SAS: Who Dares Wins
SAS: Who Dares Wins is a reality quasi-military training television programme broadcast by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom since 19 October 2015.[1] There have been eight main series and four celebrity spin-off series.[1]
| SAS: Who Dares Wins | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Starring | Ant Middleton (2015–2021) Jason Fox (2015–present) Matthew Ollerton (2015–2020) Mark Billingham (2016–present) Jay Morton (2020) Colin Maclachlan (2015) Melvyn Downes (2021) Anthony Stazicker (2021) Rudy Reyes (2022–present) Remi Adeleke (2022) Chris Oliver (2023–) |
| Narrated by | Shaun Dooley |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 8 (regular) 4 (celebrity) |
| No. of episodes | 45 (regular) 18 (celebrity) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Phil Turner Freddie Foss-Smith |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Minnow Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
| Original release | Civilian series: 19 October 2015 – present Celebrity series: 7 April 2019 – present |
| Related | |
| Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins | |
Format
The show pits contestants against harsh environments all around the world in a shortened two-week long training course that is designed to replicate a number of elements of the actual United Kingdom Special Forces selection course; a notoriously difficult programme that has been known to claim the lives of those who take it on, although the training has been modified to prevent fatalities.[2] The show's Directing Staff take the recruits through hostile and unforgiving warfare environments, while testing their mental and physical ability through a series of tests. Unlike many reality competition series, there are no formal elimination points; instead, contestants may be culled by the DS, voluntarily withdraw, or be removed for medical reasons at any point prior to completion.[2]
History
The fourth series which aired in early 2019 allowed female recruits to take part for the first time, in line with the Ministry of Defence's announcement that Special Forces selection would be open to women.[3] The fifth series proper aired in January and February 2020.[4]
Cast
The Chief Instructor was Ant Middleton who is an ex-United Kingdom Special Forces operator serving in the Special Boat Service.[5] He was dismissed from the show by Channel 4 in 2021 over his 'personal conduct'.[6] In October 2021, former United States Recon Marine Rudy Reyes was announced as the series's new Chief Instructor.[7] The other Directing Staff (DS) instructors are: Jason Fox, a former SBS operator;[8] Mark 'Billy' Billingham, an ex-SAS Sergeant Major;[9] and veteran Navy SEAL Senior Chief Remi Adeleke - who left in 2022, after appearing in that year's civilian and celebrity series.[10][11]
Series 8 saw the contestants tested in the jungle of Thung Ui, north Vietnam, and Mark 'Billy' Billingham as the Chief Instructor because of his extensive jungle warfare training. Joining the Directing Staff is Chris Oliver, a former Royal Marine Mountain Leader and ex-Special Boat Service operator.[12]
| Name | Position | Civilian | Celebrity | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2015) | 2 (2016) | 3 (2018) | 4 (2019) | 5 (2020) | 6 (2021) | 7 (2022) | 8 (2023) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2020) | 3 (2021) | 4 (2022) | 5 (2023) | ||||||
| Jason Fox | Directing Staff (1-) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Mark Billingham | Directing Staff (2–7) Chief Instructor (8–) |
Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Remi Adeleke | Directing Staff (7) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Rudy Reyes | Chief Instructor (7) Directing Staff (8–) |
Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Ant Middleton | Chief Instructor (1-6) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Matthew Ollerton | Directing Staff (1-5) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Colin Machlaclan | Directing Staff (1) | Main | ||||||||||||||||
| Jay Morton | Directing Staff | Guest | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Melvyn Downes | Directing Staff (6) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Anthony Stazicker | Directing Staff | Guest | Main | |||||||||||||||
| Chris Oliver | Directing Staff (8-) | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 5 | 19 October 2015 | 16 November 2015 | |
| 2 | 5 | 17 October 2016 | 14 November 2016 | |
| 3 | 5 | 7 January 2018 | 4 February 2018 | |
| 4 | 6 | 6 January 2019 | 10 February 2019 | |
| 5 | 6 | 5 January 2020 | 9 February 2020 | |
| 6 | 6 | 9 May 2021 | 14 June 2021 | |
| 7 | 6 | 10 April 2022 | 15 May 2022 | |
| 8 | 6 | 23 January 2023 | 21 February 2023 | |
Winners
| Series | Winners |
|---|---|
| 1 | Freddie Iron and Ryan Roddy[13] |
| 2 | Moses Adeyemi[13][14] |
| 3 | Jonathan Davis and Matt Sallis[13] |
| 4 | Mark Peart, Louise McCullough and Milo Mackin[13] |
| 5 | James Priestley and Chris O[13][15][16] |
| 6 | Connor Smyth and Kieran Lang |
| 7 | Shylla Duhaney and Paige Zima[17] |
| 8 | Grant, Hilary and Joshua[18] |
Celebrity series
In April 2019, a special series in which all of the recruits were celebrities was aired as Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, for Stand Up to Cancer UK.[5] Among the celebrity recruits were Victoria Pendleton,[19] Ben Foden, Heather Fisher, AJ Odudu, Jeff Brazier, Wayne Bridge, Sam Thompson (Made in Chelsea), Andrea McLean, Jeremy Irvine, Dev, Louise Mensch and Camilla Thurlow (Love Island).[20]
A second celebrity series began airing on Monday 20 April 2020.[21] Among the celebrity recruits were: Katie Price, Joey Essex, Anthea Turner, Helen Skelton, Brendan Cole, John Fashanu, Nikki Sanderson, Jack Maynard (YouTube star), Lauren Steadman, Locksmith (DJ of Rudimental), Tony Bellew and Yasmin Evans.
