Shraman Mitra
An adrenaline-filled game show that makes participants face their worst fears, ‘Fear Factor’ has enjoyed a significant fan following since its premiere in 2001. While the show has undoubtedly faced its fair share of controversy, it boasts of having celebrities and other famous people on its cast list. Besides, it is also quite interesting to witness such personalities in a different environment and find out who is the most daring of heart to win the coveted prize money. While ‘Fear Factor’ has nine seasons and several winners under its belt, let’s look at a notable few and find out where they are at present, shall we?
Where Is Matt Thornton Now?
A contestant on season 1 of ‘Fear Factor,’ Matt Thornton braved several taxing and almost-impossible challenges to win $50,000 in prize money. Since Matt was one of the first eight contestants on ‘Fear Factor,’ he also participated in the game show ‘The Weakest Link’ and went on to win $22,500. The exposure from such reality shows paved the way for Matt to have a successful career in the entertainment industry.
Over the years, Matt has backed the opportunity to star in several movies, including ’29 Light Years,’ and ‘Silverfish.’ Additionally, he has dipped his toes in directing as well as writing and is the author of the book ‘Imitating Life: The Art of Modern Acting.’ As far as his personal life is concerned, Matt is happily married to Denise Thornton.
Where Is Ari Strum Now?
Ari Strum also appeared on ‘Fear Factor’ season 1 and braved several challenges to win significant prize money. Interestingly, some of the tasks he endured included getting tackled by a trained dog and eating an almost inedible pie. Following his appearance on ‘Fear Factor,’ Ari Strum was invited to be a part of ‘The Weakest Link’ before he went on to make it big in the entertainment industry as a writer and actor. While the 2010 short film ‘Every Day Is Beautiful’ is often termed as one of Ari’s best screenplays, readers will be intrigued to know that the reality star also appears on an episode of ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ season 5.
Where Is Doug Woodbury Now?
Another contestant on fear factor season 1, Doug Woodbury, was crowned the winner on episode 4. While Doug managed to bag a healthy $50,000 prize from ‘Fear Factor,’ he, like several season 1 contestants, went on to participate in ‘The Weakest Link.’ Surprisingly, his appearance on ‘The Weakest Link’ helped producers spot his talent, and soon Doug received several offers to work as an actor in the entertainment industry.
Although Doug presently leads a private life and prefers to stay away from the public, he is known for his roles in notable productions like ‘Six Sex Scenes and A Murder’ and ‘Power Rangers Lost Galaxy.’ Additionally, Doug appeared on an episode of the popular crime TV show ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.’
Where Is Matt Hardy Now?
Famous wrestler Matt Hardy appeared on a special WWE edition of ‘Fear Factor’ back in 2002, where he faced off against several other professional wrestlers, including Jeff Hardy, Andrew Martin, and Amy Dumas, among others. While the competition was naturally tough, Matt emerged as the victor after a tough fight, and the winnings were donated to charity. Matt had already made quite a name for himself in the wrestling circuit by then, and he went on to have a career under WWE, where he won numerous tag team championships alongside his brother Jeff.
Eventually, Matt left WWE in 2011 and performed independently, as well as under other wrestling promotions, before returning to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2017. At present, Matt Hardy is signed to All Elite Wrestling, and while his professional career is at an all-time high, the wrestler is happily married to Rebecca Reyes, and the pair are proud parents to four children.
Where Is Derek Warriner Now?
Derek Warriner was crowned the winner on an episode of ‘Fear Factor’ season 1 before he went on to participate in the game show ‘The Weakest Link.’ However, Derek has since moved away from the entertainment industry as he was employed as an account executive with Airborne Express at that time. From 2005 to 2008, Derek worked as an Account Executive and Sales Manager with the Miami-based New Times.
However, Derek eventually shifted to Boca Raton, Florida, where he took up the position of Regional Sales Director for Luxe Magazine. Since then, Derek has held several prestigious positions at Phillips, and the reality star currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he earns a living as the east zone sales director for Riverain Technologies.
Where Is Nick Watts Now?
Nick appeared in the first episode of ‘Fear Factor’ season 1 and aced every challenge in order to take home $50,000 in prize money. His time on ‘Fear Factor’ paved the way for his appearance in the game show ‘The Weakest Link,’ and Nick has never looked back since then. He went on to have a pretty successful career in the entertainment industry and is known primarily for playing Braden on the show ‘Twice Today.’ Besides, though Nick prefers to lead a private life making his current whereabouts unclear, you’d be interested to know he has worked in production for the British comedy show ‘Rock Profile.’
Where Is Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin Now?
WWE superstar Mike Mizanin appeared on a celebrity edition of ‘Fear Factor’ alongside Trishelle Cannatella, whom he was dating at that time. While the competition was quite tough, Mike and Trishelle were eventually crowned the winners and allowed to take the prize money home. Following his stint on ‘Fear Factor,’ Mike appeared in several other TV shows, including ‘Identity,’ and ‘H8R.’ Eventually, in 2012, he began hosting the season finale and reunion episodes for ‘The Battle of the Exes,’ and even branched off to host the spin-off miniseries ‘The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars.’
Additionally, Mike has appeared on shows like ‘Ghost Hunters,’ and ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ but is currently known best for starring in ‘Miz & Mrs.’ alongside his wife, Maryse Mizanin. Besides, fans will be glad to know that while Maryse and Mike have welcomed two wonderful children into this world, the ‘Fear Factor’ star is seemingly on the way to becoming a professional golfer.
Where is Trishelle Cannatella Now?
Trishelle appeared on ‘Fear Factor’ alongside her then-boyfriend, Mike Mizanin, and the former couple was crowned the winner. Since her appearance on ‘Fear Factor,’ Trishelle went on to have a successful career in the entertainment industry and has been a part of significant productions like ‘Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling,’ ‘Married at First Sight,’ and several editions of ‘The Challenge.’ Additionally, she had a brief career as a wrestler and has played professional poker at several tournaments. Currently, Trishelle is happily married to John Hensz, and they have seemingly built up a wonderful life together.
Where Is Jeanette Jenkins Now?
Jeanette Jenkins is primarily known as the first female winner of ‘Fear Factor,’ when she took home the prize money on season 1 episode 3. At present, Jeanette runs a massively successful fitness training business and claims to have 30+ years of experience as a trainer and a health coach. She holds several 30 Day body boot camps, where participants get to work on their entire body for a whole month.
Most of Jeanette’s workout sessions can be streamed online through her website, The Hollywood Trainer Club. Interestingly, apart from having several celebrity clients, Jeanette has authored the book ‘The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan – 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifetime Habit,’ and also appears regularly on the Food Network show ‘Weighing In.’
Where Is Noel Holmes Now?
Noel Holmes appeared on season 2 of ‘Fear Factor’ and was able to take the prize money home after acing all challenges in episode 5. However, he has since embraced privacy and prefers to keep his personal life under wraps. Besides, Noel even maintains a minimal presence on social media and tries to stay away from the public sphere, making his current whereabouts quite unclear.
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