There’s a certain kind of person who signs up for a show like Fear Factor: House of Fear. Think someone willing to push their way through nightmare-inducing challenges and live under constant psychological pressure for a shot at bragging rights and a big cash prize. Then there’s Ethan Macmillan, the 20-year-old emergency dispatcher from Toronto who actually won the whole thing.
Over the course of the breakout first season of Fear Factor: House of Fear, hosted by Johnny Knoxville, Macmillan definitely made a lasting impression with audiences. As the youngest contestant, and the only Canadian in the group of 14 strangers living together in an isolated house, he competed in extreme stunts, surviving electrical shocks and some serious psychological mind games. (For those who didn’t watch: the players navigate a devious social game by day and face harrowing challenges by night to win a $200,000 grand prize.)
Week after week, Macmillan surprisingly emerged as one of the competition’s most composed players, surviving some of the show’s most intense stunts and increasingly chaotic social dynamics inside the house—ultimately becoming the inaugural champion of the rebooted series.
Mindset was crucial: he came prepared to win, or at least have a good time, thanks to years of embracing experiences that pushed him beyond his comfort zone.
Macmillan was born in British Columbia and raised in Toronto. He excelled at sports, with a particular passion for golf, running, and hiking, and prior to having a few viral reality-TV moments under his belt, he was working as an emergency dispatcher fielding emergency calls and coordinating police and first responder dispatches, while studying political science and environmental studies at the University of Toronto.
Fear Factor: House of Fear changed everything.
Now, fresh off his win, Macmillan is stepping back into the real world, his job, and school—but now with, presumably, a much higher tolerance for fear than the average person. Complex Canada caught up with Macmillan to talk about what really goes on behind the scenes of Fear Factor: House of Fear, the grossest challenge he faced, the psychology of surviving the house, and what happens after you become the last person standing.
First off, congratulations! Let’s kick things off with an obvious question. You faced a ton of insane challenges throughout your season.… Which one was your favourite?
Thank you! What an adventure it has been! Overall, I completed 15 psychologically, and physically, difficult challenges. There are multiple reasons why my favourite one has to be the final challenge, in Episode 10, when I secured the title of Fear Factor’s Season 1 champion. I found this challenge the most fun since it was similar to an extreme obstacle course, and extreme sports and stunts are something that I find very stimulating.
The pressure during this challenge was unreal, and not only gave me clarity and relief that I had actually done it and completed a life-changing experience, but also taught me a huge life lesson to live detached from the outcome. This challenge specifically, and the overall experience, taught me to detach from my goals and wants, and trust in myself that I am capable and deserve anything I set out to accomplish.
And what was your least favourite challenge?
My least favourite challenge was ‘The Pain Auction’ in Episode 6. During this challenge I ‘bid’ on 100 volts of electricity, which you’ll have to watch to understand. The challenge meant I had to consistently hold onto medal pegs in each hand for 10 seconds, each starting at 10 volts. At first it felt like the ‘pins and needles’ sensation you get when your arms fall asleep. Around 50-60 volts, my hands were starting to reject holding on and I had to start forcing myself to hold on through the pain.
At 70-100, the pain got really bad, feeling like my hands were breaking internally, and my fingers going all sorts of directions. After Johnny said I could let go, my hands were very weak and a straight purple line [started to form] across each of my palms. Making it through that challenge was huge for my gameplay and definitely saved me for the pie-eating contest, but mentally scared me for what was to come next.
Any good Johnny Knoxville stories from the set?
One notable story from Johnny was on the set of Episode 8. Me and Dida [fellow contestant Dida Armstrong] asked him what his favourite stunt to do was, and he responded, ‘messing around with bulls.’ We then asked him how many concussions he’s had and he said about 13, and the last time he got hit by a bull he got a really bad one. He said he was really sad about that—but not about the brain damage. He said he was really sad that he couldn’t play with bulls anymore. That moment I’ll remember for quite some time. The guy is nuts—but in the best way possible.
So, what is your biggest fear?
