Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022 will contain more recruits in its line-up than any previous series of the Channel 4 show.
It will also be the longest series, with seven episodes featuring the 14 celebs being put through their paces by ex-special forces operators.
These famous faces will get no special treatment as they toil in the Jordanian desert.
And their social media posturings won’t make any impression on instructors Rudy Reyes, Foxy, Billy and Remi Adeleke.
As Rudy warns: “SAS is renowned for having the highest standards.
“We don’t care where they come from or what their net worth is. We demand full throttle excellence no matter celebrity, title or fame.”
So why do the Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022 cast members put themselves through such torture?
Read on to find out…
Meet the cast of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022
Jennifer Ellison
Age:
39
Why is she famous?
Jennifer played Emily Shadwick in Brookside between 1998 and 2003. She has also been a lads’ mag pin up and singer.
What will she be known for?
Jennifer reveals she is a grafter and will never back away from a challenge. She also believes she has a mental toughness that might surprise viewers so expect her to give her all!
Jennifer says:
“I wanted to do it because I’d not done anything for so long. I’ve had this kind of break from what I grew up doing and love doing, and kind of lost my identity a little bit.
“So the opportunity came along and I just thought, I’m going to grab it with both hands and see I can still do my stuff.
“It was more of a challenge for me personally, to see if I could test myself and kind of remember who I am and the fire I used to have inside of me.”
She adds: “Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is honestly the most excruciating, unbearable, going to hell and back thing you can do.
“And then getting the most incredible reward at the end that stays with you for life and that changes you as a human being, changes you as a person.
“It’s literally like once you’ve gone through labour. You’re never, ever the same person again. And I’ll never be the same person again after Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.”
Pete Wicks
Age:
33
Why is he famous?
Pete has been a TOWIE cast member since 2015. He has also appeared on Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Masterchef.
What will he be known for?
Pete indicates he brings good vibes to the group, as well as being a confidante for the others.
He reflects: “I’m a fairly upbeat person. I think I was probably a bit of a clown and I was probably the one people would go to.
“I was quite close with a few of them. People could rely on me to talk to and I think that’s really important sometimes when you have a little team spirit going on.”
Pete says:
Celebrity SAS is a show Pete has always wanted to do.
He explains: “Purely because it’s something that I’d wanted to do anyway – because when would you get an opportunity to do something like that?
“It’s just so different to anything I’ve done before.
“I’m fortunate to have a very pampered life, so to get the chance to test what you’re truly made of was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down.”
Calum Best
Age:
41
Why is he famous?
Calum is the son of late footballing legend George Best.
What will he be known for?
Viewers may be quite surprised at how Calum takes to being “gassed”.
He says: “Oh, I [blank]ing loved being gassed! It was the strangest thing. It was the most challenging. And that’s why I liked it the most. It was every single part of my body saying no. But everything else said ‘[blank] yes’.
“When it came to the gassing, when I took my mask off, every part of my being said, you cannot deal with this. We hate it.
“You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t see, you couldn’t speak. And you couldn’t do anything. And everything is screaming: ‘Get out, get out.’
“You literally fight every natural instinct of yours to cope with it. And that’s why I think I liked it the most because it was the most challenging. I felt my mind, body, and soul went no, but something in me tells me to do it. And that’s what I did. I did it.”
Calum says:
Calum sees taking part as an opportunity to test himself.
He says: “I’ve wanted to do this show since it started and finally the opportunity came!
“It’s the coolest, most intriguing, entertaining show on TV because it shows people being challenged in a way you never get to see.
“It looked terrifying but I’d been asking for it for so long, so bring it on!
“I’ve been through some challenges. I’ve had some mental growth, some personal growth, some physical growth. And if I can go on there and try to put all these things into action and check myself to see how far I’ve come or how much more needs to be done, then I’m going to jump on this opportunity.”
Ferne McCann
Age:
32
Why is she famous?
Ferne was in TOWIE between 2013 and 2016 and also took part in I’m A Celebrity in 2015.
What will she be known for?
Ferne considers herself very driven and mentally tough, perhaps indicating she will have stamina.
She says: “I knew that [her mental approach] was my strength, albeit crying every given opportunity and finding it a really cathartic, hellish mental experience.
