Ant Middleton (2015–2021) Jason Fox (2015–) Matthew Ollerton (2015–2020) Mark Billingham (2016–) Jay Morton (2020) Colin Maclachlan (2015) Melvyn Downes (2021) Anthony Stazicker (2021) Rudy Reyes (2022–) Remi Adeleke (2022) Chris Oliver (2023–)
19 October 2015 (2015-10-19)– 21 February 2023 (2023-02-21)
Release
7 April 2019 (2019-04-07)– present
SAS: Who Dares Wins is a reality quasi-military training television programme broadcast by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom since 19 October 2015. It features civilians, and later celebrities, attempting to complete a modified version of SAS training.[1]
The show pits contestants against harsh environments all around the world, in a shortened training course designed to simulate a condensed version of the actual United Kingdom Special Forces selection course.[2] The show's Directing Staff take the recruits through hostile and unforgiving warfare environments, while testing their mental and physical ability through a series of realistic training exercises. Each series ends with a simulated experience of being captured and interrogated, which is overseen by an anonymous former senior chief intelligence officer referred to as "the Umpire".[3]
Unlike many reality competition series, there are no formal elimination points. Instead, each contestants is given a numbered armband, which they can hand in to the DS in order to 'voluntarily withdraw' (VW) themselves if they feel they cannot continue. They can also be culled by the DS or be medically withdrawn.[2]
History
The fourth series, which aired in early 2019, allowed female recruits to take part for the first time, in line with the Ministry of Defence's announcement that women would now be able to serve in all areas of the UK military, including the Special Forces.[4]
A celebrity version aired for the first time in 2019 in aid of Stand Up to Cancer. Chief instructor Ant Middleton said of the concept, ‘Celebrities go through their lives showing the public a front and face they want them to see but this process stripped all that away.’[5]
After the eighth series of the civilian version concluded in 2023, the civilian version was shelved indefinitely in order to prioritise the celebrity version, which Channel 4 deemed a 'huge success'.[6]
In 2021, Middleton was dismissed from the show over his 'personal conduct'. It was speculated that this was linked to Middleton's controversial tweets about the Black Lives Matter movement. Middleton subsequently claimed 'the woke patrol have kicked in to the point where we can't say anything, we can't be ourselves'.[11][12]
Other DS have included Melvyn Downes in 2021, who served in the SAS for 12 years and was the first DS member of colour,[15] and Veteran Navy SEALSenior Chief Remi Adeleke in 2022.[16][17]
An eight-part sixth series began airing in September 2024; the filming took place in New Zealand.[6][33] The line-up for the series was reported in July 2023, with Pete Wicks set to feature as the first returning recruit following his medical evacuation from the fourth series.[34]
In June 2024, it was reported that filming of the seventh series would take place that summer in Wales.[35] The series was filmed on the island of Anglesey and began airing on 3 August 2025.[36][37]
Banijay holds the international rights to the show, and a total of six international adaptions have currently been produced around the globe; amongst the first ones were Australia, Denmark and Sweden.[38]
An Australian version of the show is currently being produced for Seven Network as SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins. Its first season was Australia's most watched new show of the year. It aired for four series, before being cancelled in 2024.[39] The Swedish version, Elitstyrkans hemligheter (English: Secrets of the Elite Force), is broadcast on TV4 and premiered on 24 January 2021. It won the reality show category award at Kristallen 2021.[40]
The Dutch version, Special Forces VIPS: Wie durft wint (English: Special Forces VIP: Who dares wins), premiered 19 December 2021 on RTL's streaming platform Videoland.[41] The Finnish version, Erikoisjoukot (English: Special Forces), premiered on 30 May 2022, on Nelonen and its streaming service Ruutu. It was also nominated at the Golden Venla awards in 2022.[42]
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Australia 
Belgium 
Flanders)
Netherlands 
Denmark 
Finland 
Hungary 
Poland 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 
United States