SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins
Reality television show
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SAS Australia, originally called SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins, is a reality quasi-military training television programme based on the original British SAS: Who Dares Wins that was broadcast on Seven Network between 19 October 2020 and 1 November 2023. Upon release of the first season, the show's name was changed to simply SAS Australia. The series featured four ex-Special Forces soldiers acting as the directing staff (DS), with Ant Middleton as the chief instructor.
| SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | SAS Australia |
| Genre | Reality |
| Created by | Minnow Films |
| Based on | SAS: Who Dares Wins |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 (Celebrity edition) 1 (Civilian edition) |
| No. of episodes | 50 (Celebrity edition) 4 (Civilian edition) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer |
|
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Screentime |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 19 October 2020 – present |
In June 2024 it was announced, that the production of the show was halted or "cancelled" for the year by Seven Network.[1][2] The series was not mentioned at Seven’s 2025 upfronts and the future of the series is unknown.[3] In October 2025, a celebrity version was renewed with a Australia vs United Kingdom format which aired in 2026.[4]
Cast
The Directing Staff instructors for the most recent domestic season included Ant Middleton, ex-UK Special Forces operator and Royal Marine Commando; Matthew 'Ollie' Ollerton, former Special Boat Service-operator; Anthony 'Staz' Stazicker and Jay Morton.[citation needed]
Former staff instructors included Jason 'Foxy' Fox, ex-SBS operator; Mark 'Billy' Billingham, an ex-SAS Sergeant Major; former Navy SEAL-operator Clint Emerson and Dean Stott, former SAS-operator.[citation needed]
| Name | Position | Series | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2020) | 2 (2021) | 3 (2022) | 4 (2023) | Vs UK (2026) | ||
| Ant Middleton | Chief Instructor (1-4) | Main | ||||
| Matthew Ollerton | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Jason Fox | Directing Staff | Main | Main | |||
| Mark Billingham | Directing Staff / Chief Instructor (5) | Main | Main | |||
| Clint Emerson | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Dean Stott | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Anthony Stazicker | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Jay Morton | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Rudy Reyes | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
| Chris Oliver | Directing Staff | Main | ||||
Celebrity edition
Season 1 (2020)
Production began in March 2020 on location in Queenstown, New Zealand, however production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] They recommenced filming on a property on the outskirts of Berridale in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales in Australia at GPS Coordinates 36°28′44″S 149°0′37″E. Production crew stayed locally in Jindabyne while filming.[citation needed]
Olympian Jana Pittman was reported to be a contestant in the March 2020 production, but with her pregnancy in the intervening months, was replaced by former The Biggest Loser Australia trainer Shannan Ponton.[5] Pittman subsequently appeared, as a contestant in Season 2, six months after giving birth.[6]
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Episode left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roxy Jacenko | Businesswoman & socialite | 1 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Candice Warner | Retired Ironwoman | 10 | Culled |
| 3 | Jackson Warne | Poker player & son of Shane Warne | 8 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 4 | Arabella Del Busso | Con Woman to Josh Reynolds | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 5 | Molly Taylor | Rally car driver | 12 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 6 | Nick Cummins | Former rugby player and former Bachelor | 12 | Passed |
| 7 | Erin McNaught | Miss Universe Australia 2006 | 11 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 8 | Shannan Ponton | Fitness professional | 11 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 9 | Schapelle Corby | Former convicted drug trafficker | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 10 | Merrick Watts | Comedian & former radio host | 12 | Passed |
| 11 | Firass Dirani | Actor | 10 | Culled |
| 12 | James Magnussen | Retired swimmer | 12 | Culled |
| 13 | Shayna Jack | Suspended swimmer | 5 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 14 | Sabrina Frederick | AFLW player | 12 | Passed |