“But I think that I knew that I had that mental resilience and endurance and I really wanted to play on that strength.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be the fittest, I knew I wasn’t going to be the strongest, but I always knew that I’m not a quitter.”
Ferne says:
Asked to sum up her Celebrity SAS experience, Ferne says: “Life changing.
“Honestly, one of the best experiences of my life.”
Fatima Whitbread
Age:
61
Why is she famous?
Olympics legend and javelin gold medallist.
What will she be known for?
Fatima says she welcomes being screamed at by the instructors. So maybe get ready to turn the volume down when she’s on screen.
She explained: “I kept thinking the more you shout at me, the better I am, because I want to give my best and be the true person that I am and rise to their challenge.
“And if somebody’s telling me I’m doing it wrong, I’m used to that. Over the years, my mum would say stuff to me, she’d be shouting at me sometimes as a coach. She was a national event coach. She knew what she was talking about. And I respected that.
“I might have something to say about it, but of course, in a situation like that in the SAS, there was no mouthing back because you put everybody in jeopardy if you do.
“You bite back and you get beasted. So it’s best to just keep your head down and get on with it.”
Fatima says:
Fatima is the show’s oldest ever contestant. But she’s also one of the most decorated and biggest achievers. So she wants to prove she’s still got it.
She says: “As a young woman, I was always very adventurous. I always liked the rough and tumble of everything.
“I think that was because living in children’s homes for 14 years, I had what I call quite a mischievous side to me. It made me tough and had to survive. I’m not someone who’d sit down with a little Barbie doll. If I’d had a different upbringing, maybe I would’ve done.
“Sport was my saviour because that’s really where I excelled. And a sense of achievement was important to me. It gave me confidence and it gave me the ability to believe in myself.
“So doing SAS is really only a knock on from those days. I would’ve liked to have done it as a young Whitbread because I think I would’ve cracked it wide open.
“But as an older lady, I’d like to think I’ve flown the flag really well in representation for the older generation. It’s not just a young person’s game.
Jonathan Broom-Edwards
Age:
34
Why is he famous?
Paralympic high jumper.
What will he be known for?
Not getting bawled at!
Jonathan explains: “I don’t think I had any direct shouting in my face.
“And I suppose the only thing I can think about that is that if you are literally putting everything into every bit you’re doing, and if you are trying your best, and if you’re being supportive, then that’s what they’re trying to encourage in you.
“I think the people who got shouted at were maybe coming away from that and maybe thinking too individually about it. Or they’re creating resistance to what they’re being told. So I don’t think I actually got shouted at!”
Jonathan says:
Jonathan was born with talipes equinovarus, otherwise known as clubbed foot.
It means he has a much smaller, skinnier, restricted left foot and lower leg.
He says: “I don’t have the ability to tiptoe, go up onto my left toes.
“There’s fusion in certain areas so I haven’t got the mobility, and it affects my general posture.
“But was I worried about it going in? I mean, a little bit, yes.
“I’d never been under this sort of training and hardship before in terms of my left foot.
“So of course it was something which I was anticipating, but that’s why I put as much emphasis into my training for it as I could.
“And over my career, I’ve really worked on my flexibility and my mobility to keep myself in check. And that’s what really helped me throughout the course.”
Amber Gill
Age:
25
Why is she famous?
Amber won Love Island in 2019. She has subsequently penned a romance novel.
What will she be known for?
Amber admits she was scared about every aspect of the show. So viewers might associate her with being fearful.
She says: “I was scared for the whole thing.
“I’ve got really bad claustrophobia and I think that was just taking over my brain and I was like, oh my God, they’re going to try and put us in a small space and I’m just not going to do it.
“So I was absolutely petrified about that.“
Amber says:
She also notes the beastings the group received are brutal.
Amber admits: “I did not like beastings at all. They’re worse than they look. Everything that you see, it’s a million times worse when you are in it. It’s so much worse. Oh my God. It’s just relentless.
“There’s nothing you can do. They just don’t stop. And it’s not like, alright guys, we’re going to have a one minute rest now and then we’ll get back in.
“You just keep going and going and going. And the more tired you get, the more tripping up you do, they want you to do more and more.
“There’s no peace. It’s so hard. I wish it was the case we went back to a luxury hotel at the end of the day, no chance! It was hell 24/7.”
