SAS: Who Dares Wins

SAS: Who Dares Wins is a reality quasi-military training television programme broadcast by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom since 19 October 2015. There have been eight main series and five celebrity spin-off series.

Format
The show pits contestants against harsh environments all around the world in a shortened two-week long training course that is designed to replicate a number of elements of the actual United Kingdom Special Forces selection course; a notoriously difficult programme that has been known to claim the lives of those who take it on, although the training has been modified to prevent fatalities. 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 tests. Unlike many reality competition series, there are no formal elimination points; instead, contestants may be culled by the DS, voluntarily withdraw, or be medically withdrawn at any point prior to completion.

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 Special Forces selection would be open to women. The fifth series proper aired in January and February 2020.

Cast
The original Chief Instructor was Ant Middleton, who is an ex-United Kingdom Special Forces operator serving in the Special Boat Service. He was dismissed from the show by Channel 4 in 2021 over his 'personal conduct'. In October 2021, former United States Recon Marine Rudy Reyes was announced as the series's new Chief Instructor. The other Directing Staff (DS) instructors are: Jason 'Foxy' Fox, a former SBS operator; Mark 'Billy' Billingham, an ex-SAS Sergeant Major; and veteran Navy SEAL Senior Chief Remi Adeleke - who left in 2022, after appearing in that year's civilian and celebrity series.

Series 8 saw the contestants tested in the jungle of Thung Ui, north Vietnam, and Mark 'Billy' Billingham as the Chief Instructor because of his extensive jungle warfare training. Joining the Directing Staff is Chris Oliver, a former Royal Marine Mountain Leader and ex-Special Boat Service operator.

Regular series
The original series, featuring regular civilians, was airing from 2015 to 2023. After the eighth series concluded, it was reported that the regular series was 'shelved' indefinitely, because Channel 4 wanted to focus more to the Celebrity version.

Series 1 (2019)
In April 2019, a special series in which all of the recruits were celebrities was aired as Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, for Stand Up to Cancer UK. Among the celebrity recruits were Victoria Pendleton, Ben Foden, Heather Fisher, AJ Odudu, Jeff Brazier, Wayne Bridge, Sam Thompson, Andrea McLean, Jeremy Irvine, Dev, Louise Mensch and Camilla Thurlow (Love Island). Unlike previous series, this celebrity version was filmed in the Andes Mountains in Chile.

Series 2 (2020)
A second celebrity series began airing on Monday 20 April 2020. Among the celebrity recruits were: Katie Price, Joey Essex, Anthea Turner, Helen Skelton, Brendan Cole, John Fashanu, Nikki Sanderson, Jack Maynard (YouTube star), Lauren Steadman, Locksmith (DJ of Rudimental), Tony Bellew and Yasmin Evans. This series was filmed on the island of Raasay in Scotland.

Series 3 (2021)
A third celebrity series began airing on 29 August 2021. Among the celebrity recruits were: Ulrika Jonsson, Kerry Katona, Alexandra Burke, Wes Nelson, James Cracknell, Shanaze Reade, Ore Oduba, Aled Davies, Vicky Pattison, Saira Khan, Kieron Dyer and Jake Quickenden. The series was filmed on the island of Raasay in Scotland.

Series 4 (2022)
A fourth series began airing on 4 September 2022. Among the celebrity recruits were: Calum Best, Maisie Smith, Jonathan Broom-Edwards, Ashley Cain, Dwain Chambers, Shannon Courtenay, Jennifer Ellison, Jade Jones, Amber Gill, AJ Pritchard, Curtis Pritchard, Ferne McCann, Pete Wicks and Fatima Whitbread; she was 60 years old when the series was filmed and is the show's oldest recruit. The series was set in Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan and filmed in October 2021; the former set of French game show The Desert Forges was used as the base.

Series 5 (2023)
The line-up for the fifth series was announced on 14 September 2023. The series was set in Vietnamese Jungle. A fifth series began airing on 26 September 2023. Among the celebrity recruits were: Danielle Lloyd, Michelle Heaton, Amber Turner, Melinda Messenger, Gareth Gates, Matt Hancock, Gareth Thomas, James Argent, Jermaine Pennant, Siva Kaneswaran, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Teddy Soares, Montana Brown, Kirsty-Leigh Porter, Perri Shakes-Drayton and Zoe Lyons.

Series 6 (2024)
Further, eighth-part sixth series is due to air in 2024. The filming has reportedly taken place in New Zealand. 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 previous series.

Series 7 (2025)
In June 2024, it was reported that filming of the seventh series would take place that summer in Wales.

International versions
Banijay holds the international rights to the show, and total of six international adaptions have currently been produced around the globe, amongst the first ones were Australia, Denmark and Sweden.

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. 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.

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. An American version, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, premiered on 4 January 2023 on Fox. The Belgium version, titled Special Forces: Wie durft wint (English: Special Forces: Who Dares Wins), premiered in summer 2023 on VTM network.

Legend: Currently airing    Upcoming version/season No longer airing   Current status unknown