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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Laura Harding

Three stars pass selection in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins

Singer Lucy Spraggan is among the stars who passed the course in the latest series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Former footballer Troy Deeney and reformed drugs mule Michaella McCollum also successfully passed the gruelling selection process.

A total of 14 famous faces endured special forces training in an attempt to make it through SAS selection but only three were successful.

Announcing the news, chief instructor Billy Billingham said: “This course is designed to push you through barriers you would never imagine. To strip you back, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Lucy Spraggan passed the course (Pete Dadds/Channel 4) (PA Media)

“This course is brutal. Our world is brutal. It will always come down to one question that we will ask ourselves. Would we have that person stood next to us.”

Former X Factor star Spraggan, who is best known for her songs Last Night (Beer Fear), Lighthouse and Tea And Toast, spoke during the SAS show about being raped by a hotel worker while filming the singing competition.

After it was revealed she had passed, she said: “I couldn’t believe it, to pass, wow, incredible. I felt so emotional.

“It was about 9 million times worse than I thought it was going to be, and I thought it was going to be bad. I really did.

“It’s utterly traumatising but unbelievably rewarding. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing because I will never do that again.”

Former football star Deeney added: “What an experience. When I saw it was just me, Lucy and Michaella, I thought we were the ones who hadn’t made it. What a relief!

Troy Deeney (Pete Dadds/Channel 4) (PA Media)

“Unusual word, but cathartic, that’s how I’d sum it up. Brilliantly mind-boggling.

“I’d recommend it for everyone. But you have to go in curious. Are you curious about who you are? Are you able to go in free and take instructions?

“At the very start, hoods off, stood on a pier, waves crashing, rain, DS Billy looking at you like he’ll kill you. That’s when you’d quit if you didn’t want to be there. That broke a few early. It didn’t break me.”

McCollum, who was caught trying to smuggle 24lb (11kg) of cocaine worth £1.5 million out of Peru with accomplice Melissa Reid in 2013, said: “I couldn’t believe it when they said I’d passed, I just started crying, we all did.

Michaella McCollum (Pete Dadds/Channel 4 (PA Media)

“I really surprised myself. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t have any intentions of making it to that point, so when I did, I was really proud. I was like, yes!

“Anyone thinking about doing it, 100% do it. Forget about all the horrible and difficult stuff, those type of opportunities don’t come very often in life. And you’ll really get to see a completely different version of yourself, and the real, true you, which we disguise and we compress with everyday life, we forget who we really are, so do it.”

Other stars who took part in the show were The Traitors winner Harry Clark, who was kicked off the show for cheating, and former model Rebecca Loos, who voluntarily withdrew.

Other celebrities who quit the series included former Love Island contestants Chloe Burrows and Tasha Ghouri and S Club 7 singer Hannah Spearitt, as well as TV dancer Louie Spence.

All episodes of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins Series 7 are available to stream on Channel 4.

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