‘Counting On’ Season 3 Update: Josh Duggar's Comeback to Duggars' Reality TV Series

May 05, 2017 03:56 PM EDT

While the Duggar family has often been shrouded in various speculations, the latest reports suggest that the new season of “Counting On” is already being filmed, and Josh Duggar is making a comeback on reality TV. Despite the controversies surrounding Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s eldest son, Josh is reportedly set to return to the family’s spinoff show.

The Duggars recently joined a special Christian camp in an attempt to gradually bring back Josh Duggar into the spotlight. There have been mixed responses about Josh’s possible return to the TLC series, given that he brought on a great deal of controversy for the past years. The 29-year-old came under for the molestation scandal with which the Duggars confirmed that he was guilty of molesting five females that included four of his younger sisters and one of the family’s babysitters.

Furthermore, Josh Duggar was revealed to have had subscriptions to adult website Ashley Madison, where online dating encourages cheating among married couples. Unfortunately, these occurrences led to the cancellation of the family’s hit reality TV series on TLC- “19 Kids and Counting.” Addressing these circumstances, Josh Duggar decided to take part in a program carried out at a faith-based rehab center and has, since then, slowly returned to the family’s activities. The father-of-five is now expected to make a regular appearance on the upcoming “Counting On” season 3.

Meanwhile, other Duggar family members have also taken the spotlight during the past weeks. Josh’s sister, Jill Duggar-Dillard, and her husband, Derick Dillard, recently drew flak for their choices in terms of parenting.

“Jill Duggar-Dillard and her husband are focused more on training their child as opposed to nurturing him through emotional parenting, causing the child to become manipulative to get what he wants. ‘That’s very medieval,’” a critic pointed out, emphasizing that the Dillards is seemingly focused more on training their first-born son and less about being happy with him.

According to Us Weekly, such criticisms stemmed from Derick’s statement, saying that: “We know that human nature is still there because he’s very manipulative. “He’ll say, ‘I love you, Papi,’ like if he’s really trying to get something to butter you up right before he asks for something.”

The religious couple had returned to Central America to continue with their missionary work after spending family time with the Duggars back in the U.S. Jill Duggar-Dillard and her husband also opened up about how excited they are with Israel’s progress, with the toddler now being able to say “please” and “thank you.”

“I grew up around little kids a lot," Jill, who is currently pregnant with her second baby, explained in an interview with TLC. "But it’s totally different when it’s your own kid.” The 25-year-old mother also admitted that she and Derick are “far from mastering any skill of parenting,” although the Duggars and the Dillards offer their own tips as well.

Previously, the “Counting On” star drew in backlash from her fans after placing Israel and her unborn baby at great risk when she returned for their mission work in El Salvador. As reported, the Zika virus remains widespread in the country and in several more nations in Central America. With Jill giving birth to their second child in July, she shared an update on their family blog, saying that she, Derick, and Israel will return to the U.S. for the baby’s delivery.

On the other hand, Josh and Jill’s sister, Jana Duggar, is caught up in several speculations that she is interested in football player Tim Tebow. Known by many as a committed Christian athlete, Tim is reportedly interested in Jana as well, and fans of the Duggars are looking forward to this potential relationship.

This has not been the first time that Jana Duggar and Tim Tebow have been linked romantically; in 2014, Jana’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, were spotted talking to Tim’s mother, Pam, during a charity event. Since then, relationship rumors have surrounded Jana and Tim.

For the “Counting On” season 3 premiere date, an official announcement is yet to be made by TLC.