15 Of The Weirdest, Grossest, and Nastiest Moments in Fear Factor History

Let's start out a bit tame. If you've never heard of them, "Rocky Mountain oysters" are what restaurant-types like to call, well, buffalo testicles. They're actually becoming popular at certain uber-hip dining establishments now, but back when Fear Factor was airing, they were used as a challenge. You can find the video right here.

Speaking of foods that sound gross but are also delicacies, an episode included a stunt where a contestant was forced to eat maggoty cheese. Though it was tough for the contestant to choke down (watch that clip here), Casu Marzu is another maggot infested cheese that is incredibly expensive (and illegal everywhere outside the European Union). Gordon Ramsey even ate some -- though the video contains some strong language.

Being trapped in a meat locker with your hands bound doesn't sound that bad by Fear Factor standards, does it? Well, it didn't stop there. For this stunt, contestants had to dive into a barrel full of lard to retrieve tools to aid in their escape from the locker. If, for some odd reason, you want to check that video out, you can.

Bobbing for apples is a lighthearted game that's fun for the whole family. Bobbing for rings in a 50-gallon tub of cow's blood on the other hand... well, that's a different story. You can watch a clip of the stunt here.

Not all of the challenges on "Fear Factor" forced people to eat or otherwise deal with dead animal by-products. Some of the most memorable moments from the show forced contestants to face their fears by dealing with live animals -- in this case, being forced to swim along with ten tons of live squid. It's enough to make your skin crawl. The video is here.

Okay, it wasn't called that on the show, but that's what we were all thinking. In this cringe-worthy challenge, a contestant had to walk across a path covered in broken glass shards in a Bruce Willis-esque display of guts. You can watch the clip here. Impressively, the contestant made it to the other side without yelping in pain or trailing blood all over the ground.

It's not just you that's getting "The Wicker Man" flashbacks. This stunt was twofold - one contestant was strung up from the gallows and covered in 100,000 bees, while another had to eat 20 live bees, then run across a bee-infested area to retrieve an ax to cut his teammate down. You can watch the clip here.

Not all of the "Fear Factor" stunts are just gross. Some hinge more on psychological warfare too - like this stunt that taps into very primal fears. Contestants were buried alive under thousands of pounds of dirt, and as if that weren't enough, they then had worms, rats, and other animals dumped on their faces. Watch the clip here.

I can't believe this stunt was actually on TV - it really seems like the contestants could have straight-up died. Contestants were stuffed into a plastic coffin full of holes, which was then submerged underwater. They then had to unlock the coffin and swim out, before, well, they drowned. Fortunately, nobody did - you can watch the video proof here.

In a special romance-inspired challenge, contestants were forced to transfer cockroaches from a heart-shaped basin to another bucket across the room, using only their mouths. If you have a hankering for some cockroach-themed romance, the clip is here.

This one is actually pretty genius. In this challenge, one team member was trapped in a shower that spewed blood, while their teammate had to search for an ax in a basin of moldy liquid. The teammate then had to use the ax to break down the doors in order to free their partner. The clip can be found here.

Tomato horn worms aren't actually all that gross-looking, they're kinda like caterpillars, right? Well, all that changes once you take a bite. They are, for lack of a better word, very juicy -something contestants found out as they were sprayed with it once people started to dig in. You can see the gross clip for yourself here.

According to host Joe Rogan, this is the stunt that got "Fear Factor" taken off of the air. Contestants threw horseshoes, and based on how close they got to a target, they had to drink different amounts of a mixture of donkey semen and urine. This episode was banned in the USA, and contestants were discouraged from talking about it. Honestly, you probably shouldn't watch this one, but in case you really want to, there's a clip here.

Equal parts gross and clever, the "Roadkill Cafe" stunt forced contestants to shovel roadkill from the side of the road, then hurl it at a bulls-eye to determine how much of the roadkill they would have to eat. You can watch the video here.

This seems like an opportune moment to mention that everything -- yes, everything -- eaten on Fear Factor is actually USDA approved. According to the show's producer Matt Kunitz, "We are not going out and serving road kill. We obtain these items from USDA-certified butcher shops." I wonder if this includes the time they actually did serve roadkill.

Sure, Joe Rogan's job on "Fear Factor" was primarily to introduce challenges to contestants and then watch them do all the hard work - while maybe cringing and laughing at opportune moments. That said, he did get into the action on a few occasions, even going as far as to eat a cockroach in the lead-up to another challenge. The clip can be found here.