Most people would probably assume that military training and TV shows don’t really go together.
But Ant Middleton and his team have combined the two and totally smashed all preconceived ideas about becoming an SAS soldier – spoiler alert – it’s really hard. Episode 1 of the brand new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins starts on Sunday, January 5th 2020 on Channel 4.
By now, we pretty much know the men who are to put the candidates through their paces, but viewers are yet to meet the people taking part in SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2020.
So, without further adieu, let’s meet the SAS: Who Dares Wins 2020 cast.
- YES SIR: SAS: Who Dares Wins – season 5 start date, location and instructors
SAS: Who Dares Wins 2020 cast
There are 25 new candidates taking part in series 5 of SAS: Who Dares Wins. They’re sure to be put through their paces by Ant Middleton and his team.
However, one of the candidates has an advantage as they’re an undercover SAS operator who left the division just over a year ago.
Once the mole has been put to good use, they’ll become part of the Directing Staff alongside Ant Middleton, Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox, Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham and Matthew ‘Ollie’ Ollerton.
The candidates for series 5 are as follows:
Jerrome
- Age: 29
- Profession: Personal Trainer
- Hometown: North London
Fitness buff Jerome tasted crime at a young age as a teenager through boredom and peer pressure, winding up in jail for possession of a firearm.
But the moment Jerrome’s cuffs were unshackled he went about forging his career as a personal trainer, ditching drugs, alcohol and the type of lifestyle that he hated as it portrayed the stereotype of a young black man. Speaking of the challenges in the 2020 series he told C4 said:
“I’m a bodybuilder, so I wasn’t really a fan of cardio and when finding out this is one of the major things in the course, I began to do boxing drills because I believe boxers have the best cardio strength.
I couldn’t swim, so I learnt to do that in a week because I was told this was going to be very much the main source of activity. I also did uphill treadmill runs and constant 2000m rower challenges, trying to beat my time every day.”
Sybella
- Age: 32
- Profession: Nutritional Advisor
- Hometown: Nottinghamshire
- PT and Fitpack App Athlete Sybella is on Instagram as @sybella.davis with over 2,000 followers.
Sybella is another civilian tough cookie with a background in fitness nutrition. She’s travelled the world extensively and joined the show to conquer any fears left on her agenda.
Carla
- Age: 40
- Profession: Business Development Manager
- Hometown: London
In 2000, at the age of 21, Carla sailed across the Atlantic in an 80ft ketch. She’s always been driven and went on to compete in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 as a GB rower.
Now a devoted mum of four, Carla found a lump in her breast and was diagnosed with triple-negative invasive breast cancer for which she started treatment at the beginning of December 2018. She had 16 sessions of chemo. She watched the last series of SAS: Who Dares Wins during her chemo sessions and was motivated to take part in the next one.
Post chemotherapy I was a broken soul, I had trained throughout chemo, but more to keep mentally alive than to make any physical gains. The time period between the end of my treatment (chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy) and the SAS course was tight. I pushed myself as hard as I physically could, but invariably I knew I was entering the show with some huge areas of weakness.
Shakiba
- Age: 26
- Profession: PHD Student
- Hometown: Southampton
The concept of being in the unknown and being stripped of all my comfort was beyond gruelling, but it forced me to stand and face my fears and insecurities head on. Staring my fears deep in the eyes and taking back control that I once lost, was one of the most rewarding feelings.
Pavandeep
- Age: 31
- Profession: Trainee Ophthalmic Surgeon
- Hometown: Slough
Pavandeep always dreamed of joining the RAF but ended up working in medicine instead. However, SAS: Who Dares Wins offered the 31-year-old the perfect opportunity to prove that he could succeed in either career, even if it involved ice-cold water challenges:
“The time in the freezing water was something I dreaded. It was a soul-sucker and would freeze you to your core. I have never shivered so violently before. It was not only the freezing water but also the aftermath – running in drenched clothes and waterlogged boots.”
Owen Gibson
- Age: 42
- Profession: Postman
- Hometown: South Shields
- Owen is also on Instagram, find him under the handle @owengibson.777.
After growing up on a council estate in South Shields, Owen found himself participating in crime by the age of 16 and began stealing cars and burgling shops to impress a girl. A path of self-destruction followed with alcohol and drugs used as an escape from the person he had become.
But Owen turned it around and has finally found peace, with the Channel 4 series setting down a marker for how far he had come.
Ant spent first couple of days giving me grief for my lack of discipline – but I am sure he smiled and called me ‘dude’ at the end so I may have broken down some barriers.
Oliver Jones
- Age: 31
- Profession: Painter and Decorator
- Hometown: Swansea
- Follow Oliver on Insta @oliverjones87.
Nicola McGrath
- Age: 40
- Profession: Civil Servant
- Hometown: Taunton
- Find Nicola on Instagram @nicolamcgrath831.
Nicola is happily married and lives life in Taunton treated like a princess, but a haunting past tells the story of abusive men in her life.
She joined SAS: Who Dares Wins determined to rid herself of any lingering demons and prove to her step-dad, who was in the marines and worked alongside the SAS, that she can do anything she puts her mind to.
I went in wanting to prove to other people how strong I am, after a few days I realised I didn’t need to prove it to other people, I just had to prove to myself and I did exactly that. I didn’t realise how brave I was.
