Image: Ch4 Press
By Jon Donnis
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is back, and this time it's not just a battle of grit and stamina, it's a reckoning. Fourteen well-known names from sport, music, and television have signed up for one of the toughest endurance challenges ever televised, hoping to emerge stronger, smarter, or maybe just still standing. The seventh series kicks off on 3 August and airs every Sunday and Monday at 9pm on Channel 4, running across eight hour-long episodes.
Filmed in the rugged Welsh terrain, this series drags the recruits straight into the first phase of Special Forces selection. There's no celebrity gloss here. No agents, no social media, no creature comforts. It's just them, the weather, and four uncompromising instructors: Billy Billingham, Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver. Their mission? Strip each person to their core and see what remains.
The line-up is one of the most eclectic yet. Former footballers Adebayo Akinfenwa and Troy Deeney are joined by professional boxer Conor Benn. Singer and actress Hannah Spearritt is taking part alongside drag artist Bimini, influencer Chloe Burrows, and Love Islander Adam Collard. Lucy Spraggan and Lady Leshurr add music industry grit, while Rebecca Loos, Michaella McCollum and Harry Clark bring their own widely discussed backstories. Then there's Tasha Ghouri, representing the deaf community with serious intent, and Louie Spence, whose usual sparkle has no place here.
Every one of them has their own reason for being there. Some want to prove they can still push themselves. Others are chasing personal transformation. A few seem unsure exactly what they're hoping for, but they all know it's going to hurt.
There are no cushioned exits. Those who quit don't do it lightly. Those who make it through are changed, sometimes visibly, often more quietly. The format remains simple and unrelenting. Each episode throws up new tests of endurance, pain tolerance and resolve. The group dynamic shifts constantly as egos crack and alliances form.
Several recruits shared their thoughts ahead of the challenge. Akinfenwa wants to test if his power translates to this kind of pressure. Deeney sees the course as a way to reset at a pivotal point in his life. Ghouri speaks directly to those who doubt what someone with a disability can achieve. Spraggan, Benn and McCollum talk openly about mental resilience. Meanwhile, Bimini frames their participation as both personal and political, stepping into a hyper-masculine arena with something to prove and something to challenge.
Others are seeking something less tangible. Chloe Burrows wants to reconnect with herself outside the noise of fame. Rebecca Loos admits she's unsure whether she has the mental strength to finish but is prepared to find out. Adam Collard talks about shedding layers to rediscover the boy he once was. There's no hint of glamour or performance here. They're not pretending it's going to be fun.
The instructors aren't interested in followers, headlines or reputations. As Foxy puts it, the world is complicated and dangerous. This is about readiness. Rudy calls it a "hard reset," stripping each recruit back to the truth. And Chris, the newest member of the DS team, sums it up bluntly: this isn't just a test of strength. Mental resilience is everything.
The format might be familiar, but the emotional stakes feel higher this time. Each of these participants comes with their own story, baggage and reason for signing up. It's part reality show, part character study, part survival test. Celebrity status won't help them here. And most of them know that already.
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