Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins stars reveal how 'horrible' officers acted when cameras stopped rolling

Virgin Radio

5 Sep 2022, 09:32

Fourteen stars were put through their paces as the most intense series on TV, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, returned to Channel 4 last night (Sunday 4th September). 

The sheer physicality of the series has famously seen off a number of celebs who took part in previous years, and the first episode of 2022 saw the stars endure a challenging gas task which left many choking and gasping for air. 

As well as the gruelling challenges, the Celebs are guided through their SAS journey with Chief Instructor Rudy Reyes and his team of Directing Staff (DS), Foxy (Jason Fox), Billy (Mark Billingham) and Remi Adeleke.

The officers are known for their incredibly strict rules, cutting language and harsh instructions, but what are they like behind the scenes?

While speaking to virginradio.co.uk and other press, professional boxer Shannon Courtenay and Olympic gold medalist Fatima Whitbread revealed how the team really acted, despite being ‘horrible’ on screen. 

When asked about Reyes and the team off-camera, Shannon said: “I had a little moment with Foxy on the mountain where he asked me how I was. I think day three is the first time where one of the staff had been off camera. He was like, ‘how are you getting on? I know you've got a bad injury, how are you getting on?’

“Every now and then, Billy would whisper little things in my ear that really pumped me up and got me going. Billy really looked after me more than people realise. They all come across horrible on the screen, but they do say little things that give that kind of edge you want a little bit, and then a minute later they're calling you an a****** again, you got to get on with it really.”

Fatima had a very similar experience with Billy. The pair bonded over their time in children’s homes, and she explained how despite their demeanour, the officers only want the very best from the stars.

“You felt safe in their hands.” the sports star added. “But at the same time, you knew that they were capable and they were going to make you pay. You know this is hell week and for them, they're going to give you an experience of your life.

“You got to understand that they were the elite of the elite of special forces, so they're quite different to anybody. They've quite different in terms of their demeanour, the way they carry themselves, how professional they are, disciplined they are, and that you just know that there's nothing they're going to give you that they know you can't cope with. 

“It's more about the mind and the body trying to at least give it a go. They've been through it all before and you knew that there was this kind of sense of they've been behind enemy lines. They've experienced something that we've never experienced in life and death.”

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Sunday nights at 9pm on Channel 4.