Adebayo “The Beast” Akinfenwa
The former footballer enjoyed stints at Doncaster Rovers, Swansea City and AFC Wimbledon, among others.
“I would like to think that, put me in most situations, most environments, I’ll be able to put my best foot forward, get out of my comfort zone, hit my responsibilities and do what I need to do!” Akinfenwa said. “I think that’s what I want to get out of taking part on this course.”
Troy Deeney
The striker is best known for playing for Watford from 2010-21. However, since parting ways with Forest Green Rovers in 2024, he has been without a club.
“I’m at a crossroads in my life,” Deeney said, “so I’m hoping the course can highlight the good and bad in me and hopefully we’ll see at the end, that the good outweighs the bad.”
Conor Benn
Boxing fans will be no stranger to Benn, who this year suffered his first ever loss to Chris Eubank Jr. Next to 23 wins, that isn’t so bad.
“Although boxing is hard, I feel like this is going to be a completely different challenge and I always want to challenge myself,” he said. “I just want to see and experience the toughness and the grittiness you need to pass this course.”
Harry Clark
This reality TV star is best known for winning series two of The Traitors. Unfortunately for him, there’ll be no room for backstabbing in the tight-knit world of the Special Forces.
“Growing up, I’d watch people close to me be in the SAS, which always inspired me,” he said. “This show was a different experience to what I had imagined but I always love a challenge and it proves you’re always learning new things about yourself.”
Rebecca Loos
The former model is perhaps best known for claiming in 2004 that she had an affair with David Beckham. You’ve also seen her on noughties reality shows like The Farm and the celebrity, pre-2015-reboot version of Love Island.
“This is by far the toughest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “But I want to do this course because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to do an SAS training course. It’s going to be really interesting to see how far I can go and how strong I’m able to keep myself.”
Bimini
You’ve seen the DJ and drag queen on series two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Will they be sashaying away from Celebrity SAS, or are they here to stay, Shantay?
“People in the UK love to debate gender like it’s a concept, not a lived experience. It gets reduced to headlines and toilet talk. I’m doing this to remind them that behind every opinion is a human being,” they said. “This bleached rat tail is gonna f**k it up!”
Michaella McCollum
McCollum was one of the ‘Peru Two’, a pair of young women arrested in 2013 on suspicion of international drug smuggling.
“The level of resilience I learned from being in prison in Peru,” she said, “and knowing how important that mindset is, will definitely help get me through the course, so I’m going to need to use my mental strength to help me along the way.
Lady Leshurr
This isn’t the rapper and musician’s first reality rodeo. She’s also appeared on Dancing on Ice and The Celebrity Circle.
“Doing this course is going to make me regain my strength, my understanding, who I am as a person and just unpack all the trauma that is on my chest,” she explained. “I’m hoping to leave this course feeling empowered.”
Lucy Spraggan
The singer-songwriter has no illusions about the challenge ahead.
“What I love about this course is the sheer pressure it puts on a human being, that you will just not get anywhere else in life,” Spraggan said. “And I’ve had pressure, I’ve had so many forms of pressure, nothing like this, so I really just genuinely want to see how far my brain can go.”
Adam Collard
Last but by no means least is the Love Island and Celebs Go Dating participant.
“I’m doing it for the little boy who hated himself and couldn’t do anything and was the last to get picked in everything,” Collard said. “And from an emotional point of view, I’m hoping that this spits out a better person.”
Withdrawn contestants
TV personality Louie Spence and musician Hannah Spearritt bid the rest of their trainees goodbye in episode one. In episode two, Love Island contestants Chloe Burrows and Tasha Ghouri withdrew.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs on Channel 4 on Sundays and Mondays at 9.00pm.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source rts.org.uk ’