A third celebrity series began airing on 29 August 2021. Among the celebrity recruits were: Ulrika Jonsson, Kerry Katona, Alexandra Burke, Wes Nelson, James Cracknell, Shanaze Reade, Ore Oduba, Aled Davies, Vicky Pattison, Saira Khan, Kieron Dyer and Jake Quickenden.
A fourth series began airing on 4 September 2022. Among the celebrity recruits were: Calum Best, Maisie Smith, Jonathan Broom-Edwards, Ashley Cain, Dwain Chambers, Shannon Courtenay, Jennifer Ellison, Jade Jones, Amber Gill, AJ Pritchard, Curtis Pritchard, Ferne McCann, Pete Wicks[22] and Fatima Whitbread; she was 60 years old when the series was filmed and is the show's oldest recruit.[23][24]
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 5 | 7 April 2019 | 5 May 2019 | |
| 2 | 6 | 20 April 2020 | 25 May 2020 | |
| 3 | 6 | 29 August 2021 | 3 October 2021 | |
| 4 | 7[25] | 4 September 2022 | 16 October 2022[26] | |
Winners
| Series | Winners |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Bridge |
| 2 | Lauren Steadman and DJ Locksmith |
| 3 | Alexandra Burke, Aled Davies and Wes Nelson |
| 4 | Calum Best, Ferne McCann, AJ Pritchard and Maisie Smith |
Series 1 (2019)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louise Mensch | Blogger, novelist & former Conservative MP | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Dev | BBC Radio 1 presenter | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Jeff Brazier | Television presenter | Culled |
| 4 | Andrea McLean | Loose Women panellist | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 5 | Victoria Pendleton | Former Olympic track cyclist | Culled |
| 6 | Jeremy Irvine | Actor | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Camilla Thurlow | Love Island finalist | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 8 | Wayne Bridge | Former Premier League footballer | Passed |
| 9 | Ben Foden | Rugby union player | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 10 | Heather Fisher | Rugby union and rugby sevens player | Culled |
| 11 | AJ Odudu | Television presenter | Culled |
| 12 | Sam Thompson | Made in Chelsea cast member | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
Series 2 (2020)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Essex | Former The Only Way Is Essex cast member | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Brendan Cole | Former Strictly Come Dancing professional | Culled |
| 3 | Katie Price | Model, media & TV personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 4 | John Fashanu | Former England footballer & television presenter | Culled |
| 5 | Anthea Turner | Television presenter | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 6 | Locksmith | DJ of Rudimental | Passed |
| 7 | Lauren Steadman | Paralympic athlete | Passed |
| 8 | Nikki Sanderson | Hollyoaks actress | Culled |
| 9 | Jack Maynard | YouTube personality & DJ | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 10 | Helen Skelton | Television presenter | Culled |
| 11 | Tony Bellew | Former professional boxer | Culled |
| 12 | Yasmin Evans | Radio & television presenter | Culled |
Series 3 (2021)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status (number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Alexandra Burke | Singer, songwriter & actress | Passed (6) |
| 8 | Aled Davies | Paralympic athlete | Passed (6) |
| 9 | Wes Nelson | Singer & television personality | Passed (6) |
| 2 | Ore Oduba | Television & radio presenter | Culled (6) |
| 6 | James Cracknell | Former Olympic rower | Voluntarily Withdrawn (6) |
| 12 | Kieron Dyer | Former Premier League footballer | Medically Withdrawn (4) |
| 4 | Jake Quickenden | Singer & television personality | Medically Withdrawn (3) |
| 10 | Shanaze Reade | Former BMX racer | Medically Withdrawn (3) |
| 11 | Vicky Pattison | Television & media personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn (3) |
| 5 | Saira Khan | Television & media personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn (3) |
| 3 | Ulrika Jonsson | Television presenter | Medically Withdrawn (2) |
| 1 | Kerry Katona | Television & media personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn (2) |
Series 4 (2022)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status (Episode number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | AJ Pritchard | Former Strictly Come Dancing professional | Passed (7) |
| 3 | Calum Best | Television personality | Passed (7) |
| 4 | Ferne McCann | Former The Only Way Is Essex cast member | Passed (7) |
| 12 | Maisie Smith | Former EastEnders actress | Passed (7) |
| 10 | Jade Jones | Olympic taekwondo athlete | Culled (7) |
| 14 | Ashley Cain | Footballer & television personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn (7) |
