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SAS: Who Dares Wins
2015 British reality television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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SAS: Who Dares Wins is a reality quasi-military training television programme broadcast by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom since 19 October 2015. It features civilians, and later celebrities, attempting to complete a modified version of SAS training.[1] The original civilian series was shelved indefinitely in 2023 in to continue prioritising success of the celebrity series.[2]
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Format
The show pits contestants against harsh environments all around the world, in a shortened training course designed to simulate a condensed version of the actual United Kingdom Special Forces selection course.[3] 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 realistic training exercises. Each series ends with a simulated experience of being captured and interrogated, which is overseen by an anonymous former senior chief intelligence officer referred to as "the Umpire".[4]
Unlike many reality competition series, there are no formal elimination points. Instead, each contestants is given a numbered armband, which they can hand in to the DS in order to 'voluntarily withdraw' (VW) themselves if they feel they cannot continue. They can also be culled by the DS or be medically withdrawn.[3]
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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 women would now be able to serve in all areas of the UK military, including the Special Forces.[5]
A celebrity version aired for the first time in 2019 in aid of Stand Up to Cancer. Chief instructor Ant Middleton said of the concept, ‘Celebrities go through their lives showing the public a front and face they want them to see but this process stripped all that away.’[6]
After the eighth series of the civilian version concluded in 2023, the civilian version was shelved indefinitely in order to prioritise the celebrity version, which Channel 4 deemed a 'huge success'.[2]
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Cast
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The original Chief Instructor was Ant Middleton, an ex-United Kingdom Special Forces operator who served in the Special Boat Service.[7] The other Directing Staff consisted of Jason 'Foxy' Fox, a former SBS operator;[8] Mark 'Billy' Billingham, an ex-SAS Sergeant Major;[9] and Matthew 'Ollie' Ollerton.[10]
In 2021, Middleton was dismissed from the show over his 'personal conduct'. It was speculated that this was linked to Middleton's controversial tweets about the Black Lives Matter movement. Middleton subsequently claimed 'the woke patrol have kicked in to the point where we can't say anything, we can't be ourselves'.[11][12]
In October 2021, former United States Recon Marine Rudy Reyes was announced as the series's new Chief Instructor.[13] In 2023, the Directing Staff were joined by Chris Oliver, a former Royal Marine Mountain Leader and ex-Special Boat Service operator.[14]
Other DS have included Melvyn Downes in 2021, who served in the SAS for 12 years and was the first DS member of colour,[15] and Veteran Navy SEAL Senior Chief Remi Adeleke in 2022.[16][17]
Regular series
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Celebrity series
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Series 1 (2019)
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.[7] Among the celebrity recruits were Victoria Pendleton,[24] Ben Foden, Heather Fisher, AJ Odudu, Jeff Brazier, Wayne Bridge, Sam Thompson, Andrea McLean, Jeremy Irvine, Dev, Louise Mensch and Camilla Thurlow (Love Island).[25] Unlike previous series, this celebrity version was filmed in the Andes Mountains in Chile.[7]
Series 2 (2020)
A second celebrity series began airing on Monday 20 April 2020.[26] 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. This series was filmed on the island of Raasay in Scotland.[27]
Series 3 (2021)
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. The series was filmed on the island of Raasay in Scotland.[28]
Series 4 (2022)
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[29] and Fatima Whitbread; she was 60 years old when the series was filmed and is the show's oldest recruit.[30][31] The series was set in Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan and filmed in October 2021; the former set of French game show The Desert Forges was used as the base.[citation needed]
Series 5 (2023)
The line-up for the fifth series was announced on 14 September 2023. The series was set in Thung Ui, Northern Vietnam[32] and began airing on 26 September 2023. Among the celebrity recruits were: Danielle Lloyd, Michelle Heaton, Amber Turner, Melinda Messenger, Gareth Gates, Matt Hancock, Gareth Thomas, James Argent, Jermaine Pennant, Siva Kaneswaran, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Teddy Soares, Montana Brown, Kirsty-Leigh Porter, Perri Shakes-Drayton and Zoe Lyons.[citation needed]
Series 6 (2024)
An eight-part sixth series began airing in September 2024; the filming took place in New Zealand.[2][33] The line-up for the series was reported in July 2023, with Pete Wicks set to feature as the first returning recruit following his medical evacuation from the fourth series.[34]
Series 7 (2025)
In June 2024, it was reported that filming of the seventh series would take place that summer in Wales.[35] The series was filmed on the island of Anglesey and began airing on 3 August 2025.[36][37]
Series 8 (2026)
In December 2025, it was announced that the next series would see seven Australian celebrities and seven UK celebrities go against each other in North Africa and would begin airing in January 2026.[38] The series, a co-production with Australia's Seven Network, was reportedly filmed in Marrakesh, Morocco.
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International versions
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Banijay holds the international rights to the show, and a total of six international adaptions have currently been produced around the globe; amongst the first ones were Australia, Denmark and Sweden.[39]
An Australian version of the show is currently being produced for Seven Network as SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins. Its first season was Australia's most watched new show of the year. It aired for four series, before being cancelled in 2024.[40] 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.[41]
The Dutch version, Special Forces VIPS: Wie durft wint (English: Special Forces VIP: Who dares wins), premiered 19 December 2021 on RTL's streaming platform Videoland.[42] The Finnish version, Erikoisjoukot (English: Special Forces), premiered on 30 May 2022, on Nelonen and its streaming service Ruutu. It was also nominated at the Golden Venla awards in 2022.[43]
An American version, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, premiered on 4 January 2023 on Fox.[44][45] The Belgium version, titled Special Forces: Wie Durft Wint (English: Special Forces: Who Dares Wins), premiered in summer 2023 on VTM network.[46]
Legend: Currently airing Upcoming version/season No longer airing Current status unknown
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See also
- SAS: Are You Tough Enough?, similar British 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
External links
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