SAS: Who Dares Wins is increasingly morphing into peak X Factor, where contestants are required to have an inspiring back story.
An IT manager traversing a canyon using nought but dental floss? No, give us some mental anguish, too.
Instead of weeping on stage to Dermot O’Leary, the shell-shocked participants must recount their tragic origin tale in an interrogation room to two bored, trained killers who begrudgingly mumble some nice, positive things.
“Yeah must be tough being trans,” one will absently say, while fondly recalling the time he knifed a goat herder.
Then, just as some sort of emotional catharsis is reached, the special forces instructors order the weeping contestant is marched back to barracks with only a bag jammed over their heads to absorb the salt tears. Moving stuff.
If that wasn’t touchy-feely enough, some Americans have joined of furious instructors to deliver psychopathic Ted Talks to terrorised recruits.
Problematic beefcake Ant Middleton has been replaced by former US Marine Rudy Reyes in the achingly macho line-up, along with Remi Adeleke, and both clearly have several Presidential medals in Being A Big Hit For Yourself.
“Many have tried to kill me,” glowers Reyes at the camera. “I took them down.”
Now there’s a heartwarming back story.
SAS: Who Dares Wins – Channel 4
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