| 15 | Mitchell Johnson | Retired cricketer | 4 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 16 | Ali Oetjen | The Bachelorette Australia bachelorette | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 17 | Eden Dally | Love Island Australia star | 5 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers |
Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Character | 19 October 2020 | Monday 7:30 pm | 834,000 | 5 | 118,000 | 4 | 952,000 | [11][12] |
| 2 | Fear | 20 October 2020 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 795,000 | 5 | 100,000 | 5 | 895,000 | [13][14] |
| 3 | Mindset | 26 October 2020 | Monday 7:30pm | 770,000 | 8 | 109,000 | 8 | 879,000 | [15][16] |
| 4 | Teamwork | 27 October 2020 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 676,000 | 8 | 106,000 | 7 | 782,000 | [17][18] |
| 5 | Resilience | 2 November 2020 | Monday 7:30pm | 671,000 | 8 | 126,000 | 7 | 797,000 | [19][20] |
| 6 | Focus | 3 November 2020 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 654,000 | 11 | 107,000 | 10 | 761,000 | [21][22] |
| 7 | Pressure | 9 November 2020 | Monday 7:30pm | 584,000 | 14 | 118,000 | 14 | 702,000 | [23][24] |
| 8 | Strength | 10 November 2020 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 502,000 | 9 | 121,000 | 8 | 703,000 | [25][26] |
| 9 | Trust | 16 November 2020 | Monday 7:30 pm | 676,000 | 6 | 105,000 | 5 | 781,000 | [27][28] |
| 10 | Determination | 17 November 2020 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 668,000 | 7 | 109,000 | 6 | 777,000 | [29][30] |
| 11 | Survival | 23 November 2020 | Monday 7:30 pm | 728,000 | 5 | 90,000 | 5 | 818,000 | [31][32] |
| 12 | Courage | 24 November 2020 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 737,000 | 5 | 93,000 | 4 | 830,000 | [33][34] |
Season 2 (2021)
In October 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[35] The second season began airing on 13 September 2021.[36]
The season was filmed in the Capertee Valley in NSW, with the camp being constructed in the Glen Davies Ruins. The Ruins are the remains of the Oil Shale Ruins, which began operation in 1938 and ceased operation in 1952. The Glen Davis Ruins are on private property, but is available to visitors on a Saturday at 2pm.[citation needed]
Full list of confirmed celebrities:[37][38][39]
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Episode left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma Husar | Former politician | 3 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Koby Abberton | Bra Boy | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Brynne Edelsten | Socialite | 1 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 4 | Jana Pittman | Dual Olympian in athletics and bobsleigh | 13 | Culled |
| 5 | Pete Murray | Singer-songwriter | 4 | Medically Withdrawn |
| 6 | Manu Feildel | Celebrity chef | 3 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Jett Kenny | Ironman | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 8 | Isabelle Cornish | Actor | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 9 | Dan Ewing | Actor | 13 | Culled |
| 10 | Erin Holland | TV Presenter | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 11 | Mark Philippoussis | Former tennis player | 13 | Culled |
| 12 | Bonnie Anderson | Singer/actor | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 13 | Kerri Pottharst | Beach volleyball Olympian | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 14 | John Steffensen | Olympic runner | 13 | Culled |
| 15 | Heath Shaw | AFL Star | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 16 | Sam Burgess | Former rugby league player | 13 | Passed |
| 17 | Alicia Molik | Former tennis player | 4 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 18 | Jessica Peris | Sprinter | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers |
Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Ego | 13 September 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 647,000 | 10 | 111,000 | 6 | 749,000 | [40] |
| 2 | Courage | 14 September 2021 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 626,000 | 9 | 125,000 | 6 | 751,000 | [41] |
| 3 | Control | 15 September 2021 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 654,000 | 8 | 127,000 | 6 | 781,000 | [42] |
| 4 | Aggression | 20 September 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 620,000 | 12 | 76,000 | 7 | 696,000 | [43] |
| 5 | Leadership | 21 September 2021 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 586,000 | 11 | 107,000 | 9 | 693,000 | [44] |
| 6 | Mindset | 22 September 2021 | Wednesday 7:30pm | 606,000 | 11 | 78,000 | 8 | 684,000 | [45] |
| 7 | Fear | 27 September 2021 | Monday 7:30pm | 599,000 | 14 | 107,000 | 8 | 706,000 | [46] |
| 8 | Confidence | 28 September 2021 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 592,000 | 10 | 95,000 | 8 | 687,000 | [47] |
| 9 | Oppo | 29 September 2021 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 643,000 | 8 | 80,000 | 6 | 723,000 | [48] |
