host of the reimagined series.

The original iteration of Fear Factor pitted three men and three women against each other in a stunt competition as they competed to win a $50,000 cash prize.

Following its cancellation in 2006, there were various attempts at reviving Fear Factor, including at NBC, where it originally aired and where a brief revival ran for nine episodes in 2011. Later, MTV took a spin at the franchise with Ludacris as host, and that version ran for two seasons from 2017 to 2018. It saw celebrities compete, too.

There was a Bachelor-themed episode where alums, including Rachel Lindsay, Corinne Olympios and Vanessa Grimaldi competed, as well as a Jersey Shore episode that saw Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio and more partake.

[From People]

When I first read this news, I wondered if there is an audience for another Fear Factor reboot, but that’s silly. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who will tune in to at least give the revival a chance. The description of this new, “reimagined” version sort of makes it sound like they’re giving it a Survivor-esque glow-up, which…okay. Is it one cast throughout the season or will there be new contestants each week?

Anyway, the Rogan of it all: I bet they’re trying to get him back as host. He’s got a built-in audience and was the OG. If he does return, would he have a hand in coming up with some of the challenges? I can see him pitching ideas now: “What if we challenge them all to survive getting measles?” And we all know that if Fox can’t lure Rogan back with a stupid amount of money, they’ll probably end up hiring some other a-hole from the manosphere who comes with a built-in audience of people who find eating cow balls funny. They should look towards someone like Travis Kelce, though, who has a less toxic fan base and would probably take a different approach that would give the show a fresh and fun feel.

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