Ariel Winter has decided to leave the reality show “Stars on Mars” after just weeks of competing. Winter, best known for her role in “Modern Family,” is the second celebrity to bow out of the show. The competition features celebrities like Natasha Leggero, Marshawn Lynch, Adam Rippon, Ronda Rousey, and Tallulah Willis as they compete to colonize and conquer “Mars” until one victorious space invader claims the title of “the brightest star in the galaxy.”
During Monday’s episode 10, Winter expressed her thoughts on leaving the show. “I came here, I didn’t think I was going to make it past mission one,” she said. “I’ve overcome a lot of things. I never thought I would repel down a cliff. Absolutely not. But I loved being on this team. I even enjoyed missions, even hard ones, in a stupid ass suit. But as you know, I love the word fair. I was not mission critical today and I feel like I deserve to go.”
Winter follows Lance Armstrong, who also left the show recently, citing the difficulties of being a team player. “You can’t put 12 strangers in a room and expect everybody to get along and that’s what I’m really struggling with,” Armstrong confessed. “And so I think going forward that will be a liability, not just for myself, but also for the team.”
“Stars on Mars” features William Shatner as Mission Control and sees crew members live, eat, sleep, strategize, and bond with each other in the same space station. They face authentic conditions that simulate life on Mars and must use their brains, brawn, and social skills to outlast the competition. Each week, the celebrities compete in missions and vote to eliminate one crewmate, sending them back to Earth.
The first celebrity to leave the competition was Mintz-Plasse, and the show premiered on June 5 on Fox. Fremantle holds international distribution rights for the “Stars on Mars” format.