Nation's Dumbest

Did You Know?

• On November 4, 2025, Fox announced it had ordered the series.
• On May 7, 2026, the premiere date and host were announced.
• The host and contestants were announced on the same date as the premiere announcement.

Format

Twelve celebrities take part in a series of educational-style challenges, each trying to avoid being labeled the "nation's dumbest." An episode contains four segments. The first is a solo logic puzzle with a time limit. The second involves individual tasks in a classroom setting where the contestant must give the correct answer. The third is a physical challenge done in teams. During these three rounds, contestants earn gold stars that affect how many mistakes they can make in the final round, called the "final exam." Everyone begins with two stars. Winning a challenge adds a star; losing subtracts one. A contestant can never hold more than three stars or fewer than one. In the final exam, the host asks progressively harder trivia questions. When a contestant loses all their gold stars by answering wrong, they "flunk" and stay in the competition for another week. The last person left "graduates" and leaves the show. Anyone who misses two challenges is disqualified, or "expelled."