Celebrity SAS star Jermaine Pennant on beating Matt Hancock in a fight
The former footballer went head-to-head with Matt Hancock during one of the challenges.
A brand new season of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins kicked off this evening, with the likes of Matt Hancock, Danielle Lloyd and James "Arg" Argent being put through their paces by the directing staff, including chief instructor Mark "Billy" Billingham, Jason "Foxy" Fox, Chris Oliver and Rudy Reyes.
Also in the line-up was former footballer Jermaine Pennant, who had to go head-to-head with the former health secretary in episode 1.
All the contestants had to take part in milling, a training activity in the British airborne infantry where two opponents punch each other in the head as aggressively as possible without evasion, and Pennant's opponent was none other that Matt Hancock.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Pennant reveals exactly what was on his mind when he was told he'd be fighting the ex-politician.
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"My first thought when they shouted number 5 [Pennant's recruit number] out I was like, 'Yes!' and then after that it was, 'Do not lose! If it's rubbish, it doesn't matter but just do not want to be part of the losing side' because I wouldn't be allowed to walk the streets again," he said.
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Viewers will have seen that the footballer was successful in the fight, giving Matt his second loss for episode 1 after he failed in the earlier height challenge.
"I'm just very grateful that I won to save face," Pennant added.
Jermaine's comments come after the directing staff called Hancock "hard work" during filming.
Billy said: "We wanted to really get to know who he was, how he'd fallen and his decision making, and we pushed as far as we could to get it out of him. I wanted to know, we all wanted to know, I guess the nation does want to know. So we got as far as we could with him, but he was hard work."
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Channel 4 at 9pm on Sunday 1st October.
If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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