George Santos lifts lid about on-screen 'feud' with Brandi Glanville... the secret DMs from liberal co-star Ruby Rose... and why reality show was 'harder than prison'

One thing about convicted ex-Congressman George Santos is that he's incapable of maintaining a low profile.

As he's thrust back into society after a nearly three-month prison stint for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft he's now traded his prison jumpsuit for a military uniform while appearing weekly on Fox's celebrity reality competition Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.

'If I were a cat, I'd have more than nine lives, and I would abuse all of them,' Santos told the Daily Mail, laughing. 

Santos and 14 other celebrity recruits headed to the jungle in Malaysia, where they were put to the test with authentic military exercises designed to replicate the brutal selection process faced by US and international Special Forces recruits.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, he described the experience as worse than being in prison, and detailed his off-screen relationships with other cast members.

As the central figure of the first episode, his controversial past was thrown in his face at every turn. 

But the worst part of the entire experience, he said, was the skin-tight uniform.

'Oh my God, production should have given me a bra,' Santos, 38, said. 

The former congressman told the Daily Mail that he had expected his fellow celebrity recruits to be wary of him due to his controversial past, assuming he'd be ostracized by the cast members focused on maintaining their 'brand safety.'

'And I'm definitely the opposite of brand safety,' he quipped.

And Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville, he said, immediately singled him out.

Sitting between Santos and actress Candace Cameron Bure, whom Santos said became one of his closest friends from the show, Glanville joked: 'We're not going to talk politics or religion. And now look at who I'm sitting in between.'

He also said he was also targeted by other stars in the villa.

Once the recruits reached the military barracks, Alexia Umansky, daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, asked the recruits about him, prompting Oliver Hudson, son of Goldie Hawn, and actress Ruby Rose to discuss Santos' political controversies and criminal case.

Hudson criticized Santos' disgraced congressional career, which ended with him being ousted from the House of Representatives. And Rose referenced allegations that he stole money to use on Botox and OnlyFans. 

Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft to avoid trial, and was sentenced to 87 months in prison before Trump commuted his sentence. Santos only served 84 days in prison.

Despite their comments, Rose admitted that meeting Santos in person surprised her, saying she expected him to be 'way more annoying in real life.'

Santos said Rose - whom he described as politically very different from him - initially refused to shake his hand.

'Everybody shook my hand. She essentially did not,' he recalled.

Again, Glanville threw some more shade at Santos while in the jungle.

In a trust-fall exercise, before the recruits were forced to dive backwards out of a helicopter 20 meters in the air, Santos caught Bure.

Santos then offered the test to Glanville, who said, 'I don't f**** with politicians.'

Santos, a fan of the Housewives franchise, said he wasn't too offended by the comments the reality star made.

'She knows how to quip that,' he said. 'She's like, "I don't do politicians"... I was like, son of a b****. She did it!'

But despite the early skepticism and political jabs, Santos said his friendship with Rose changed dramatically once filming wrapped.

'Today we are like on DMs all the time, and we're talking, and we share deep thoughts,' he said of Rose. 'And I'm a big fan, and I say this because I told her this after the fact.'

What the show didn't air was Santos, who describes himself as a 'strong swimmer,' playing lifeguard after the recruits dove backwards into the water, claiming he had to spring into action to rescue both Glanville and former NFL star LeSean 'Shady' McCoy.

Glanville's time on the show was cut short after she over-rotated during a back dive and slammed face-first into the water, suffering a concussion, perforated eardrum, bruised sternum, and cracked rib. Her breast implant was also reportedly dislodged, forcing her medical withdrawal just 14 hours into the competition.

Santos said he left physically exhausted, swimming against the current to the dock.

'Like, dude, I'm overweight. We are soaking wet. The clothes [are] so heavy,' Santos recalled.

Despite Glanville's remarks, Santos holds no grudge against her and wishes her the best.

In fact, he donated $500 to her GoFundMe after she publicly discussed a series of serious health problems.

A representative for Glanville did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. 

For Santos, that discomfort was part of the appeal. He said he had been approached about multiple reality TV opportunities over the past year, but Special Forces was the first one that genuinely caught his attention.

'It's an opportunity to humble myself. Humility is a big lesson for the show,' he said. 'I wanted to be able to engage with people at a human level.'

The former congressman said the experience was designed to push him far outside his comfort zone.

'When you hit rock bottom, it gives you an opportunity to evaluate everything in your life,' Santos said.

He even recalled his time on the show as more difficult than his time behind bars.

'This experience is harder than prison, because it is so demanding of you emotionally, physically,' he said. 'Whereas in prison, you're literally just meat, right?'

But he said the show also gave him an opportunity to confront his past rather than hide from it.

'It gave me an opportunity to just really be comfortable and honest and transparent. Like, what am I going to do pretend like I didn't go to prison?' Santos said.

Santos apparently enjoyed the experience enough that he is already hoping to return, saying he's begging producers to let him onto season six.

And he said his reality television career is only getting started.

'I'm already back on set in two weeks. I will be on another show,' Santos teased. 'Obviously can't tell you what it is.'

And, in addition to a documentary three years in the making, he revealed that his next project will largely 'be around health' as he focuses on what he described as a new chapter centered on his 'mind, body and soul.'