SAS: Who Dares Wins is back for 2022 with series seven on Channel 4 – meet the cast of contestants here.
A line up of new recruits will leave the comfort of their homes and head into unforgiving and epic backdrop of the Jordanian desert, to be put through the ultimate test of their physical and psychological resilience.
This year sees a refreshed line up of Directing Staff: With 15 years of experience in multiple war zones, chief instructor and ex-US recon marine Rudy Reyes leads a new team, including ex-US Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke, and returning stars Billy Billingham and Foxy (Jason Fox), as they push recruits to the max.
20 men and women start the series – who has the mental fortitude to make it to the end?
SAS: Who Dares Wins airs on Sunday nights at 9PM on Channel 4 and All 4.
Meet the contestants on the new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins below…
Abigail
Recruit: 4
Age: 27
Profession: Personal Trainer
Why they signed up: “I felt like it would be the biggest challenge I could ever take part in. Nothing would be quite like it -which was correct. Nobody could ever push me to my limits quite like this show did.”
Cat
Recruit: 16
Age: 36
Profession: Search and Rescue Winch Paramedic
Hometown/Region: Fareham
Why they signed up: “A combination of wine, peer pressure and an innate need for adventure and challenge in my life.”
Claire
Recruit: 3
Age: 36
Profession: Health and Wellness Coach
Why they signed up: “I feel I am strong mentally and physically but also believe that everyone is breakable. I’ve been broken in many aspects of my life and always bounced back, fought hard and got on with life, SAS is a challenge for me to see how my barriers will be broken down to my core and it’s how I will bounce back from it, what I will learn from it and what I can teach other women in their lives.”
Dylan
Recruit: 2Age:24
Profession: Scaffolder
Hometown/Region: Blackburn
Why they signed up: “I decided to take part in SAS who dares wins as I tragically lost my mother (Michelle) on 22 of May 2017, in the Manchester Arena Bombings. This understablly turned my life upside down. I wanted to prove to myself how far I have come both mentally and physically since, and to further prove to myself that I have come out stronger from the unfortunate circumstance.”
Florence
Recruit: 6
Age: 27
Profession: Communications Manager
Hometown/Region: London
Why they signed up: “Applying to SAS: WDW was an emotional experience for me. It was first and foremost a challenge that scared me, but I wanted to learn more about myself and what I was truly capable of. Independent from a young age, I wanted to see if I was as adaptable and resilient as I thought I was.”
James
Recruit: 12
Age: 39
Profession: Gym Owner
Hometown/Region: Bristol
Why they signed up: “I was turning 40 and feel the best I’ve ever felt so wanted to put myself to thetest. I’ve never really been broken down so I wanted to know how much I could endure and where or how I might break. My brother disappeared 10 years ago, so I also wanted to create awareness of that through my presence and story within the show.”
Jamie
Recruit: 1
Age: 38
Profession: Leisure Centre Manager
Hometown/Region: Gwent, South Wales
Why they signed up: “I applied for a couple of reasons really, being a proper fan boy of the show watching it with the wife on Sunday night is something we both look forward too. The main reason was to challenge myself in a way that most don’t get to endure and push myself to new limits.”
JJ
Recruit: 11
Age: 42
Profession: Courier Driver, former pro-boxer
Hometown/Region: Watford
Why they signed up: “I decided to go on the show because I was feeling down and I had put lots of weight on. I was over 19-stone and had no motivation to train, so I decided to put myself out of my comfort zone and get myself in shape. I lost four stone in four months to take part in the show.”
Jody
Recruit: 14
Age: 35
Profession: Designer for events and exhibitions
Hometown/Region: Hampton
Why they signed up: “Every relationship I have ever had in my life had ended in a way that made me feel truly worthless, like I was not good enough, like I was not enough. I wanted to do something that allowed me to see my own worth. Not dictated by anyone else, not for anyone else –for me, and only me.”
Justyn
Recruit: 7
Age: 28
Profession: Tech consultant and mental health advocate
Hometown/Region: London
Why they signed up: “I am a super competitive and thrill-seeking person, and SAS is the most ‘thrilling and daring’ show on TV, so it was a dream to be on it! I also wanted to represent people with physical scars on their bodies-to show that you can overcome and do amazing things despite whatever challenges you have gone through and what society tells you.”
