SAS: Who Dares Wins 2023 cast – Meet the line-up taking on the jungle

While there's a new location and a new line-up of recruits, there's also a change in personnel when it comes to the instructors, with Remi Adeleke leaving the show and Billy Billingham stepping up to become Chief Instructor.

Ahead of tonight's season premiere, here's everything you need to know about the contestant line-up.

Amelia

Recruit No: 1

Age: 28

From: London

Job: Software Account Executive

Software account executive Amelia describes herself as loud, bubbly, chaotic, excitable and positive. She used to compete in swimming competitions but was bullied at school for having big muscles and was called ‘Popeye’. This left Amelia with severe confidence issues which were made worse by the traumatic breakdown of a long-term relationship.

On taking part in SAS: Who Dares Wins, Amelia said: "I didn’t think I could do it. I have an inner narrative that tells me I’m not good enough, I’m going to fail, I’m not strong or capable and wouldn’t be able to do it.

"This is a narrative that weighs heavily on me in everyday life so I thought if I could do this I would be able to show myself that I can do anything and quieten or re-write that negative inner dialogue."

Grant

Recruit No: 2

Age: 37

From: Edinburgh

Job: Bin man

Grant lives in Edinburgh with his fiancé and his two dogs Lola and Lucky. He has previously worked as a fitness instructor on cruise ships and hotels across Europe and now works in waste disposal, calling himself a ‘Ninja Binman’.

He was interested in performing arts growing up but was bullied and had trouble concentrating. He has struggled with his mental health throughout his life, suffering from extreme highs, lows and regular emotional outbursts. Last year, he was diagnosed with ADHD and felt relief that he could understand why he has acted a certain way in his life.

Joshua

Recruit No: 3

Age: 24

From: Ilford

Job: Professional boxer

Up-and-coming professional boxer Joshua grew up in East London with his mother, two older brothers and one older sister. He became involved in crime and was charged with possession of an offensive weapon before discovering boxing at the age of 16. He has since turned his life around, with a young family and a promising career as a super-welterweight.

On SAS: Who Dares Wins, Joshua said that the show has "surpassed" his expectations. "The whole experience was unbelievable. I’ve taken many things away from the experience, such as learning to be comfortable when things are uncomfortable."

Hilary

Recruit No: 4

Age: 31

From: Barnet

Job: Personal trainer

Personal trailer Hilary lives in North London with her 2-year-old daughter and grew up in a traditional Colombian family. She competed in athletics when she was younger and later moved into body-building and white-collar boxing.

When she was four months pregnant, her relationship with her partner broke down, leaving her with pre- and post-natal depression. She managed to recover and is now in the best shape of her life.

Becky

Recruit No: 5

Age: 35

From: Basildon, Essex

Job: Housewife/Mother

Stay-at-home mum Becky lives with her husband and son, and has felt her true calling was always to be a mum.

When her son was 2 years old, Becky gave birth to a baby daughter, however she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and passed away three weeks later. With her son being the reason she gets out of bed in the morning, Becky joined SAS in order to prove that she can motivate herself through something without her son.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and start something and have a determination to stick at it. It was so much harder than anyone can ever imagine," she said.

Stevie

Recruit No: 6

Age: 38

From: Swansea, Wales

Job: Professional wrestler

Professional wrestler Stevie goes by the stage name of Steve Starr and has been wrestling for 14 years. He was once signed to the WWE in America and recently performed as a stunt man in a Marvel film.

Speaking about his time on the show, Stevie said: "I learnt that I am capable of overcoming my fears, that I can exist with 20 strangers in a small living space. I learnt I’m mentally stronger than I thought and that made me so proud. Most importantly I learnt that me just being myself is more than good enough."

Faye

Recruit No: 7

Age: 43

From: Leeds

Job: Visiting professor/director of operations

Leeds-based professor Faye lives with her husband and two sons. She grew up in a turbulent family environment, involving alcoholism and physical abuse, and was taken into care at the age of nine. She moved between 50 different emergency placements in the space of two years before leaving the care system at the age of 16. After re-sitting her GCSEs, she worked tirelessly to become an engineer and now works as a Director of Operations at an international electronics firm.

"This was the most brutal environment I have ever experienced, unfamiliar surroundings, with no control over anything. I let go of everything and just embraced the experience," she said about SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Rosie

Recruit No: 8

Age: 22

From: Basingstoke

Job: IT Cyber Security Account Manager

European jiu jitsu medallist Rosie had a difficult childhood and was six years old when social services got involved with her family. Her father served time in prison and after giving up drink and drugs, he took custody of Rosie and her three siblings.

She became a homeowner at 18 and currently works as an IT Cyber Security Account Manager in Basingstoke.

In preparation for the show, Rosie learnt to swim, saying: "I attended my first ever swimming lesson, three weeks before the course, and tried to do a lot of long distance runs and walks but now knowing how tough the course is, I would have trained a lot harder."

Daniel

Recruit No: 9

Age: 29

From: Cheshire

Job: Professional ballet dancer

Professional ballet dancer Daniel works for the Lithuanian National Ballet and has been dancing since he was 6 years old. He joined the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow at the age of 15 and studied for four years, having to learn Russian in order to keep up in class.

He said that his experience on SAS: Who Dares Wins was more pressurised than he expected. "The constant not knowing what you were doing, when you were going out, when to eat and when to sleep, etc. This is something that can't translate through the TV, this constant intimidation of the unknown. But once you learn to accept it, the whole course becomes more manageable," he said.

