"SAS: Who Dares Wins" returned on Sunday with a big change to the show's usual format. As part of Channel 4's "Stand Up To Cancer" season (SU2C), Ant Middleton and his staff allowed a group of celebrities to take part in a condensed version of the intense special forces programme.
However, the show's narrator, Shaun Dooley reminded viewers that "No allowances or acceptances will be made," just as had been the case with the last series of the show when women were allowed to enter the programme for the first time in military history. The Mirror reports that "in the opening episode, ex-SAS soldier and chief instructor Ant Middleton warns the stars: “We’re going to the pits of hell and most of you are going to burst into flames.”
The celebrities who had chosen to participate in this special series of "SAS: Who Dares Wins," included "Loose Women's" Andrea McLean, TV Presenter Jeff Brazier, Olympian Heather Fisher, and Former England Footballer; Wayne Bridge.
Ant and the rest of the staff admitted that they had little hope for the celebrities, with Ant telling the camera "I don't believe the celebrities are going to pass this course, it's down to them to prove me wrong."
Backward drop in 'Who Dares Wins'
The celebrity recruits were quickly tested with a "backward drop," shown to them by Ant Middleton who fell backwards out of a helicopter into the Chilean Ocean without any safety gear. Actor Jeremy Irvine, who had previously been rejected from the Army due to his diabetes, was first to take on the challenge and succeed with ease.
Jeremy admitted in his interview that "As a celebrity, you're pampered, you're pampered silly," also telling the camera that when he struggled on the set during "War Horse," he was allowed to stop filming and get a coffee but knew this would not be allowed during the SAS process.
Ollie Ollerton told the camera separately "We create an environment that allows for no luxuries."
Ex-Conservative politician; Louise Mensch and "Made In Chelsea's" Sam Thompson were not so lucky and failed to impress Ant and the staff. Sam's awkward fall into the water had Ant calling him a "W****r," while Ollie expressed his disappointment openly when Sam returned to land.
Louise Mensch was the only celebrity to show fear and told Ant "I can't though this," but in typical special forces fashion, he ignored her and made her participate in the "backward drop" anyway. Her panic not only lead her to fall into the water incorrectly but also meant the safety boat had to come to her rescue as she struggled to swim and keep herself afloat.
Back on land, Lousie was cleared by Medic Sandeep to continue in the process.
'Beasting' the SAS celebrities
With 70 years of experience between them, the Ant and the staff were unmoved by the celebrities problems. Ant told the camera "If the recruits think we're there for their comfort they are very much mistaken."
Louise who became recruit #1 also played the role of duty recruit making her the only point of contact between the staff and the recruits. This lead to a hilarious moment between Louise and Foxy as she presented him with a list of issues the recruits had that included "large tampons."
The staff did not hold back when it came to beasting the celebrity recruits and after their first night at base camp, they were made to take part in an extreme combat challenge" that was intensified by a two against one disadvantage.
TV Presenter, AJ Odudu shocked everyone when she chose to fight two male recruits, Jeremy and Sam.
However, #11 AJ did not disappoint as she stood her ground, not allowing the men to knock her to the floor, despite being overpowered by the two-on-one fight. #3 Jeff also chose to test himself by fighting the two physically strongest men in the process, ex-England Rugby Player Ben Foden, and Wayne Bridge.
Louise was once again shown to be one of the weaker recruits as she faced Heather and Andrea in her fight, but was knocked to the ground in four seconds after being hit by Heather who did not hold back even once she was on the ground, under the instruction of Ant. Andrea who was also part of the fight did not get any hits in.
One celeb VW's
Later the staff did some research on Andrea, before calling her in for some tactical questioning where they dubbed her fragile before Andrea admitted that being shouted at had triggered some emotional baggage from her past that she had previously thought she had "put away in a neat little box."
Sam Thompson also managed to keep himself as an obvious target on the staffs' radar, only making things worse after being told by Ant to bring the recruits to the parade square, "as you are" but relaying the message to his fellow recruits as Ant wanting them to come out in full kit with their Bergens on.
His mistake then meant that he was forced to "beast" his fellow recruits while he watched on and Ant whispered instructions to him that he then had to pass on to them. Throughout the "beasting," Lousie struggled due to her injury from the backward drop, and later, when asked by Ant who wanted to "VW," handed over her number.
