Top 10 Crazy Challenges in 'Fear Factor'

How far would you go for $50,000? Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 crazy challenges on Fear Factor.

For this list, we are looking at the craziest challenges from this popular—and highly controversial—reality game show. Please be advised: some of these stunts are truly disgusting and difficult to watch. If you have a weak stomach, you have been warned.

We hope you brought your birthday suit, because it’s time to show some skin. In this episode, contestants were required to strip down completely naked and bare it all on the runway in front of a room full of strangers. They had to walk down the runway for one minute and then stand at the end while turning on a pedestal with their hands on their hips for two minutes. Some of the contestants went above and beyond, however, even breaking out into cartwheels and jumping jacks.

The things women do for men…and vice versa. In this edition of Couples Fear Factor, the women were forced to lie in a box full of chicken feet only to have rats dumped on them. The men had to retrieve 10 chicken feet from the box using only their mouths and spit them into a bucket. We aren’t sure who had it worse—would you rather have dozens of rats crawling all over your body or have to place your mouth near them? It’s a “lose-lose” situation.

Many reality shows attempt to up the ante in later seasons. “Fear Factor” took the opposite route. It could be argued that the first season of the series had the most disgusting challenges, with this one from the seventh episode being the perfect example. Contestants were asked to eat three sheep eyes in three minutes. For anyone who can’t do the math, that is one whole eye per minute! The worst part? They had to do so surrounded by sheep. That’s just messed up.

Did you think that an all-female edition of Fear Factor would cause the challenges to get any less gross? If you did, you were wrong. Very wrong. In this episode, the contestants were placed in a body bag and shoved into a morgue drawer. They were required to unlock the padlock to their chains by using one of three keys, unzip the bag, and then push themselves out. Oh right, we forgot to mention that the bag was full of crickets, red worms, super worms, stink beetles, and hissing cockroaches. Well, at least they couldn’t see them.

Of course, not all of the challenges on “Fear Factor” were disgusting. Some were perfect for adrenaline junkies. This challenge was a true test of stamina and featured a whole number of different elements, including a speedboat, a helicopter, and a cargo net. After acquiring the all-important flares, contestants would hang from the cargo net off a moving helicopter and attempt to light up a fueling station, resulting in an explosion that wouldn’t be out of place in a Michael Bay movie.

Returning to Season 1 and all of its grotesqueness, contestants were brought into a diner and were seated at the counter, only to be served two buffalo testicles. As became painfully clear very quickly, this was not a small meal. One contestant took one bite and walked off immediately. We don’t blame her. Because, if you win this challenge, you may end up getting the 50 grand, but you’ll always be the guy who ate testicles on TV.

In this challenge, contestants had to eat horse rectum. We’ll let you think about that for a second. Horse. Rectum. Even the Jackass guys would have a tough time swallowing that. It wasn’t served to them at a diner, however. Each contestant would get three tosses of a horseshoe to determine how much horse rectum they would have to eat. If you are having a bad day, just remember—you didn’t eat 12 inches of horse rectum just to be eliminated. Tough break, Holly!

Believe it or not, we might actually prefer eating horse rectum to the number three entry on our list. In this brutal challenge, contestants were strapped into a chair while their arms were pierced by 10 needles, with each getting progressively thicker. The needles were then removed while blood dripped down the contestant’s arm. Fear Factor was often criticized for going too far, and this is one challenge that may have done just that.

Tarantulas get a bad rep because of their large size and hairy bodies, but most species are not dangerous to humans. Still, we wouldn’t want to lie in a tunnel full of them. In this reality star filled episode, the women were placed in the tunnel, tied down, and were required to use their mouths to acquire three keys. Meanwhile, the men search for canisters in a pit full of ice. One contestant was so inept that he left his partner in the tunnel for a shocking 17 minutes.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

• Hag Fished
• Rat Stew
• Bobbing in Blood
• Fear Factor Pizza
• Scooter Plank
• Donkey Juice

Would you eat a spider to win a brand new car? How about 12? Those were the stakes facing the contestants in this episode. These weren’t just regular spiders either; they were African Cave-Dwelling Spiders. While harmless to humans, these spiders do have pinchers that can puncture the skin. The worst part about this challenge is that the spiders were alive when the contestants ate them. Actually, no—the worst part about this challenge is that every contestant ate at least one, but only one went home with the car.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think was the craziest challenge in Fear Factor? For more exciting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.