| 11 | Shannon Courtenay | Professional boxer | Voluntarily Withdrawn (7) |
| 6 | Jonathan Broom-Edwards | Paralympic athlete | Voluntarily Withdrawn (6) |
| 1 | Jennifer Ellison | Former Brookside actress | Culled (5) |
| 5 | Fatima Whitbread | Olympic javelin thrower | Culled (5) |
| 9 | Curtis Pritchard | Professional dancer & Love Island finalist | Culled (4) |
| 13 | Dwain Chambers | Olympic sprinter | Culled (4) |
| 2 | Pete Wicks | The Only Way Is Essex cast member | Medically Withdrawn (2) |
| 7 | Amber Gill | Love Island winner & author | Culled (2) |
Series 5 (2023)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status (Episode number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danielle Lloyd | Model | ||
| Michelle Heaton | Singer | ||
| Amber Turner | The Only Way Is Essex cast member | ||
| Melinda Messenger | Model | ||
| Gareth Gates | Singer | ||
| Matt Hancock | MP and former Health Secretary | ||
| Gareth Thomas | Former rugby player | ||
| James Argent | Former The Only Way Is Essex cast member | ||
| Jermaine Pennant | Footballer | ||
| Siva Kaneswaran | The Wanted singer | ||
| Jon-Allan Butterworth | Paralympian cyclist | ||
| Kirsty-Leigh Porter | Hollyoaks and soap actress | ||
| Teddy Soares | Love Island star | ||
| Montana Brown | Love Island star | ||
| Zoe Lyons | Comedian | ||
| Perri Shakes-Drayton | Athlete |
American version - Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
On 7 September 2022, an American version was announced.[27] The series premiered on 4 January 2023 on Fox Broadcasting Company.[28]
Season 1 (2023)
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status (Episode number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Hannah Brown | The Bachelorette | Passed |
| 8 | Carli Lloyd | Former soccer player | Passed |
| 13 | Dwight Howard | NBA player | Culled |
| 16 | Danny Amendola | Former NFL wide receiver | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 10 | Gus Kenworthy | Freestyle skier | Medically Withdrawn |
| 5 | Mike Piazza | Former MLB catcher | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 14 | Kenya Moore | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 6 | Anthony Scaramucci | Former White House Communications Director | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 1 | Beverley Mitchell | Actress | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 9 | Mel B | Spice Girls singer | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 15 | Nastia Liukin | Olympic gymnastics all-around champion | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Jamie Lynn Spears | Actress and singer, sister of Britney Spears | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Montell Jordan | Singer | Medically Withdrawn |
| 12 | Tyler Florence | Chef | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Dr. Drew Pinsky | Media personality and physician | Medically Withdrawn |
| 11 | Kate Gosselin | Television personality | Medically Withdrawn |
International versions
Banijay Holds international rights to the show,[29] an Australian version of the show is currently being produced for Seven Network as SAS Australia. The Swedish version, Elitstyrkans hemligheter (English: Secrets of the Elite Force), is broadcast on TV4 and premiered on 24 January 2021. It won the reality show category award at Kristallen 2021.[30] The Finnish version, Erikoisjoukot (English: Special Forces), premiered on 30 May 2022, on Nelonen and its streaming service Ruutu. An American version, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, premiered on 4 January 2023 on Fox.[31][32]
Legend: Currently airing No longer airing Upcoming Current status unknown
| Country | Title | Narrated by | The Directing Staff | Original network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins | Shaun Dooley | Current: Ant Middleton (Chief Instructor) Clint Emerson Matthew Ollerton Dean Stott Former: Mark Billingham (seasons 1–2) Jason Fox (seasons 1–2) |
Seven Network |
| Finland | Erikoisjoukot (Special Forces) |
Mikko Leskelä | Janne Lehtonen (Chief Instructor) Robin Hendry Jan Knutti Matias Petäistö |
Nelonen |
| Sweden | Elitstyrkans hemligheter (The Secrets of Elite Forces) |
Unknown | Unknown | TV4 |
| United Kingdom (Original) |
SAS: Who Dares Wins | Shaun Dooley | Current: Mark Billingham (Chief Instructor) Jason Fox Rudy Reyes Chris Oliver Former: Ant Middleton (seasons 1–6) Colin Machlaclan (season 1) Matthew Ollerton (seasons 1–5) Remi Adeleke (season 7) |
Channel 4 |
| United States | Special Forces: World's Toughest Test | Shaun Dooley | Rudy Reyes (Chief Instructor) Jason Fox Mark Billingham Remi Adeleke |
Fox |
See also
- SAS: Are You Tough Enough?, similar UK TV show aired by the BBC from 2002 to 2004.
- Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week (2015–2017)
- Who Dares Wins, a 1982 British action film on the SAS.
References
- "SAS: Who Dares Wins". channel4.com. Channel 4. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Cooper, Edward (11 January 2019). "5 Reasons We Love SAS: Who Dares Wins". menshealth.com/uk/. Men's Health. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Sutton, Megan (1 January 2019). "SAS: Who Dares Wins is back this week – with a major difference". goodhousekeeping.com. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Daly, Helen (14 January 2020). "When is SAS: Who Dares Wins back on?". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- Bond, Kimberley. "What time is Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on TV? Who stars in it? What can we expect?". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Jefferies, Mark; Gibbons, Lottie (1 March 2021). "Ant Middleton dropped by Channel 4 over his 'personal conduct'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- "SAS: Who Dares Wins introduces Ant Middleton replacement in first look at 2022 series". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- "Meet the instructors of SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- "SAS sniper and TV star Mark Billingham coming to Burnley". lancs.live. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- Transformed. ASIN 0785219765.
- "Celebrity SAS fans devastated as Remi Adeleke quits show: 'I won't be returning'". ok.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- "SAS: Who Dares Wins Takes On Vietnamese Jungle In Toughest Series Yet". channel4.com/press. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- Mustafa, Filiz (11 February 2020). "SAS Who Dares Wins: Where are they now? Winners from 2015-2020!". Reality Titbit. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Westbrook, Caroline (20 January 2019). "What does the winner of SAS: Who Dares Wins get?". Metro. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- Edwards, Eve (10 February 2020). "SAS Who Dares Wins 2020: James Priestley defies gangster past to complete The Sickener and Drownproofing". Reality Titbit. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Winner Of SAS: Who Dares Wins Speaks About His 'Gangster Family'". BBC. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "SAS: Who Dares Wins: Two recruits pass selection after first ever all female final four". metro.co.uk. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- "SAS: Who Dares Wins recruits open up on feeling 'superhuman' after successfully finishing brutal course". metro.co.uk. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- "Victoria Pendleton says Celebrity SAS was 'like therapy'". femalefirst.co.uk. FemaleFirst. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Yaqoob, Janine; Begley, Katie (30 March 2019). "SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ben Foden says show helped him deal with his divorce". mirror.co.uk. Daily Mirror. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- Gilbert, Gerrard (20 April 2020). "What's on TV tonight: Celebs put themselves through Ant Middleton's training on SAS: Who Dares Wins". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- "Who left Celebrity SAS 2022 last night?". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- "Fatima Whitbread branded Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 'legend' as she shares heartbreaking past". msn.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- "Fatima Whitbread would walk around the Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins campsite completely nude". uk.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- "Here's the full line-up for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022". virginradio.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- "Episode 7: Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- "FOX Enlists "Special Forces: The Ultimate Test (wt)," with All-Star Celebrity Contestants, to Debut January 2023" (Press release). Fox. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023 – via The Futon Critic.
- ""Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" Begins with a Special Two-Hour Premiere Event Wednesday, January 4 on FOX" (Press release). Fox. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023 – via The Futon Critic.
- https://www.banijayrights.com/programmes/8188
- "TV4s Kristallenvinnare 2021". www.tv4.se (in Swedish). 27 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- Whittock, Jesse (7 September 2022). "'Special Forces: The Ultimate Test': Anthony Scaramucci, Jamie Lynn Spears & Mel B Lined Up For Fox Endurance Series". Deadline Hollywood.
- Mitovich, Matt Webb (27 October 2022). "Jamie Lynn Spears and 15 Other Celebs Try to Survive Special Forces Training in Trailer for New Fox Competition". TVLine.