CELEBRITY SAS RETURNS TO CHANNEL 4 IN JANUARY, UK AND AUSTRALIAN CELEBRITIES TAKING PART REVEALED

Decades of rivalry are set to be tested to the limit as fourteen British and Australian celebrities face the most punishing challenge of their lives when the latest series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4.  

In the brutal heat of North Africa, these famous faces are embarking on a savage, condensed version of SAS selection that even they won’t be able to charm, spin, or tweet their way out of. 

The fourteen famous faces trading their glamorous and luxurious lifestyles for the harsh realities of Special Forces training—competing head-to-head as Team UK versus Team Australia to see which nation will triumph—are; TV Personalities, Dani Dyer (28 - British), Gabby Allen (33 - British) and Jessika Power (33 - Australian); social media personalities, Jack Joseph (25 - British) and Cole Anderson-James (28 - British).

Plus Neighbours Actors, Ryan Moloney (45 - Australian) and Natalie Bassingthwaite (50 - Australian); World Cup Winning Rugby Player, Ben Cohen (46 - British); Gladiator and Olympian, Toby Olubi (37 - British).

Also International Cricketers, Graeme Swann (46 - British) and Brad Hodge (50 - Australian); Olympic Swimmers, Emily Seebohm (33 - Australian) and Mack Horton (29 - Australian); and Home & Away Actor and Musician, Axle Whitehead (44 - Australian).

Stripped of their identities, luxuries and excuses, the brutal physical and mental course, led by Chief Instructor, Billy Bilingham MBE and his team of Directing Staff - Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver – will strip everything away. The celebrities will have no entourage, agents, filters or social media followers to rescue them.

Instead, they’ll face sweat, physical endurance, sand, tears and the truth they’ve been avoiding – all in the blistering North African heat. The DS don’t care how famous the recruits are, how many social media followers they have or what they have done before this. As soon as they enter the selection process, their celebrity status and luxuries are stripped away and there will be no room for mistakes

The UK and Aussie recruits are put under extreme pressure as every mistake is punished, every crack exploited, every weakness dragged into the open. Not everyone will have what it takes to make it to the end as bonds snap, egos shatter, and recruits are pushed so far past their limits they forget they ever had any.

But when the dust settles, one question remains: will any of these celebrities make it to the end of this physically demanding and psychologically gruelling course and impress the DS enough to pass the course? And, more importantly, will the UK or Australia emerge victorious when the rivalry finally reaches its breaking point?

Reflecting on their upcoming Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins experience, the celebrity recruits commented: Cole Anderson-James – Recruit Number 1: “I really wanted to take part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins for a change, for a bit of fun and to experience new things.”

Toby Olubi – Recruit Number 2: “I wanted to come on this course to show different dynamics of manhood – that you can be vulnerable and still powerful.  I also wanted to use this opportunity to test my mettle, to learn from the experience and to come home with something more to offer to others!”

Jack Joseph – Recruit Number 3: “I think this is probably going be the toughest week of my life.  My dad was actually in the military, so he will not be happy if I make excuses or I moan or I don’t try a hundred percent.  I didn’t think being in the military was ever an option for me - I am scared of everything - flying, confrontation, large crowds, claustrophobia, bugs, insects, spiders.  I'm hoping that I can overcome those fears.  I need a big challenge.  If I manage to get through this, I think it would help a lot.”

Dani Dyer – Recruit Number 4: “I’m a massive fan of the show.  I’ve always watched it and wondered if I could do it. I want to put myself to the test.  I'm nuts, but I think I will be good at it.  I’ll be completely out of my comfort zone.  I just hope that I will be able to stop listening to the voices in my head and just get to the end because that would make me so proud. I think physically I've got this.  Mentally is what I'll struggle with as my brain attacks me all the bloody time. I just want to believe in myself a little bit more and stop being a negative Nancy.”

Gabby Allen – Recruit Number 5: “As a lot of people know me from being on Love Island, I think viewers are going to be really surprised when they see me on the course - I'm extremely determined and I don't give up easily. Fitness is a huge part of my life with it being my job and working with hundreds of women daily helping them find joy in their health and wellness journey. I wanted to test my mental strength and challenge myself in a way I haven't before and SAS certainly did that.”

“I’ve watched previous series and knew this was a once in a lifetime experience, and an opportunity for me to showcase a side of me that people haven’t seen before. I might be small but I have guts, am strong and am extremely competitive - watch this space!"

Graeme Swann – Recruit Number 6: “I wanted to take part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, mostly to step out of my comfort zone and see how hard I could push myself but also, I wanted my kids to see that even the hardest tasks can be achieved if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

“The SAS training challenge stood out because there are very few environments as physically and mentally demanding. Their ability to train for any scenario, any environment, fascinated me — and the appeal of walking into something where the unknown is part of the experience was impossible to ignore.”

DS Foxy said: "This year isn’t just about who can win The Ashes in Australia, this is also the year British celebrities are pitted against Australian. We, the DS, will combine the brutal terrain and environment of North Africa with our aggressive approach to the course to see who will be reduced to ashes or rise up from them. This is more than just a course, it’s a centuries old rivalry and we are stirring it up on a new front! Who Dares Wins!”

DS Rudy commented: “This is SAS: Who Dares Wins at its most dangerous, with blistering heat and a break-neck pace that will see even the strongest bite the dust.  Australia and UK - a rivalry in sport but now going head-to-head in the art and brutality of warfare.  North Africa is a blast furnace and the DS fan the fire until only the strongest remain.”

DS Chris added: “This is one of the most challenging courses to date, with the long-standing rivalry between Britain and Australia taking centre stage in the harshest setting, where relentless heat, dust, and sand make every moment intense. As the DS, we won’t need to guide these celebrities; they’ll have to unleash their full potential in order to thrive in this fierce environment. It’s time to bring their A Game if they’re to be successful!”

Airing across eight episodes, this eighth series will be available to stream, and watch live, in January 2026.