The story of how her dog Abby came to her rescue isn't the only one dog-lover Jodie will be telling. The TV star is the narrator for an adorable new series, Dog Squad: Puppy School.
For the first-time dad, being away from his family was heart-wrenching. "I really started to appreciate how much I need Sarah and Brando in my life, and how big a part of my heart they are," he says.
''I knew I was super, super competitive... but then to see that the other team threw challenges because of me as a person, I don't know whether to feel humbled or what!''
''The hardest thing was when they filmed us answering questions about what was going on and how it made us feel. I could tell they were after drama and that's not me.''
"I always laughed when I was on a reality TV show and the other contestants would be crying because they missed their kids. I was like, 'Harden up!'" he chuckles.
''It's not easy to talk about... but I need to. If I can help anyone by talking about it and making them feel more comfortable about wearing their hearing aids, then my job is done."