AJ Pritchard
Age:
27
Why is he famous?
Dancer AJ was part of the Strictly Come Dancing pro troupe between 2016 and 2019. He was also a contestant in I’m A Celebrity in 2020.
What will he be known for?
There might be a bit of sibling rivalry on display as Celebrity SAS also stars AJ’s brother Curtis.
But AJ stresses they are two different people.
He explains: “People think that as we have been brought up exactly the same, that we’ll be the same. But in reality we are two very different identities.
“For example, myself, I’m very OCD regarding how I would do task 1, 2, 3, whereas Curtis is very creative. He would be like, 2, 3, 1, and all over the place.
“You can’t judge two people the same because they are family members. We are still individual people. We are all just going to have different strengths and weaknesses.”
AJ says:
AJ doesn’t feel he has anything to prove.
He says: “I think for me, I was in a situation where I’d done pretty much the biggest shows there are on TV.
“When I walked into this TV show, I really went in there to enjoy the experience and not to feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to be number one.’
“Not to really script it, just to be myself and enjoy the journey. I think that’s one thing that I will take away from this show is really being in the moment and not having to worry about all the other stuff that’s out of my control.”
Curtis Pritchard
Age:
26
Why is he famous?
Curtis is AJ’s brother. He is also a dancer and took part in Love Island in 2019.
What will he be known for?
Curtis highlights how he went into the show carrying an injury. Could that be the story of his time on the show?
He explains: “My biggest fear I would say was, is my body going to be up to it? I broke my shoulder the year before, mountain biking, so I had a slight injury there.
“Going on the show, I wasn’t a thousand percent perfect. I still had remnants of an injury. I could feel it, I was still aware of it and still had to protect it and look after it.
“So I thought to myself, if that gives in on me, I’m screwed. But thank God, I kept it strong. I kept it stretched every single day.
“And I kept on top of all of my rehab for it to make sure it would withstand what was going on. And it wasn’t a problem, to be fair.”
Curtis says:
It seems a little bit of fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing to Curtis.
He says: “I had adrenaline going and I felt a buzz on everything I did.
“I felt nervous, I felt slightly scared about everything I did in a way. But nothing petrified me to the point where I thought I couldn’t do something or was too scared to do something.
“There was one challenge where we had to climb through a small, tiny, tight tunnel. I was dreading that challenge. That’s all I’m going to say! Watch for that!”
Jade Jones
Age:
29
Why is she famous?
Jade is a Taekwondo Olympics gold medallist.
What will she be known for?
Sounds like Jade will never, ever give up.
She reckons her work ethic is her greatest strength.
Jade explains: “I’m not scared to train hard and to put the work in. So I won’t stop unless I literally pass out.
“So I knew for a fact I wouldn’t give up unless someone ripped my armband off me.”
Jade says:
Jade draws comparisons between competing at the highest level and the Channel 4 reality series.
She says: “The Olympics obviously is such an amazing experience and winning it was such a high and that’s your peak and it’s an ultimate feeling when you win.
“SAS obviously wasn’t as strong as that. But it was a constant high because you’re always challenging yourself and you’re always scared. You’re always full of adrenaline, because you didn’t know what was going on.
“And then obviously you’re so nervous thinking you’re not going to do it. Then you do something and it was like you’re on an adrenaline rush the whole time.
“So that’s like the closest thing to the Olympics, or how it felt to be there.”
Shannon Courtenay
Age:
29
Why is she famous?
Pro boxer.
What will she be known for?
Asked to describe herself, Shannon indicates she’s not the stereotype people might expect her to be.
She explains: “Believe it or not, I’m actually a softy. I’m a right softy.
“I’ve got a bit of a temper, me, I’m not going to deny that, but I’m a softy.
“I have a big heart. I’m quite a nervous person sometimes, to be honest, which people are surprised by.
“I just feel like this was just the perfect show for me to get across who I really am.”
Shannon says:
It seems opening herself up is what Shannon was dreading the most about the show.
She says: “My biggest fear about the course, was admitting all my insecurities.
“Admitting that I was so unhappy, hated myself as a person. Just admitting a lot of things that I’ve put off for years.
