Sep 8, 2025
99 TO BEAT: A contestant within the Collection Premiere of 99 TO BEAT airing Monday, Sept. 21 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. © 2025 Fox Media LLC. CR: Jay Maidment/FOX.
Every evening hundreds of thousands of Individuals tune their televisions or log onto their machine of option to view their favourite sport present; a lot of them imagining themselves within the exhilaration of the gameplay.
And now one Williamsport native will get the possibility to reside out that dream as the town’s personal Dakota McGee gears up for his look on the debut season of Fox’s “99 to Beat,” which premieres at 9 p.m. Sept. 24. The present may also be obtainable on Hulu the day after every episode initially airs.
Showing on a sport present has lengthy been on McGee’s radar, having beforehand made it to the ultimate spherical of auditions for MTV’s “The Actual World.”
“Sadly, I didn’t make it, and I sort of put that sort of stuff on the again burner,” the Tony Salon cosmetologist mentioned.
Then at some point, McGee would get an invite in his inbox to audition for a brand new competitors present.
“They didn’t also have a title for it but, and I had no concept what it was. I simply knew it was for $100,000 and that I really like journey, so why not put my all into this and see how far I can get,” he mentioned.
“And so they appreciated what they noticed. They appreciated my enthusiasm about doing issues like that, and my Instagram is filled with totally different adventures. I’ve hiked a volcano, and completed numerous totally different cool issues,” McGee mentioned.
“I feel they noticed one thing that resonated and that they thought could be match for the present,” he defined.
McGee describes the gameplay of the present as “bonkers” including that it consists of challenges he would’ve by no means envisioned.
“These challenges are simply flat out humorous, hysterical, and a few difficult for certain, got here right down to luck, however all of it simply got here right down to who can deal with the strain,” he mentioned.
One of many challenges noticed the 100 contestants searching the sport zone for a balloon to pop containing a hula lei, to safe a spot within the subsequent spherical.
“There have been so many balloons in that internet, it was intense, and all 100 of us had been simply working full velocity to attempt to get a hula lei out of a balloon. It’s loopy,” McGee mentioned.
One other problem required contestants to defrost a big block of ice by any means essential with a purpose to retrieve a whistle frozen with and blow it.
“It undoubtedly put me in numerous compromising positions,” McGee laughed.
“There’s one other one known as ‘fairly penne,’ the place we’re standing at particular person tables and we’ve to carry a strand of dried spaghetti in our mouths, and with out utilizing our arms, we should thread collectively seven items of dried penne pasta onto the spaghetti, however we had been solely given 10 strands to strive with,” he mentioned.
McGee calls his expertise on the present one of many highlights of his life.
“I’m simply 31, and this was a fairly large factor in my life, and it was an expertise that solely 100 different folks on this earth have,” he mentioned.
“It’s undoubtedly a humbling factor too, to acknowledge that I used to be preventing for 1,000,000 {dollars} on an enormous stage, and I did the very best I might do, and I had a lot enjoyable doing it,” McGee mentioned.
“On the finish of the day, these are challenges we’re doing with an entire bunch of various personalities and folks from all walks of life, so it did get wild and enjoyable. There was drama, there was pleasure, there was tears, there was simply a lot great things that you just simply acquired to look at,” he mentioned.
“And the hosts Ken Jung and Erin Andrews had been hysterical, very type and really right down to earth,” McGee continued.
“They noticed us at our worst, and undoubtedly gave us the motivation to maintain on pushing for that million {dollars} they get,” he mentioned.
Maybe tougher than any of the present’s challenges has been McGee’s sworn secrecy about what occurred throughout his time on the present.
“It’s actually onerous to maintain holding such large secrets and techniques from my household,” he mentioned.
“I feel what makes it straightforward is the truth that I do know my family and friends are going to be so excited to see how issues play out, see how far I acquired, see if I received 1,000,000 {dollars},” McGee mentioned.
“There’s a lot up within the air that individuals don’t know, and to have the ability to be with my family and friends and get to see them watch and determine what’s happening on this present because it progresses, it’s tremendous thrilling,” he added.
“And I do know my family and friends are going to be so excited to see how issues play out, see how far I acquired and see if I received 1,000,000 {dollars},” McGee mentioned.
“My nieces and nephews didn’t know I used to be going to movie a present. they usually nonetheless do not know, even with the promos going out proper now, I’ve saved it an enormous secret from them, as a result of I need them to be shocked after we throw on the primary episode till they lastly see my face on the display screen,” McGee famous.
McGee encourages anybody with even the slightest curiosity of their very own to pursue that.
“The one factor holding you again is your self, and on the finish of the day, that’s not a adequate motive,” he mentioned.
“Simply go on the market and pursue your goals, and 9 out of 10 occasions it’s going to occur just because that’s the individual that you’re. For those who’re dreaming large, you’ll do large,” urged.
McGee additionally confused that the present has a universality about it.
“It’s undoubtedly present to look at whilst you’re on the bar or hanging with your mates. You may strive these challenges at dwelling, and see if you are able to do them,” he mentioned.
“Who is aware of? For those who assume you’re adequate to beat the 99 you may find yourself on the subsequent season,” he mentioned.
McGee invitations these tuning into the present to comply with alongside together with his journey through his Instagram web page at @dakotamichaelmcgee.
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