Discovery's Naked and Afraid has been airing for six seasons now, and a seventh is in on the way. Over the years, cast members have had to deal with all kinds of issues, including but not limited to venomous snake bites, sand flies, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and, in one case, potential exposure to poisonous tree sap. For the upcoming seventh season, pro-surfer and bikini model Anastasia Ashley attempted to last 21 days in the jungle, but she ended up tapping out unexpectedly on day 6 after being totally ambushed by a swarm of sand flies. Here's why she had to quit on the spot.
It was my decision to leave. At that point I felt terrified; I didn't know what was biting me. I was scratching and itching and I just became very terrified. At night I started to feel this stinging bite and I was like, 'This is a mosquito or something worse than a mosquito.' Between my back, my legs and stomach---fortunately I didn't get bit on my face... I think over a thousand.
Anastasia Ashley told TMZ that she first thought she was being attacked by a swarm of mosquitos, but as time passed the bites--which were actually from sand flies--got everywhere, even on her butt. The bites are currently healing and the model is expecting to get back to swimwear soon, but she still shared a bunch of nasty scars during her interview, and the outlet has more graphic footage of the original bites.
Anastasia Ashley isn't the first person to ever leave Naked and Afraid before the 21 days are up. Roaming around unfamiliar landscapes with no clothes or big survival tools is extremely difficult, and a lot of people who sign on for the show are unprepared for the challenges that await them in the unknown. Anastasia Ashley isn't even the first person to have to deal with sand flies on Naked and Afraid, but she is probably one of the most well-known people to appear on the show (although she's way less well-known than James Franco and Seth Rogen), so it's still interesting to learn why she up and quit just six days into her Naked and Afraid journey. We'll have to wait and see how her partner fares in the land of the sand flies.
The one pro to not making it to day 21? Anastasia Ashley may have had disgusting bites everywhere, but at least she didn't have to deal with ticks in weird places and other memorable Naked and Afraid tropes. We'll let you know when you can catch Ashley's episode in all its full glory. In the meantime, an all-new Naked and Afraid airs on Discovery on March 5 at 10 p.m. ET. To find out what else is headed to TV, take a look at our schedule.