Danica

Recruit No: 10

Age: 36

From: London

Job: Health and wellness coach

Yoga teacher Danica is a wellbeing and performance coach who says that people describe her as energetic, loving and someone who lights up a room. Her parents split up when she was young and she grew close to her father as a result. Her father took his own life last year but due to COVID, she was unable to see him before he passed.

Zac

Recruit No: 11

Age: 27

From: Woolacombe

Job: Chef

Head chef Zac works in Woolacombe, North Devon and describes himself as loud, outspoken and demanding. He didn’t have much of a family life growing up – he says that he often struggles with authority figures and that his mouth can get him into trouble. The 27-year-old is scared of heights, snakes and clowns and wants to find a purpose in life.

On his experience on the show, Zac said: "I rid myself of a lot of self-doubt – a feeling that has really taken over in my life. I really did come to understand that I’m so much more capable of completing things when I give it everything."

Aliyah

Recruit No: 12

Age: 26

From: South East London

Job: Influencer

Social media influencer Aliyah was born in South Africa and moved to the UK when she was a baby. She has over 175,000 subscribers on YouTube and recently documented her experience with miscarriage. She became pregnant again but sadly she miscarried a second time, six months on.

On signing up for the show, Aliyah said: "I didn’t really have much expectation because I didn’t know what I was signing up for but I definitely had a life-changing experience. It was scary, it was challenging and it changed me as a person. I feel like I can do anything."

Pete

Recruit No: 13

Age: 33

From: East Midlands

Job: Firefighter

Based in the East Midlands, Pete is a firefighter who has worked for the fire service for the last 15 years. Aged 15, Pete began playing Roller Hockey for Great Britain and got into power lifting. He started taking steroids and was eventually thrown out of his family home at 18 after his parents found needles in his room.

He has since given up steroids and hosts a podcast for the firefighter community.

On SAS: Who Dares Wins, he said: "It delivered a punch I wasn’t ready for. I have learnt more about myself than I anticipated I would and I know the SAS experience has been a big part of that.

"It delivered a lot but also gave me something I wasn’t ready for. It has left me facing battles I wasn’t ready for and I am learning every day, even now I have left the course."

Ross

Recruit No: 14

Age: 41

From: Kent

Job: Security manager

Security manager and former firefighter Ross says people would describe him as a cross between Captain America and a staffy dog.

He grew up as a Romany Gypsy in a family with a very strict father. He was homeschooled in a traditional Gypsy lifestyle without running water or electricity, with his parents facing a lot of hatred from the local community and councils.

Scott

Recruit No: 15

Age: 35

From: Zimbabwe, lives in London

Job: Hedge Fund Trader

London-based hedge fund trader Scott lives with his fiancé. He moved around constantly as a child before settling in Botswana. He went to boarding school where he suffered emotional and physical abuse and at the age of 18, flew to the UK to study at university.

He secured an internship at a bank, where he was the only Black trader working on his trading floor. He now works alongside a charity to encourage and support diversity and inclusion in investment banking and wants to take on the course to prove that anything is possible.

Jordan

Recruit No: 16

Age: 28

From: Newcastle

Job: Professional boxer and PT

Raised in the travelling community, Jordan spent long periods not going to school. When she did, she struggled to fit in but eventually achieved good grades.

She came out as a gay aged 16 and was ostracised by her community. This led to her turning to substance abuse and violence, however she now lives with her wife and one-year-old baby in Newcastle.

Jamie

Recruit No: 17

Age: 32

From: Bretforton, Worcestershire

Job: Model/footballer

Worcestershire-based model Jamie was born profoundly deaf and is the only deaf member of his family. He was given a cochlear implant at the age of six but found it overwhelming and now prefers not to wear it.

He was popular at school as he excelled at football and began playing for Worcester. He was scouted by England’s Deaf Football Team who he now captains. He has played in major tournaments such as the World Cup, Deaflympics and Euro Champs, and is the highest goal scorer in the GB Deaf team’s history.

Levi

Recruit No: 18

Age: 34

From: London

Job: HGV lorry driver

HGV driver Levi has previously worked as a ballet shoemaker, a shop assistant at Sainsbury’s and a lighting technician. He lives with his mum and 16-year-old sister in London and was previously close to his brother, who died of a brain haemorrhage in 2013. As a result, he began drinking every day and struggled with his mental health.

He later moved to the Middle East and focused on jiu-jitsu in order to recover. He was recently rejected from the paratroopers, which was an ambition of his.

Anne

Recruit No: 19

Age: 41

From: Rugby

Job: Horse riding coach, farmer's wife and parent

Horse-riding coach Anne met her husband when she was 17 and they now share two children. She rides horses competitively and is hoping that being put through her paces by the DS will challenge her in a similar way.

She signed up for the show to regain more of her own identity and to prove to herself that she doesn’t have to feel guilty for doing things that are just for her.

Charlotte

Recruit No: 20

Age: 27

From: Leeds

Job: Performance and lifestyle nutritionist

Leeds-based nutritionist Charlotte has her own consultancy business, helping elite athletes perform at their best in competitions. She was born into a very competitive family, with sisters who excelled at swimming.

In 2020, Charlotte was raped and subsequently suffered severe panic attacks and depression. As a result, she has huge trust issues and wants to break this down and move forward. She also struggles to maintain social connections and wants to take on the course to expand her horizons.

SAS: Who Dares Wins 2023 starts on Channel 4 on Monday 23rd January at 9pm.

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