Molly Holly didn't know what she was signing up for when she agreed to be a contestant on Fear Factor.
Back in 2002, a special WWE-themed edition of Fear Factor took place. Joining Molly Holly on the show were Lita, Jeff and Matt Hardy, Test, and Jacqueline. In case you don't remember, the Joe Rogan-hosted game show forced people to confront some of their most primal fears for the chance to win a cash prize.
Appearing as a guest on Shoot Conversations with Chris Hero, Molly admitted that she had never heard of the Fear Factor and only agreed to do it because no one else would say yes to doing it. Furthermore, after being told what she'd likely be doing, she was convinced that it would all be "a work."
"I did because nobody else wanted to do it," she began by saying. "They worked their way down the list and they were like, 'Torrie Wilson doesn't want to do it, Stacy Keibler doesn't want to do it, will you please do this?' Honestly, because I don't watch TV, I had never heard of it. I say yes, I call my little brother, 'Hey Luke, I'm going to be on a show called Fear Factor.' He goes, 'You're gonna have to eat worms!' 'What?' 'They eat worms on that show.' 'That is not real. Sometimes, to get the ratings up, you do things that look like something else to draw emotion from the audience.' I was explaining to him that it was a work and that no one would be eating worms."
Unfortunately for Molly, the stunts were in fact real. She was eliminated in the second round after failing to drink a "smoothie" that consisted of ground pigs brain, fish sauce, bile, and Cod liver oil. She added the following:
"I get there and yes, you are eating worms. The first challenge was a rung ladder into a helicopter over the ocean. Easy. [Laughs]. Part of it was, I had hung out with the crew and they showed me how to go up a rung ladder to do lighting, so I knew how to hold it, plus, in gymnastics, a single leg shoot through is an easy move you do to get where you want to be. So, anyway, not hard. The next day, they give us a big spread of brunch and they say, 'we're going to be filming for the next 10 hours, no food, get your good in now because this is it.' I got as full as I possibly could, anticipating that I would not be eating for the rest of the day, only to find out that we're doing a pig brain drinking contest. Even if it had been a milkshake, I don't think I could have drank it because I was so full. What they wanted was projectile vomiting, that's how you get the ratings. I was a victim."
Jeff and Lita bowed out of the competition in round one, while Test joined Molly on the outside looking in after round two. Matt Hardy would eventually win after making it to the finals alongside Jacqueline. All of the money won by the Superstars was donated to charities of their choosing.
Molly Holly is a two-time Women's Champion in WWE and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2021.
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