Tough as Nails season 4 cast revealed

A dry mason, a diesel technician, a concrete form setter, and a shipboard electrician are just four of the crew members who will be battling it out for the $200,000 grand prize when season 4 of Tough as Nails kicks off with a special two-hour premiere Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

EW has the exclusive full cast reveal as well as intel from host and showrunner Phil Keoghan about the new season, which will begin on southern California's Catalina Island, as 12 new competitors will race to replace old boat moorings. The two winners will then engage in a schoolyard pick 'em to select the teams that will comprise the dueling Dirty Hands and Savage Crew squads before taking part in the season's first individual competition of building a concrete retaining wall.

But, in a twist, in addition to the $200,000 grand prize, the new season will feature additional bonus cash rewards that can be earned during individual competitions along the way. We've got the full cast photos and bios below, along with our chat with Keoghan.

Cliff Lipson/CBS Phil Keoghan and the season 4 cast of 'Tough As Nails'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Every cast can have a different vibe or feel to them. How would you describe this new group of Tough as Nails competitors?

PHIL KEOGHAN: There's more humor this season than ever before. From the beginning of their journey together, everyone set about going all out in the competition but also taking time to really smell the roses and enjoy the journey. What makes TAN different is that we have two mutually exclusive competitions — the Team and Individual —  and nobody goes home.

This sets up the opportunity for incredible moments of redemption. In the end, only one person goes home with the Tough as Nails title, but everyone is part of a team, and everyone is motivated to be a valuable teammate because that's where most contestants make their money. I love that on TAN nobody goes home empty handed — everyone gets a pay day winning with their team.

While you once again have a big age range, with cast members as young as 22 and as old as 52, your casts are always a bit older than typical for a reality competition show. Why do you all tend to gravitate towards players with a little more experience?

One analogy I tell people about this season of Tough as Nails is that it's a bit like The Lion King, in that we have older contestants who have been honing their skills longer than some of our young contestants have been alive. Skilled trades people who have more than 10,000 hours under their belt who are going up against the raw talent of the next generation who make up for any lack of experience with speed and agility. This season has some wonderful moments when seasoned professionals, those who know how to work smarter, not harder, face up against youthful enthusiasm.

Cliff Lipson/CBS Phil Keoghan and the season 4 cast of 'Tough As Nails'

What can you say about the challenges this season?

I love that every season we are able to open people's eyes up to so many jobs that are hidden away. What's great about going into a season 4 is that our audience alerts us to challenge ideas. This season we are in the ocean, campgrounds, pouring concrete, running around a plant nursery in a massive thunderstorm, building engines, breaking ice, in pallet yards, repurposing shipping containers, taking part in a massive cleanup exercise, plugging up leaks, working with metal, heavy equipment, jack hammers … and on and on. Then, of course, there's the gauntlet for the final 3, a medley of everything contestants face during the competition — a challenge that has been called the toughest in reality television!

Any other new wrinkles this season?

This is the most competitive season to date. As word spreads, we continue to get the best of the best applying to be part of the show. Consequently, we have to keep amping up the challenges to match their abilities — challenges that are designed to break the very best, and every season they have.

The range of emotions on TAN covers the full spectrum — a lovely mix of heart felt emotions, humor, humility and heartache. Our goal is to have the audience fall in love with our characters, because they see themselves or people they love represented in a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Unlike so many reality shows that feature celebrities, TAN is about the celebration of relatable people who deserve to be put in the spotlight for a change.

MEET THE SEASON 4 CAST OF TOUGH AS NAILS

Name: Jake Cope
Job: Pipeline Laborer
Age: 34
Hometown: Little Meadows, PA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Ilima Shim
Job: Construction Worker
Age: 34
Hometown: Waianae, HI

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Laura Bernotas
Job: General Contractor
Age: 35
Current Residence: Norfolk, VA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Sergio Robles
Job: Foreman
Age: 51
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Renèe Kolar
Job: Dry Mason
Age: 52
Current Residence: Marshfield, MA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Larron Ables
Job: Diesel Technician
Age: 22
Hometown: Austin, TX

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Synethia Bland
Job: Carpenter
Age: 38
Hometown: Roselle, NJ

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Aly Bala 
Job: Laborer
Age: 25
Current Residence: Covington, GA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Mister Frost
Job: Welder
Age: 36
Hometown: Spencer, OK

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Beth Salva-Clifford
Job: Shipboard Electrician
Age: 42
Hometown: Norfolk, VA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Jorge Zavala
Job: Concrete Form Setter
Age: 25
Hometown: Ontario, CA

Cliff Lipson/CBS

Name: Ellery Liburd
Job: Firefighter
Age: 54
Hometown: Bronx, NY

Cliff Lipson/CBS

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