Hilaria Baldwin is many things: an author, a content creator, a yogi, a mom, a wife to Oscar nominee Alec Baldwin. But on Fox’s Nation’s Dumbest, Baldwin is now a student. Hosted by British comedian Jack Whitehall, the reality competition series follows a group of celebrities who compete in four challenges each episode—the logic test, general knowledge, team challenge, and the final exam—to determine who can leave and be out of the running for the undesired title of “Nation’s Dumbest.” In the classroom alongside Baldwin are entertainment icons like Anthony Michael Hall, Carmen Electra, Jojo Siwa, Steve-O, Andrew Yang, and others.

So why would Baldwin join a show that could forever label her as the “Nation’s Dumbest”? “I didn’t think it through,” said Baldwin. “On one hand, I like to have fun, and I love to make fun of myself. On the other hand, I say ‘yes’ to most things.” Looking back on the experience, Baldwin feels “very” glad she did the show even though there were a few tough moments along the way.

It was important for Baldwin to be very open about her struggles with ADHD and dyslexia going into her latest reality TV endeavor. “I wanted to go into this experience being straightforward about how my mind works,” said Baldwin. “However, there were moments when I felt very defeated. I felt like I was letting people down who are like me.” Fortunately, Baldwin had a network of support around her at all times, thanks to the production team and her fellow contestants. “We all knew it was going to test us, and we were there to reassure each other,” said Baldwin.

DECIDER: Hilaria, I think my first question is an obvious one: what made you say “yes” to a reality competition called Nation’s Dumbest?

HILARIA BALDWIN: I didn’t think it through. On one hand, I like to have fun, and I love to make fun of myself. On the other hand, I say “yes” to most things. Sometimes that leads me to good places, and sometimes it doesn’t [laughs]. This was a good place, thank God. Even though I had a few moments where I was like, “Oh, this is so hard,” I’m glad I did it.

You’ve shared your struggles with ADHD and dyslexia. How did these struggles impact you on Nation’s Dumbest?

It was really hard. When I was diagnosed when I was much younger, it was a very different world. Having ADHD and dyslexia was really shameful. A couple of my kids have been diagnosed with ADHD, which made me very sad at first because it’s genetic. Then I got to thinking: “Maybe there are benefits to this.” That thought led me down this really fun journey of addressing my own issues alongside my kids because I wanted to be a good role model.

Now that brings us to Nation’s Dumbest [laughs]. I wanted to go into this experience being straightforward about how my mind works. I always say I give an explanation, not an excuse. However, there were moments when I felt very defeated. I felt like I was letting people who are like me down. But the beautiful thing is that reality TV producers are very used to dealing with emotions. God bless them! I learned a lot about myself through this process. I’m glad I did it.

You have such a wonderful family. What was their feedback when you told them you were doing this show?

My kids didn’t bat an eye. They’re so used to seeing Alec dressed up like Abraham Lincoln or Dracula or something else. Nothing fazes them at this point. They were sadder that I was going to go away for a couple of weeks. That was hard. I started taking jobs that require travel this past year. That’s been tough as a mom, though I know they’ll be proud of me for leaning into my personal identity, not just my identity as a mom and a wife.

Nation’s Dumbest features a really wonderful, eclectic mix of celebrities. Who were you most surprised to see there and why?

Ice-T. He’s just so cool. He’s one of my favorite people. I’ve met him many times over the years. Alec and I are close with his [Law & Order: SVU] co-star Mariska [Hargitay]. It was fun to spend that amount of time with Ice-T. He posts such inspirational stuff on his social media. We all stayed in the same hotel, so sometimes we would be in a car together. He’s just so wise.

One thing I love about Nation’s Dumbest—and maybe this is naive of me— is that the show or the contestants don’t shame anyone for not knowing the answer or panicking under pressure. Was kindness something that was important to you all during this process?

Kindness is always important for me. As a kid, I would lie in bed, and I would think, “How do I treat people today, and how can I do better tomorrow?” Now, where I’ve messed up a little bit along the way is that I forgot to be kind to myself. So, I’m trying to learn to do it now. My capacity to love is the reason why I can be a mom for so many; it’s why I can stand with my husband in difficult times.

The environment on Nation’s Dumbest was very supportive. We all knew it was going to test us, and we were there to reassure each other when we got answers wrong or felt like we really screwed up. It really could have gone another way. Hopefully, this show will go on for many seasons because it’s great . Maybe not every future group of people will be as supportive of each other as we were, but you never know. I didn’t see weird moments of people being competitive in ways that were gross. Everybody was really sweet to each other.

During this week’s episode, I got a bit of a flashback to your viral “cucumber” moment when you admitted you couldn’t remember how to spell or really pronounce badminton. Can you walk me through that moment?

I still don’t know how to do that [laughs]. I think it’s very funny that we’re still talking about the “cucumber” moment, because it was kind of dumb. I’m not offended by it, but I just don’t understand why people are so obsessed with it. I think there were a lot of ignorant, bored people during COVID times that fixated on it and blew it up online. You know, I forget things every day. Does that make me a bad person? No, it makes me normal. I have a mom brain. I’m bilingual. I truly think in two languages.

In next week’s preview, it looks like Carmen Electra has a rough go of it. What can you tell us about that?

I think we all had our hard moments. I know I definitely did. I feel so lucky to have been on a show with Carmen because she is iconic. She’s seen so much, she has been through so much, and she’s still going strong. When I was watching the show with my family, my son was like, “Wow, she’s beautiful.” I was like, “I know!” She is just an incredible person. She’s a household name! So, Carmen can have her moments because Carmen is Carmen.

In the season trailer, we see your husband, Alec, appear briefly. Did you convince him to make a cameo?

No, he wants to be involved in every single thing that I do [laughs]. Luckily, the scheduling worked out.

Do you have fun working with him on set?

It’s always fun. As much as we poke at each other, we’re best friends.

Because of Nation’s Dumbest, you are now part of the Fox family. Does that mean we could see you on a future season of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test?

I would love that. I’ve heard some scary stories about it, but I say “no” to only a few things, for better or for worse. I got to meet people who did Special Forces on both Nation’s Dumbest and a show I recently did in the Dominican Republic. My brother-in-law, Stephen [Baldwin], was even on it. They all said that it was life-changing. It was an experience that allowed them to learn about themselves, much like the experience I had on this show. I feel very lucky.