‘Naked and Afraid’ Contestant Reveals What Went Into Season Premiere’s Surprise Engagement

Naked and Afraid‘s Jake Johnson didn’t expect to come out of his harrowing 21-day survival experiment in the Smoky Mountains of Georgia with marriage on his mind but as fans of the hit Discovery show saw on Sunday’s season premiere, that’s exactly how his journey came to an end. Jake spoke to PopCulture.com about the sweet moment in which he popped the question to girlfriend of two years on camera, revealing the moment was “totally organic” and sparked by his survival experience.

Before coming on Naked and Afraid, a goal sparked by a conversation between his co-workers about whether or not they could survive on the show, Jake harnessed his survival skills first as an Eagle Scout growing up in Iowa before honing them as an adult. And while the torrential downpour and initial lack of food during the first few days out in the wilderness tested Jake’s limits, he and partner Holly would go on to nail their time together, emerging from the mountains victorious, if not noticeably thinner and caked in mud.

Learning to “get comfortable being uncomfortable” and release his fear of failure by pushing his body, mind and spirit to the brink, Jake told PopCulture he had a total mindset shift from the start of his journey to the end. “You can achieve so much if you just put yourself in uncomfortable positions,” he shared. Another of those revelations was how deeply his feelings for his then-girlfriend ran, as a “longing” to be with her hit just days into the experiment.

Then, when his stay with Holly in the mountains became more successful, he wanted her by his side to enjoy the smoked armadillo they managed to hunt and see the mushrooms they managed to forage. “That’s when it really struck me — in my worst of worst, I’m longing for this person, but in my best times, my most successful times, I want her by my side.” Two days after returning home, he popped the question while walking their dog on the beach in San Diego, and the engaged couple has plans to marry in November in Costa Rica with a small group to witness.

“I don’t know who was more nervous [to watch the episode], me or her,” Jake joked, noting that regardless of the situation, watching your significant other be naked with another person is a little “uncomfortable.” Seeing just how much he talked about missing her, however, Jake’s fiancée has now watched the episode a few times, crying at each replay of their engagement.

As for if Jake would return to Naked and Afraid, the reality personality said he was “definitely 100% open to it,” joking, “It’s funny how your body forgets pain the more removed you are from it.” Naked and Afraid airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery and is available for streaming on discovery+.