| 10 | Grit | 4 October 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 597,000 | 12 | 79,000 | 8 | 676,000 | [49] |
| 11 | Pressure | 5 October 2021 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 565,000 | 12 | 90,000 | 10 | 655,000 | [50] |
| 12 | Drive | 11 October 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 585,000 | 12 | 81,000 | 8 | 666,000 | [51] |
| 13 | Determination | 12 October 2021 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 631,000 | 8 | 99,000 | 6 | 730,000 | [52] |
| 14 | Debrief | 13 October 2021 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 474,000 | 13 | 84,000 | 11 | 558,000 | [53] |
Season 3 (2022)
The third season began airing on 21 February 2022.[54]
Full list of celebrities were confirmed in October 2021:[55][56]
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Episode left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebanie Bridges | Champion boxer | 11 | Culled |
| 2 | Paul Fenech | Comedian | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Melissa Tkautz | Singer/Actor | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 4 | Barry Hall | Retired AFL player | 7 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 5 | Geoff Huegill | Olympic swimmer | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 6 | Melissa Wu | Olympic diver | 12 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Riana Crehan | Motorsports presenter | 13 | Passed |
| 8 | Darius Boyd | Retired NRL player | 13 | Passed |
| 9 | Orpheus Pledger | Actor | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 10 | Locky Gilbert | Reality TV star | 13 | Culled |
| 11 | Simone Holtznagel | Model | 4 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 12 | Anna Heinrich | TV personality | 11 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 13 | Richard Buttrose | Convicted drug dealer | 6 | Culled |
| 14 | Ellia Green | Rugby player | 5 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 15 | Millie Boyle | NRLW player | 13 | Passed |
| 16 | Wayne Carey | AFL commentator | 5 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 17 | Michael Zerafa | Professional boxer | 2 | Medically Withdrawn |
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers |
Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Guts | 21 February 2022 | Monday 7:30 pm | 467,000 | 14 | 122,000 | 9 | 589,000 | [57] |
| 2 | Panic | 22 February 2022 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 378,000 | 14 | 139,000 | 10 | 517,000 | [58] |
| 3 | Adaptability | 23 February 2022 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 365,000 | 15 | 127,000 | 10 | 492,000 | [59] |
| 4 | Mindset | 28 February 2022 | Monday 7:30 pm | 372,000 | 17 | 93,000 | 14 | 465,000 | [60] |
| 5 | Leadership | 1 March 2022 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 422,000 | 12 | 110,000 | 9 | 532,000 | [61] |
| 6 | Aggression | 7 March 2022 | Monday 7:30pm | 383,000 | 16 | 114,000 | 13 | 497,000 | [62] |
| 7 | Fear | 8 March 2022 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 345,000 | 15 | 91,000 | 11 | 436,000 | [63] |
| 8 | Pressure | 14 March 2022 | Monday 7:30pm | 362,000 | 17 | 88,000 | 15 | 450,000 | [64] |
| 9 | Courage | 15 March 2022 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 393,000 | 14 | 80,000 | 9 | 473,000 | [65] |
| 10 | Resilience | 21 March 2022 | Monday 7:30pm | 313,000 | 20 | 98,000 | 14 | 411,000 | [66] |
| 11 | Focus | 22 March 2022 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 373,000 | 14 | 82,000 | 9 | 455,000 | [67] |
| 12 | Strength | 28 March 2022 | Monday 7:30pm | 329,000 | 20 | 97,000 | 15 | 426,000 | [68] |
| 13 | Selection | 29 March 2022 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 350,000 | 15 | 71,000 | 12 | 421,000 | [69] |
| 14 | Debrief | 29 March 2022 | Tuesday 8:40pm | 276,000 | N/a | 70,000 | 15 | 346,000 | [69][70] |
Season 4 (2023)
The fourth season began airing on 9 October 2023.[71]
It was the first season of SAS Australia to be filmed outside Australia, on Wadi Rum Desert at Jordan. The camp was set on an abandoned Military Outpost at the Valley.[citation needed]
Full list of celebrities were confirmed in March 2023:[72][73]
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Episode left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Abbey Holmes | AFL Field Commentator | 10 | Culled |
| 5 | Anthony Mundine | World Champion Boxer | 5 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 8 | Boyd Cordner | Retired NRL star | 2 | Medically Withdrawn |
| 1 | Cassie Sainsbury | Convicted drug smuggler | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Craig Challen | Thai Cave rescue hero | 10 | Culled |
