CELEBRITY SAS Who Dares Wins is not for the faint of heart – as some stars quickly learned.
The Channel 4 show puts famous faces through a gruelling pseudo SAS selection course.
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Under the watchful eye of DS (Directing Staff), they must battle through to reach the end and “pass” selection.
However, some celebrities have bowed out very early – having realised the course isn’t for them.
Here’s a look at some of the most memorable from over the years.
Hannah Spearitt
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S Club star Hannah Spearitt is among those signed up for the latest series.
According to reports, the 44-year-old walked away from the Channel 4 show during the first day’s filming.
Fans will reportedly see Hannah struggle in the early stages, before deciding to bow out.
A source told MailOnline: “Hannah had pretty much exhausted all of her connections within the industry before she left for Costa Rica.
“She no longer speaks to her band mates and has now completely shut herself off from that world.
“The final straw came last summer when she took part in Celebrity SAS.”
Continuing, the source explained how Hannah “truly believed” a stint on the programme could “turn things around for her.”
They added: “But sadly she just couldn’t hack it and walked on the first day. It was all rather embarrassing.”
John Barrowman
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Doctor Who and Torchwood star John Barrowman quit the show just 32 minutes after arriving at base camp.
It came after John told cameras he had joined the show in order to “prove himself”.
after trying just one of the tasks, he voluntarily withdrew (VW) from the series less than an hour after arriving at base camp.
The star had only just been given his armband to mark the start of his journey, being marked as ‘Number 13’ after failing to impress in the first challenge.
As the cast lined up to enter their bunks, Barrowman started to retch, and then immediately tore his armband off, threw it on the ground and walked away.
His fellow recruits and the DS staff were left in shock at the move, with staff Jason Fox asking, “Hang on, hang on, you’ve not called out. Are you VWing?”
“Yeah I’m VW. I’m out!” he yelled back, before vomiting in a corner.
Billy Billingham went to check on the star, asking if he needed to see a doctor, but Barrowman refused.
“What do you mean you’re done? You’ve only just got here, why?” Billy asked.
“I know. I just… I’m done,” he responded, and when Billy pushed further Barrowman declared; “I said I’m out!”
Louie Spence
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The Sun revealed how Louie Spence quit the course after just hours – having not realised how tough it would be.
Dance star Louie had barely started the gruelling selection process when he walked away.
A TV insider said: “He seemed thrilled to be surrounded by all the hunky instructors, who all came from military backgrounds that required them to have an elite level of fitness.
“But he was less enamoured with the regime they had to maintain, with Louie unable to keep up with them physically and mentally.
“Despite this he left without any bad feeling and was grateful for the opportunity — even though his experience was a brief one.”
Marnie Simpson
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Geordie Shore star Marnie signed up to the series just 10 months after giving birth.
The gruelling show – known for being brutal and dangerous – proved too much for the new mum.
In fact, conditions were so bad that Marnie left the show after just 32 minutes.
Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “I don’t think I realised just how tough it was going to be I think I was being a bit delusional.
“Mentally and physically I just wasn’t ready for it.”
Reflecting on whether she would sign up to Celeb SAS again, she said: “But I do think I’d tackle things differently if I ever did a show like this again.
“I’d make sure I was in better shape, both physically and mentally.”
Kirsty Leigh Porter
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The Sun revealed Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter was the first to bail during her series.
Things appeared to be too much for the soap siren to handle, an insider claimed at the time.
Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins winners
Many celebrities have attempted the infamous Channel 4 quasi military training course – but only a select few have successfully passed.
Series 1 (2019) – Wayne Bridge
Series 2 (2020) – Locksmith and Lauren Steadman
Series 3 (2021) – Alexandra Burke, Aled Davies and Wes Nelson
Series 4 (2022) – AJ Pritchard, Calum Best, Ferne McCann and Maisie Smith
Series 5 (2023) – Gareth Gates
She had been cast on the show in a bid to draw in younger viewers thanks to her appeal on youth-orientated soap Hollyoaks.
A source said that she and The Wanted heartthrob Siva Kaneswaran were top signings by Channel 4 chiefs who were delighted to have them on board.
Speaking at the time, the source revealed: “Siva and Kirsty-Leigh are both sure-fire signings for the next instalment of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
“Kirsty-Leigh became a mum for the first time last year [2021] and is looking to really challenge herself away from Hollyoaks.”