Leo
Recruit: 20
Age: 31
Profession: Electrical Engineer
Hometown/Region: Barnsley
Why they signed up: “I suffered the traumatic loss of my daughter Emily from suicide. S.A.S WDW was initially for me to prove to myself that I had overcome bereavement and PTSD related issues whilst showing other people in a similar situation there was hope after a traumatic experience. I knew physical training was beneficial for mental health so, having something to train towards, was beneficial for my recovery.”
Nic
Recruit: 15
Age: 40
Profession: Firefighter
Hometown/Region: Warrington
Why they signed up: “I had watched the show for many seasons and had always wondered whether I would be able to succeed in the process. After turning 40 years old and having faced many obstacles in my life, I felt the time was right for a new challenge and that is what I saw this as. A big personal challenge.”
Pahrnia
Recruit: 17
Age: 31
Profession: Artist
Hometown/Region: Bath
Why they signed up: “I wanted to do something that would leave me feeling more fulfilled than a CrossFit competition. I wantedto do something much bigger so I could be amongst similar people. I applied originally back in August 2020 and initially assumed I didn’t get it, but turns out I was just too late for that previous series!”
Paige
Recruit: 8
Age: 26
Profession: Forensic Science Student
Hometown/Region: Durham
Why they signed up: “I had been faced with multiple mental challenges throughout my life and nothing seemed to ‘break me’. I began to realise I was cut from a different cloth, my mindset, my resilience and sheer determination to push forward no matter what; this interested me and I wanted to explore it more.”
Reece
Recruit: 10
Age: 24
Profession: Foundry worker/Dreamboy
Hometown/Region: Manchester
Why they signed up: “I wanted to test myself on how far I could go because a lot of people know me as a kind and happy-go-lucky guy. I wanted to be taken seriously.”
Sarah
Recruit: 13
Age: 31
Profession: Personal Trainer
Hometown/Region: London
Why they signed up: “I applied to SAS years ago. There were so many reasons, obviously being a huge fan of the show had a big part to play. But I have felt like I always talked a big talk but never actually put my words into action. This would be a perfect way to see if I had all the attributes I thought I had (strong, resilient etc.) or if it had all been a lot of hot air.”
Shylla
Recruit: 18
Age: 33
Profession: Postwoman and semi-pro footballer
Hometown/Region: Slough
Why they signed up: “I decided to take part because I wanted to challenge myself and do something that was completely out of my comfort zone. To see how I would cope in different situations and if I could overcome my fears.”
Stacey
Recruit: 5
Age: 42
Profession: Aerobics Instructor
Hometown/Region: Leigh, Wigan
Why they signed up: “After my husband died I started running a lot, I did 50k around the cemetery where he’s buried and I’ve done a100 mile run over 5 days, hoping the running would help sort my head out. These were extra challenging as I suffer with Crohn’s disease and inflammatory arthritis. It wasn’t challenging enough mentally or physically so I needed to find something that would break me to enable me to repair and come back a stronger person.”
Tom
Recruit: 19
Age: 33
Profession: Mortgage Advisor
Hometown/Region: Plymouth
Why they signed up: “Following a serious car accident in 2019 I was diagnosed with PTSD. I suffered with symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks and bouts of depression. After suffering for over 12 months, I decided to seek professional help from a therapist and to talk about how I was feeling which helped me get more control over my symptoms. I decided to apply to go on the course as I wanted to show that men can talk about their feelings and be open about their mental health but still be strong. I wanted to show that being honest about your struggles and being vulnerable is a strength.”
Vince
Recruit: 9
Age: 39
Profession: Business Owner
Hometown/Region: London
Why they signed up: “As I am now a father of two, married and run my own business I don’t get a lot of time to really push and test myself in ways I used to, nor do I have time for myself. This was the biggest opportunity I would be offered to push myself to the ultimate limit in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SAS: Who Dares Wins airs Sunday nights at 9PM on Channel 4.
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