“Having to openly, out loud, say things that I hadn’t said. Because you say it out loud, that’s it, it’s out there. It’s the truth, and you’ve got to kind of face it.
“Whereas I just kind of pushed it to the back of the room all the time. I feel like the only time I would’ve done it was if I was made to do it, like SAS.”
Maisie Smith
Age:
21
Why is she famous?
Former EastEnders actress Maisie reached the Strictly Come Dancing 2020 final.
What will she be known for?
Maisie will probably stand out on the show as she isn’t as big as some of the other cast members. She is also the baby of the group.
She says: “I have nothing to prove but I kind of went in hoping that I would inspire young, small women that we’re just as strong as anyone else, as any of the big, strong men.
“It felt quite empowering that I was the youngest one there.
“I came out of it feeling stronger than I’ve ever felt. I felt like I definitely did what I came there to do to inspire other young girls.”
Maisie says:
Maisie – known for sharing her fitness snaps on Instagram – admits she went all out ahead of Celebrity SAS.
She says: “I was asked to go on it four weeks before the start. So I only really had a month to prepare and in that month I just went absolutely crazy!
“I was just hitting the gym every day and trying to beat all my personal bests. I was running on the treadmill with weights on my back for hours.
“We got to Jordan a few days before and me and Jade were running on the beach. And I’d have her on my back and then we’d swap over.
“It was just really intense fitness that I never used to do at home.”
Dwain Chambers
Age:
44
Why is he famous?
Sprinter Dwain was given a two-year athletics ban in 2003 after testing positive for a prohibited performance-enhancing drug.
What will he be known for?
Dwain might prove memorable on the show for underestimating the scale of the challenges facing him.
He admits: “I had no idea what I was getting myself into!
“I’d seen bits of the show before but not much. Even when the opportunity presented itself to me, I still didn’t really spend much time watching it.
“I watched clips and I thought, okay, that looks easy. Boy, was I fooled!
“I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone. My comfort zone is within the world of sport, and being an international athlete for so long, that’s all I’ve known.
“Although I’ve had brief episodes in TV shows and other sports, they’ve been brief. But this one was something totally different and I honestly just wanted to challenge myself and see if I could handle it.”
Dwain says:
Away from the challenges, Dwain says he had a blast with the other celebrities.
He says: “Do you know what the funniest part was? When we first got there, everyone was a bit prudish about going to the toilet in front of each other.
“I guarantee you, by day two, day three, nobody cared. Everybody was like: ‘Alright, who wants to go for a [blank] now? We’ll all go together.’
“We would shower naked together and everything. Everyone’s seen each other’s bits.
“We’re pooing together, we’re eating together, we’re laughing together, we’re crying together.
“And that was the best bonding session I’ve ever, ever had with a bunch of people I’ve never, ever met before.”
Ashley Cain
Age:
31
Why is he famous?
Social media personality Ashley took part in the first and second series of Ex on the Beach in 2014 and 2015. Before that he was a professional footballer.
What will he be known for?
Ashley may mark himself out as someone who takes the challenges very seriously.
Asked whether he had sought out advice from celeb pals who had participated previously, he says: “I know people who had done it before, but I didn’t want to cheat.
“It’s difficult because I don’t really surround myself with a lot of people anymore because they’re not really on my frequency.
“But if you know me, you understand how seriously I take everything in life now because I know how easy it can slip away and I know that we can’t take life for granted.
“So when I was going to do this experience, I wanted to go in raw. I wanted to go into the unknown and I wanted to find who I am. I wanted to see if I could make it out the other end.
“So it was important for me not to be trying to get little sneaky insights and find out how I could make it easier because I wanted it to be hard.”
Ashley says:
Ashley’s baby daughter Azaylia died of leukaemia in April 2021.
He reflects: “Losing my daughter was the most difficult experience of my life.
“I think to combat trauma you need to step outside your comfort zone and see who you really are.
“There’s no better way to do that than on SAS Who Dares Wins, so when the opportunity came, I took it with both hands.
“I really wanted to find out who I was, so I wanted to see whether I could put my money where my mouth is.”
When does Celebrity SAS 2022 start? What is the new series start date?
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins begins on Channel 4 on Sunday September 4 at 9pm.
Read more: Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins star Maisie Smith details ‘crazy cat fight’ with Ferne McCann
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