Tom vs Ariana: who's winning the Vanderpump Rules primetime tour?

Months after the infamous Scandoval affair between Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and Rachel Leviss, Sandoval and Madix again find themselves knee-deep in an on-screen battle.

No, we aren't talking about Vanderpump Rules season 11. We're actually referring to their respective stints on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test season 2 and Dancing with the Stars season 32, both occurring in the fall 2023 TV lineup. Each series is a competition show that sees the exes pushed to new challenging heights, which are no doubt physically draining on them. However, the shows vary in difficulty.

Special Forces features Sandoval, along with his season 2 castmates, participating in a series of grueling army training scenarios under the harshest of winter conditions, all in an attempt for one of the stars to be crowned the season's winner. As the tasks increasingly get harder, it's up to each cast member to determine if they'll continue on in the competition or if they'll call it quits and self-eliminate.

Over on Dancing with the Stars, Madix and her fellow novice dancers are left to learn different dance routines and styles, only to be judged for their ability to look like professionals in the craft. Unlike Special Forces, those featured on Dancing with the Stars don't have the luxury of choosing when they go home, as viewers have a hand in the matter.

It's worth mentioning that Sandoval also appeared briefly on The Masked Singer season 10. As Diver, Sandoval performed "Any Way You Want It" by Journey on the season premiere and followed that up with "I Ain't Worried" by One Direction during week 2, but that's when his Masked Singer journey ended.

With all that said, in this battle of the exes, how are Sandoval and Madix doing? Of the two, who is likely to be crowned the winner of their shows? Here are our thoughts.

How is Tom Sandoval doing on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test?

Sandoval is rolling with the punches so far. He's raced down the wall of a dam, walked suspended in air over a ravine and jumped in freezing cold water in the dead of night, among other strenuous activities. Not to mention he's so far been able to withstand the harsh communication style of the directing staff, and these experts aren't exactly Mary Poppins.

Sandoval's resolve in the competition leads us to believe he's committed to making it until the end, although, that's yet to be seen. However, if we had to guess, his determined not to quit but may be edged out by someone like Jack Osbourne or Bode Miller, who also display no signs of exiting the show and could easily be crowned winners in the end.

Now if you were wondering how many viewers were watching the show, during the week of October 2, TV Line reports there were roughly 1.4 million viewers.    
— Terrell Smith 

Status on the show: still active

How is Ariana Madix doing on Dancing with the Stars?

All eyes were on Ariana Madix when ABC announced the reality star would be competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy back in July. While some viewers might have thought it was a gimmick, Madix and her partner Pasha Pashkov started the competition with a bang. Their tango on the premiere night earned praise from the judges and netted them a 21/30, good enough for a two-way tie for second place with Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach's cha cha.

Things continued to roll for Madix as she and Pashkov impressed the judges with their samba on week 2's Latin Night, but they really dazzled the crowd on week 3's Motown Night, as their quickstep earned a 34/40 and put them in a two-way tie for first place with Mraz and Karagach.

Looking again to TV Line at the week of October 2, Dancing with the Stars saw about 4.5 million viewers.   — Sarabeth Pollock 

Status on the show: still active

New episodes of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test air on Mondays on Fox, while new episodes of Dancing With the Stars air on Tuesdays on ABC. If you miss the action on either show, you can watch episodes on demand on Hulu.