| 9 | Craig McLachlan | Actor | 8 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Jason Akermanis | AFL Hall of Famer | 1 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 12 | Lindy Klim | Balinese Princess | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 6 | Mahalia Murphy | International Rugby Star | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 13 | Matthew Mitcham | Olympic Gold Diver | 10 | Passed |
| 10 | Peter Bol | Olympic Runner | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 11 | Stephanie Rice | Olympic Gold Swimmer | 4 | Medically Withdrawn |
| 14 | Tim Robards | OG Bachelor | 10 | Passed |
| 2 | Zima Anderson | Actress | 7 | Medically Withdrawn |
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers |
Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Surrender | 9 October 2023 | Monday 7:30 pm | 464,000 | 13 | N/a | N/a | 894,000 | [74] |
| 2 | Panic | 10 October 2023 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 458,000 | 9 | N/a | N/a | 889,000 | [75] |
| 3 | Precision | 11 October 2023 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 402,000 | 12 | N/a | N/a | 861,000 | [76] |
| 4 | Survival | 16 October 2023 | Monday 7:30 pm | 430,000 | 14 | N/a | N/a | 819,000 | [77] |
| 5 | Trust | 17 October 2023 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 401,000 | 11 | N/a | N/a | 786,000 | [78] |
| 6 | Aggression | 23 October 2023 | Monday 7:30 pm | 413,000 | 16 | N/a | N/a | 807,000 | [79] |
| 7 | Pressure | 24 October 2023 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 426,000 | 10 | N/a | N/a | 843,000 | [80] |
| 8 | Courage | 30 October 2023 | Monday 7:30 pm | 381,000 | 14 | N/a | N/a | 738,000 | [81] |
| 9 | Grit | 31 October 2023 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 384,000 | 11 | N/a | N/a | 733,000 | [82] |
| 10 | Bravery | 1 November 2023 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 351,000 | 12 | N/a | N/a | 747,000 | [83] |
Season 5: Australia vs England (2026)
In October 2025, a fifth celebrity season was renewed by Seven during their annual upfronts titled "SAS: Australia vs England", which will see seven Australian celebrities and seven UK celebrities go against each other in the Moroccan desert, the Australian celebrities were revealed on the day.[84] In December 2025, the UK celebrities taking part were announced alongside confirmation that the show would be aired on Channel 4 in January 2026 as the UK's eighth celebrity series.[85] The series began airing in Australia on 29 April 2026.[86]
| Recruit | Celebrity | Known for | Status (Episode Number) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |  |
Emily Seebohm | Retired Olympic swimmer | Passed (8) |
| 4 |  |
Dani Dyer | Reality TV star | Passed (8) |
| 5 | |
Gabby Allen | Love Island contestant | Passed (8) |
| 14 | |
Mack Horton | Retired Olympic swimmer | Voluntarily Withdrawn (8) |
| 7 | |
Ben Cohen | Retired rugby player | Voluntarily Withdrawn (8) |
| 2 | |
Toby Olubi | UK Gladiators star, Phantom | Culled (5) |
| 6 | |
Graeme Swann | Retired cricketer | Medically Withdrawn (5) |
| 12 | |
Ryan Moloney | Neighbours actor | Voluntarily Withdrawn (5) |
| 9 | |
Brad Hodge | Retired cricketer | Voluntarily Withdrawn (4) |
| 1 | |
Cole Anderson-James | YouTuber | Voluntarily Withdrawn (4) |
| 11 | |
Axle Whitehead | Musician | Medically Withdrawn (4) |
| 3 | |
Jack Joseph | Social media personality | Voluntarily Withdrawn (4) |
| 13 | |
Natalie Bassingthwaighte | Actress and singer | Voluntarily Withdrawn (3) |
| 8 | |
Jessika Power | Reality TV star | Voluntarily Withdrawn (2) |
Australian Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | National total viewers | Night rank | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Behind Enemy Lines | 29 April 2026 | Wednesday 7:30 pm | 522,000 | 9 | [87] |
| 2 | Misfits | 6 May 2026 | 451,000 | 10 | [88] | |
| 3 | Composure | 13 May 2026 | 479,000 | 10 | [89] | |
| 4 | Breaking Point | 20 May 2026 | 442,000 | 13 | [90] | |
| 5 | Family | 27 May 2026 | 291,000 | 14 | [91] | |
| 6 | Control | 3 June 2026 | 390,000 | 13 | [92] |
Civilian edition
Season 1 (2021)
In March 2021, Seven commissioned a miniseries featuring civilian contestants in addition to the second main season.[93] Titled SAS: Hell Week, the mini-season was filmed back to back with the second celebrity season in the Blue Mountains.[94]
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers |
Ref(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Without Warning | 18 October 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 387,000 | 18 | 49,000 | 18 | 436,000 | [95] |
| 2 | The New Normal | 19 October 2021 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 366,000 | 16 | 54,000 | 14 | 420,000 | [96] |
| 3 | Breaking Point | 25 October 2021 | Monday 7:30 pm | 348,000 | 18 | 36,000 | 18 | 384,000 | [97] |
| 4 | Beyond Limits | 26 October 2021 | Tuesday 7:30 pm | 328,000 | 15 | 36,000 | 15 | 364,000 | [98] |
Civilian winners
| Series | Winners |
|---|---|
| 1 | James Fenwick and Sarah Jeavons |