The four instructors on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test are Rudy Reyes, Mark “Billy” Billingham, Jason “Foxy” Fox and Jovon “Q” Quarles. FOX calls them the show’s Directing Staff. Their official biographies describe backgrounds in U.S. Marine Recon, the British SAS, the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service, and the U.S. Navy SEALs. The series borrows exercises from the playbook of Special Forces selection, but it is a celebrity reality show—not military selection or a qualification process.
Who are the instructors on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test?
FOX’s series page and season 5 announcement name the same four-person Directing Staff: Reyes, Billingham, Fox and Quarles. Their backgrounds are distinct, but the bios are broadcaster publicity materials; service and career details below are attributed to FOX, not presented as independently verified military records.
Mark “Billy” Billingham
FOX says Billingham joined the Parachute Regiment in 1983 and the SAS in 1991 as a Mountain Troop specialist. The biography says he spent 27 years in the SAS and reached Warrant Officer Class 1. It lists specialist qualifications in areas including sniping, tracking, jungle warfare, navigation, climbing, survival and counter-terror instruction. FOX also says he received an MBE for leading a hostage-rescue mission in Iraq and a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. FOX’s series page identifies him as part of the Directing Staff; the biographical details are from his FOX biography.
Jason “Foxy” Fox
According to FOX, Fox joined the Royal Marines Commandos at 16 in 1992 and the Special Boat Service in 2001, where he reached Sergeant. His biography describes operational experience and specialist training in swimming, diving, explosives, dog handling and jungle survival. FOX says he was medically discharged in 2012 after a PTSD diagnosis and later became a mental-health advocate. It also credits him with co-founding Rock to Recovery and says he crossed the Atlantic with a crew in 2016, a 50-day journey of 3,308 nautical miles. These are claims in FOX’s biography.
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Rudy Reyes
FOX says Reyes joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 26, became a Recon Marine and served as a team leader and scout sniper in Afghanistan and Iraq. The biography also says he later worked as a Department of Defense counter-terror contractor, trained wildlife-preserve rangers in anti-poaching tactics and founded Force Blue, a veteran nonprofit connecting former special operators with marine scientists for conservation projects. See FOX’s biography.
Jovon “Q” Quarles
FOX describes Quarles as a 15-year Navy SEAL who graduated at the top of his training class, served in operations related to Iraq and Afghanistan, and performed Navy Special Warfare assessment and selection instructor duties. FOX’s cast listing spells his first name “Jovon”; parts of the biography use “Jovan.” This article follows the cast listing. The details are in FOX’s biography and the series information.
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What is the instructors’ role in the show?
FOX presents the Directing Staff as the authority overseeing the recruits’ demanding exercises. The series description says the challenges draw from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process. It also describes exits as occurring when a recruit chooses to leave, fails or faces potential injury, or is removed by the Directing Staff. That framing makes the instructors part of the show’s pressure and decision-making structure; it does not make participation equivalent to military selection, service or qualification. FOX lists the program’s premiere as January 4, 2023, and names Minnow Films as producer on its series page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do the seasons and settings differ?
The show’s challenges and locations change by season, so a setting is not a fixed description of what the Directing Staff always does. FOX’s announcements describe winter-warfare training in New Zealand for season 2, urban-warfare tasks in Morocco for season 4, and jungle-warfare challenges in Malaysia for season 5.
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- Season 2: FOX described winter-warfare training in New Zealand in its 2023 announcement.
- Season 4: FOX placed recruits in Morocco for urban-warfare tasks in its 2025 announcement.
- Season 5: FOX announced a Malaysia setting and jungle-warfare challenges, with a September 24, 2026 premiere on FOX and next-day availability on Hulu. The premiere date has passed; current streaming availability may vary by territory and catalog. Details are in FOX’s July 15, 2026 announcement.
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