'Tough as Nails': Where was CBS show filmed? Host Phil Keogan reveals shoot locations

A couple of the upcoming episodes were shot in ports, on the top of high-rise buildings, and in farmlands, among various other locations
PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2021
A still from 'Tough as Nails' (IMDb)
A still from 'Tough as Nails' (IMDb)

CBS' new reality competition 'Tough as Nails' was actually filmed at real job sites in and around Los Angeles. The show brings together a group of determined workers, who roll up their sleeves and ace various sweat-inducing challenges. All of the show’s 12 contestants, who work in professions that require an incredible amount of strength, perseverance, and grit, compete in a string of challenges which are filmed at real-life job sites. 

A couple of the upcoming episodes were shot in ports, on the top of high-rise buildings, and in farmlands, among various other locations. When it comes to challenges, the creators upped the ante even all the more in Season 2. In the new episodes, the contestants have to make concrete in record time frames, guard a flock of sheep toward a fenced-off area, and collect bales, even as the clock is ticking.
 



 

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CBS greenlit the show at the beginning of October, and creator/executive producer Phil Keoghan, who is also the host of 'The Amazing Race', went on a six-city casting tour. He later confirmed to the New York Post that the series was filmed in and around Los Angeles. "None of the contestants were scared of anything we put in front of them," he revealed. "They were competing at real job sites; farms, factories, workplaces, and there was no obstacle course or reality set. This was not a game but real life."

Unlike other reality TV competitions, all 12 contestants on this show compete for prizes throughout the show's duration even after they’re "punched out" and can't win the cash prize of a whopping 200,000 USD. 



 

When Phil was asked about the diversity of the cast, he mentioned that an individual's age, gender, and race should not automatically disqualify him or her from working at a job that demands a lot from them, physically speaking.

He also added that it wouldn't be fair to send competitors home empty-handed, "when they’re working paycheck to paycheck". Having said that, he took some time off to appear on the series. "So this way, yes, we have an overall 'Tough As Nails' champion, but we also have a team competition, and there are lots of cash prizes to be won," he stated.
 
Catch new episodes of 'Tough as Nails' every Wednesday at 8 pm ET, only on CBS.

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