Coming into this competition, none of my ‘biggest fears’ were of the stimulating kind such as heights, waters, pain, and, mostly, the fear of the unknown. Going into the show, I reflected about how the hardest times for me were during moments of uncontrollable change: divorces, moving houses, breakups. What these all have in common is they put me in a place of vulnerability, as I am not in control of my outcome. Over the season of Fear Factor, not knowing what challenges to expect, what rules would be made, or how others decide to strategize, I had to sit in a constant state of vulnerability. Fear Factor pushed me to sit in that fear and learn how to manoeuvre through it; that’s something that is helping me, and I am continuing to practise these lessons day to day. Now my biggest fear would have to be electricity.
Any advice for readers to help them conquer their fears?
The biggest advice I’d give is that fear is always going to be a factor; fear is an emotion that is embedded in us and ultimately defines us. Learn your fears by manoeuvring through them, and when doing so, detach from the outcome. Whether the outcome is feeling pain, regret, vulnerability, or even reward, thinking about the ‘after’ during the ‘before’ is only going to complicate your fears, and can even cage you from tackling the ‘thing’ if you avoid it. Hold on tight to your values in why you’re approaching your fear, and let go of what could go wrong and what could go right. Take that first step and don’t look back.
Are you normally a competitive person?
I’m an extremely competitive person. I think it stems from family game night and grew during sports. I am not only competitive for the reasons of wanting to beat others and the reward of winning, but more so because I love pushing myself to my limits, learning my potential, and strategizing between the lines of others doing the same thing as me. The pressure of competitiveness fuels me to compete even more, and I love it.
You were the only Canadian to compete this season. What would you say is your most ‘Canadian’ trait?
That has got to be my love for Tim Hortons. I could eat Tims every day of the week.
I think everyone wants to know: what are you going to do with the $200,000?
I have a couple of things in mind. Firstly, I got a new door for my bedroom, which feels absolutely sick (never thought a door could feel so good). I also have a passion for golf and have never bought my own clubs, so I am going to buy myself a new set of fresh clubs. I’d also love to get the family over to meet my grandfather in New Zealand, as we have never done that before. Regarding the non-purchases, I’ll put most of the money away in savings, keep a bit to try and start up a business of mine, and help the family out where I can.
What’s one piece of advice that someone gave you that has really made a difference to you?
My dad has taught me all my life to hold on to the spirit of my inner child and the optimistic mindset of possibility it holds, finding fun in everything. He always reminded me to never lose touch with that. I keep that advice with me in how I live my day-to-day life, and will forever feel like a kid in that sense, building my dream life around that inner child of mine. This is me holding on to my authentic self and staying true to who I am in everything that I do. Stay true to who you are—you’re the only one in the world that is you, so embrace it, and live true by it. I find lots of peace in that.
What do you want people to know about you that they might not already know?
Although it may seem like fear is not a factor to me, fear is always a factor. What I am in the process of doing is mastering the manoeuvring of that fear; in all ways. It’s always scary facing your fears, and I was terrified of every single challenge. If it wasn’t the challenge itself, then it was losing, letting my friends and family down, or looking like a fool on national television. Although multiple factors led me to winning the show, I want people to know that we are all scared to face our fears, and facing them is not an individual experience, or at least doesn’t have to be. We all have fears, even if it doesn’t look like it on the outside. If you think you don’t, then you need to learn. It’s a scary process, but that’s why it feels so good to face your fear, and why many people won’t do it.
Let’s switch gears. What’s your favourite reality TV show…aside from Fear Factor?
Has to be Storage Wars. I love thrifting and finding cool things. I remember it always randomly being on at home as a kid, and I would always sit to watch what they find in the storage units. Treasure!
So, what do you have planned for the future? What’s next for Ethan Macmillan?
I’ve still been soaking in this incredible journey, but for now my main goal is to graduate with my degree from University of Toronto by April 2027. Throughout that, I hope to build my personal brand and community on social media. I really want to lean in, and not only motivate others, but inspire others to break out of their shells, reach their potentials, and face their fears. I want to help others break through all the bullshit that’s holding them back from being who they know deep down they can and want to be. Stay tuned…
