SAS Australia on Channel 7 – The mother of all SAS beastings strikes. Actor Craig McLachlan VWs during brutal beasting.
Tonight, on SAS Australia: The mother of all beastings triggered the voluntary withdrawal of actor Craig McLachlan, the ninth recruit to leave the brutal desert course.
With three days remaining on the unforgiving course and only six recruits left, the first task of the day had the recruits performing an excruciating rope hang above a 100-metre drop to the canyon floor below.
Thai cave diving hero Craig Challen impressed the DS with his stamina in the task, while actors Craig McLachlan and Tim Robards drew criticism from the DS by dropping from the rope almost immediately.
The DS turned up the pressure for the second task, with a speeding exfiltration from a military vessel into choppy seas before a perilous climb to the safety of a hovering Blackhawk.
Partnering with international rugby star Mahalia Murphy, Tim coached her through the exercise, but unwittingly put both their lives in danger when he ignored the DS’s instructions and climbed up the ladder immediately after her. They passed the task but there was no praise from the DS.
Recruits were presented with letters from home, but Mahalia refused to accept hers, fearing it would break her focus.
“I love my family but I’m guilty of being distracted very easily. When you lose focus, you can go off track. I want to be at the end. And I will do everything I can to be at the end,” explained Mahalia.
Later at night, the recruits were given the mother of all beastings, with the DS aiming to weed out the weak. After push-ups, sprints, press-ups and sand crawls, Craig M asked to see the doctor about the pain in his stomach.
His request was refused with DS Ant Middleton telling him he had to either VW or continue with the beasting. After initial hesitation, Craig took off his armband and handed it to the DS.
“I came into the course with all sorts of personal issues, having gone through a number of years of trauma, really. I really lost sight of who I was. And I’m leaving with a real sense of who I am.
“I’m leaving with trust in people again. It’s been a life-changing experience, really. I feel very privileged to be invited along.”
Tomorrow night on SAS Australia: Only five recruits remain as their sniper skills are put to the test. A rare storm floods the camp, and a sickening grunt task leads to another withdrawal.
The star recruits remaining on SAS Australia in 2023 are:
Abbey Holmes, 32 – AFL Field Commentator
Dr Craig Challen, 57 – Thai Cave Rescue Hero
Mahalia Murphy, 29 – International Rugby Star
Matthew Mitcham, 35 – Olympic Gold Diver
Tim Robards, 40 – OG Bachelor
SAS Australia on Channel 7 and 7plus – Continues 7.30pm Tuesday and Wednesday
SAS Australia on Channel 7
About SAS Australia
The most savage show on TV, SAS Australia, returns to Channel 7 and 7plus on Monday, 9 October with a new group of star recruits descending on one of the toughest environments faced by Special Forces operatives: the Middle East.
Former world boxing champion Anthony Mundine, ‘Cocaine Cassie’, Olympians Stephanie Rice, Peter Bol and Matthew Mitcham, Balinese princess Lindy Klim, Thai cave rescue hero Dr Craig Challen and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis are just some of the 14 Aussie celebrities who have volunteered for the toughest challenge of their lives: a series of physical and psychological tests from the real SAS selection process.
For the first time on SAS Australia, these men and women will travel offshore to a secret base in the Jordanian desert where they will eat, sleep and train together in punishingly hot conditions without allowances for their celebrity status or gender.
Chief Instructor Ant Middleton is once again joined by Ollie Ollerton and two new Directing Staff, Jamie “Jay” Morton and Anthony “Staz” Stazicker.
With a combined half-century of Special Forces experience between them, their mission is to break down each recruit and rebuild them to be the best versions of themselves, determining who, if any, have what it takes to be selected as a fellow SAS soldier.
SAS Australia is produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company, based on a Minnow Films format.
The star recruits set to take on SAS Australia in 2023 are:
Abbey Holmes, 32 – AFL Field Commentator
Anthony Mundine, 47 – World Champion Boxer
Boyd Cordner, 30 – Retired NRL Star
Cassie Sainsbury, 28 – Convicted Drug Smuggler
Dr Craig Challen, 57 – Thai Cave Rescue Hero
Craig McLachlan, 57 – Actor
Jason Akermanis, 46 – AFL Hall of Famer
Lindy Klim, 45 – Balinese Princess
Mahalia Murphy, 29 – International Rugby Star
Matthew Mitcham, 35 – Olympic Gold Diver
Peter Bol, 29 – Olympic Runner
Stephanie Rice, 34 – Olympic Champion
Tim Robards, 40 – OG Bachelor
Zima Anderson, 25 – Actor
Media Release – Seven
SAS Australia on Channel 7
TV Central Seven content HERE
SAS Australia on Channel 7
