SAS: Who Dares Wins
Civilians and celebrities face modified SAS selection.
Since 2015, Channel 4 has aired SAS: Who Dares Wins, a reality show where civilians—and later celebrities—tackle a scaled-down version of actual SAS selection. After the eighth series of the civilian version concluded in 2023, the civilian version was shelved indefinitely to prioritise the celebrity version, which Channel 4 deemed a 'huge success'.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality television
- Producer
- Phil Turner; Freddie Foss-Smith
- Editor
- Joss Maines
- Narrator
- Shaun Dooley
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 8 (regular); 8 (celebrity)
- Episodes
- 45 (regular); 56 (celebrity)
Facts from the source article.
Format
Contestants face harsh environments worldwide in a shortened training course designed to simulate a condensed version of the actual United Kingdom Special Forces selection course. The Directing Staff take recruits through hostile warfare environments, testing mental and physical ability via realistic training exercises. Each series ends with a simulated capture and interrogation overseen by an anonymous former senior chief intelligence officer called "the Umpire", sometimes followed by an additional stage. There are no formal eliminations; contestants can voluntarily withdraw by handing in a numbered armband, or be culled or medically withdrawn.
Cast
The show's first Chief Instructor was Ant Middleton, a former Special Boat Service operator. The original Directing Staff included Jason 'Foxy' Fox, also ex-SBS; Mark 'Billy' Billingham, a former SAS Sergeant Major; and Matthew 'Ollie' Ollerton. Middleton was let go in 2021 due to his 'personal conduct', with speculation pointing to his controversial tweets about Black Lives Matter. He later blamed 'the woke patrol' for creating an environment where 'we can't say anything, we can't be ourselves'. Rudy Reyes, a former United States Recon Marine, took over as Chief Instructor in October 2021. In 2023, Chris Oliver, a former Royal Marine Mountain Leader and ex-SBS operator, joined the team. Other Directing Staff have included Melvyn Downes, who served 12 years in the SAS and became the first DS member of colour in 2021, and Remi Adeleke, a veteran Navy SEAL Senior Chief who joined in 2022.
Celebrity series
A special celebrity series aired in April 2019 for Stand Up to Cancer UK, filmed in the Andes Mountains in Chile, with recruits including Victoria Pendleton, Ben Foden, Heather Fisher, AJ Odudu, Jeff Brazier, Wayne Bridge, Sam Thompson, Andrea McLean, Jeremy Irvine, Dev, Louise Mensch and Camilla Thurlow. A second series began 20 April 2020, filmed on the island of Raasay in Scotland, with Katie Price, Joey Essex, Anthea Turner, Helen Skelton, Brendan Cole, John Fashanu, Nikki Sanderson, Jack Maynard, Lauren Steadman, Locksmith, Tony Bellew and Yasmin Evans. A third series aired from 29 August 2021, also on Raasay, with 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 aired from 4 September 2022, set in Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, with Fatima Whitbread as the oldest recruit at 60. A fifth series aired from 26 September 2023 in Thung Ui, Northern Vietnam, including Matt Hancock. An eight-part sixth series began in September 2024, filmed in New Zealand, with Pete Wicks as the first returning recruit after his medical evacuation from the fourth series.
International versions
Banijay holds international rights; six adaptations have been produced. An Australian version aired on Seven Network as SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins, was Australia's most watched new show of its first year, ran for four series, and was cancelled in 2024. The Swedish version, Elitstyrkans hemligheter, premiered on TV4 on 24 January 2021 and won the reality show category at Kristallen 2021. The Dutch version, Special Forces VIPS: Wie durft wint, premiered on 19 December 2021 on Videoland. The Finnish version, Erikoisjoukot, premiered on 30 May 2022 on Nelonen and was nominated at the Golden Venla awards in 2022. An American version, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, premiered on 4 January 2023 on Fox. The Belgium version, Special Forces: Wie Durft Wint, premiered in summer 2023 on VTM.
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