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Fourteen celebrities put their mind and body through the absolute ringer in the ultimate test of resilience on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
But the three recruits remained at the end of the tense finale on Monday night – in the first ever all-female line-up of finalists for the famous faces spin-off series.
Love Island stars Dani Dyer and Gabby Allen, and former Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm were given their passes by the show’s tough-guy directing staff.
Whittled down to five, the episode began with the women joined by fellow recruits Ben Cohen and Mack Horton for the hardest part of the selection course, a condensed version of SAS training.
Previously tasked with the likes of mimicking a helicopter crash into water, surviving a war zone and trekking through the desert – the final phase sees the group handed over to interrogators.
And it wasn’t just chief instructor Billy Billingham and his directing staff, Jason Fox, Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver putting the final five through their paces.
Fourteen celebrities put their mind and body through the absolute ringer in the ultimate test of resilience on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Love Island stars Dani Dyer and Gabby Allen, and former Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm were given their passes by the show’s tough-guy directing staff
Instead, they were put through their paces by another terrifying interrogator which saw them deprived of sleep, and put through intense questioning between challenges of psychological pressure – including holding stress positions.
During the challenge, Ben, 47, and Mack, 29, both tapped out – leaving the three women standing in front of the DS in the final moment of the series.
Dishing out the final verdict, Billy, 60, said: ‘Eight days ago you came from both sides of the world. Fourteen arrived. Three stand before us.
‘Just because you stand on the finish line doesn’t mean you’ve passed this course.’
After a moment’s pause, he told the women: ‘It’s a rare moment to say — congratulations to all three of you. You’ve passed this course.’
Love Island’s Dani, 29, was first to speak, congratulating her teammates Gabby, 33, and Emily, 33, saying: ‘Well done, girls.’
Reflecting on her win, Dani continued: ‘Every single moment was horrendous. But to hear that I’d passed — it’s the best feeling in the world.
‘If I can do this, I can do anything. I definitely am a lot stronger than what I think I am. I can’t believe I’ve actually been able to do it. I’m really proud of myself.
Ben, 47, and Mack, 29, both tapped out – leaving the three women standing in front of the DS in the final moment of the series (Gabby, Emily and Dani)
Whittled down to five, the episode began with the women joined by fellow recruits Ben Cohen and Mack Horton for the hardest part of the selection course, a condensed version of SAS training
‘We are strong women. We go through so much as women, mentally and physically.’
Gabby chimed in: ‘I can’t believe that out of fourteen people, it’s us. Well, I can — because we’re boss b***hes.
‘Standing there with two women at the end meant everything to me. My whole brand is about empowering women from every walk of life.
‘Men are strong, but women show time and time again that we can do just as much. We were lifting the same weights, trying just as hard.
‘I wouldn’t have wanted to be there at the end with anyone else. We built a bond you could never replicate.
‘I wanted to leave knowing I’d given absolutely everything that I could, that I’d thrown myself into everything and made myself proud and my dad proud. That’s all that mattered to me.’
Speaking of winning beside fellow ITV2 star Dani, Gabby added: ‘Two girls from Love Island showing everyone what we can do.’
Emily continued: ‘When we were un-bagged and it was just the three of us standing there, I thought we’d been picked out as the weak ones.
The final challenge saw the recruits undergo a brutal interrogation
Ben and Mack failed to pass the intense course
‘I couldn’t have been prouder of the girls. We spent the whole time lifting each other up and reminding ourselves how strong we were.
‘I wasn’t surprised it was the three women, but I was surprised the two guys [Ben and Mack] didn’t make it because they were so strong.
‘Every time I struggled, I pictured my son in his dinosaur pyjamas. I could see him so clearly, and it gave me strength.
‘When we were climbing the mountain with chains and tyres, I could see him the whole time in my head. I wasn’t struggling at all. It was pure mind over matter.’
DS staff Foxy added of the moment: ‘I love it when people pass the course. Sometimes I have to hold back the odd tear. I’m honoured to be part of their journey.
‘When selection ends, you realise it’s character-building. It creates bonds that last.’
It comes after England rugby legend Ben Cohen was dealt a series of savage takedowns by the directing staff during the interrogation round.
The former sportsman, who is clinically deaf after suffering genetic hearing loss, was seen choking up on Sunday night’s episode as he opened up on the gruelling series.
The Celeb SAS contestants have been whittled down from 14
England rugby legend Ben Cohen will be hit with a savage Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins interrogation that saw him called a ‘sad old man’ by the directing staff
The World Cup winner admitted appearing on the Channel 4 series left him ‘vulnerable’ after it triggered ‘different mindsets’ to get through the challenges.
And things got harder when he was given a savage take down from staff Rudy Reyes, Jason Fox, Mark Billingham and Chris Oliver – and former SAS interrogator Ian Dilks.
Ian told Ben: ‘I recognise your face. Didn’t you used to play rugby? Didn’t you win the World Cup? They say never meet your heroes because it’ll be disappointing. It’s quite sad really.
‘You’re like an old man. So as a “husband-rugby player”, what are you doing here now?’
Ben replied: ‘I’ve been running across the country, sir,’ and when prompted to explain why, he continues: ‘I’m trying to figure that out.’
After the interrogation, Ben told the staff that he’s barely hanging on in the process, concluding: ‘I am tired. The interrogation is probably one of my biggest question marks.
‘It’s wearing you down and making you feel vulnerable, triggering different mindsets, thoughts and testing them – the mental challenge of it, the mental toughness of it.’
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is available to stream on Channel 4