Myles Martin
- Age: 21
- Profession: Student
- Hometown: London
- Follow Myles on Instagram where he has around 2,500 followers – @mylesmartinpt.
Student Myles is one of the youngest recruits on the show but that won’t stop him from proving that he is the toughest of the bunch. The 21-year-old realised he was dad was a drug addict at a young age and has vowed to never become the man that walked away from his home.
Mark/Cybil War
- Age: 31
- Profession: Marketing Manager and Drag Queen
- Hometown: London
Mark is the first-ever Drag Queen to take on SAS: Who Dares Wins and has always wanted to take part in the series because his dad served 18 years in the Forces.
However, the 31-year-old moved to New York in 2014 where he discovered his true self and the sparkling world of drag. A proud gay man, Mark discovered his drag-self, Cybil War.
By day he’s I’m responsible for an entire sales team within a software company. By night, he’s a drag artist, club promoter, DJ and face of a monthly queer club night.
Mark struck up close bonds with all of the directing staff and even developed a crush on a certain Jason Fox:
Foxy is just the single most gorgeous human being in existence and it was distracting being around him.
Korey
- Age: 32
- Profession: Builder
- Hometown: Plymouth
Kirsty Hendey
- Age: 32
- Profession: Business Consultant
- Hometown: London
- Fitness model Kirsty is on Instagram as @kirstyhendey with over 16k followers.
Kirsty was bullied in school for her exterior shell; a skinny frame and braces to match. This made her a quiet and shy child although her confidence steamrolled with age and maturity, where she finally found her ultimate self as a bosswoman business consultant.
But no life experience could have prepared her for the challenges in SAS: Who Dares Wins 2020:
“I’ve handled and fired guns in the past but I wasn’t prepared for the weapons challenge. We were kidnapped, blindfolded and thrown around with heavy gunfire which really disorientates you.”
Sisters Elouise and Beth Gregor
- Age: 27 and 26
- Profession: Bethany is an Art Teacher and Elouise is a Solicitor
- Hometown: Cornwall
- Follow Elouise @elliegregor where she has around 10k followers and Bethany on Insta @sportybethcf.
The sporty sisters grew up on a local farm and always felt ostracised in school due to their strict and rural upbringing that is a far cry of the girls on Love Island.
Bethany has lived with mental health issues since she was a teenager which, at times, caused her to withdraw massively and heavily impacting her relationship with sister Elouise. Crossfit and Olympic weight-lifting gave them both a shared interest and passion yet although they’ve attained dozens of podium finishes it’s the bond the formed from the bond that is their proudest achievement.
Speaking of her accomplishments in life and on the show, Bethany said:
“I wanted to prove to my family and myself that after my mental health struggles with bipolar disorder. Following my weight loss journey from 18 stone, morbidly obese and pre-diabetic, to a fit, healthy and active CrossFit athlete all two years, I wanted to take on one of the toughest physical challenges to see what my body can do now.”
Speaking of her sister, Elouise said:
My sister also went on the course and it was incredible sharing the experience with her. As I am very protective of my sister, I would find myself worrying about her unnecessarily. We would be out on a run or doing a challenge and I would find myself looking for Beth to make sure she was ok (she always was) but, it is something that I do unconsciously probably because I know what she has been through.
Kim Ngo
- Age: 32
- Profession: Fitness Trainer
- Hometown: London
- Find Kim on Instagram under the handle @kimmayco. She has over 16,000 followers.
Kim’s parents emigrated for Vietnam to Wales before settling in London where she now works as a personal trainer having spent five years in investment banking… where she hated every minute of the work.
Kirsty R
- Age: 32
- Profession: Work Planner for Water Company
- Hometown: Trowbridge
Jay (The Mole)
- Age: 36
- Profession: Former SAS professional with 10 years of experience
Jay is this year’s mole on the show, tasked with working undercover among the other recruits to report back to directing staff leader Ant Middleton. Although it sounds like his cover was blown pretty quickly as Kim said she would tease him at night, shouting “you’re the mole aren’t you” from one bunkbed to another.
James
- Age: 30
- Profession: Estate Agent Director
- Hometown: Leeds
Chris O
- Age: 30
- Profession: Advanced Weight-loss Practitioner
- Hometown: London
Ellise
- Age: 26
- Profession: Part-time stunt performer and part-time support worker
- Hometown: Birmingham
- Follow her on Insta @ellisegrizzle
It was everything I’d imagined it to be and more. Definitely something I’ll never forget. An experience of a lifetime.
Donna
- Age: 36
- Profession: Private Security
- Hometown: Essex
Chris B
Carmen
- Age: 40
- Profession: Train Driver
- Hometown: Liverpool
Amos
- Age: 32
- Profession: Pathology Technician
- Hometown: London
Ammar Mousa
- Age: 25
- Hometown: Macclesfield
- Follow Ammar on Insta @ammarmousa.
Who can apply for SAS: Who Dares Wins?
As of 2019, in line with the Ministry of Defence’s announcement that Special Forces selection would be open to women, the show was open to accepting female applicants.
Series 4 of SAS: Who Dares Wins was the first to see women take part in the show. Lou, Mark and Milo all made it through the selection process with Lou being the first woman to take part in and complete the series.
If you’re keen to apply for the show then you should register your interest via email online here.
WATCH SAS: WHO DARES WINS SERIES 5 FROM SUNDAY, JANUARY 5TH 2020 AT 9 PM ON CHANNEL 4.
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