Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Danielle Lloyd reveals which recruit was a 'massive liability'

Virgin Radio

21 Sep 2023, 19:05

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is heading back to screens very soon, and according to one star, there’s definitely a certain recruit to keep an eye on this year. 

The star-studded challenge is back for 2023 with the likes of Gareth Gates, Michelle Heaton and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The 16 recruits will swap the glitz and glamour of their normal lives for the most unforgiving jungle in the world, in Thung Ui, North Vietnam.

Reality TV star Danielle Lloyd is one of the (un)lucky stars being put through her paces by ex-Special Forces operators, Chief Instructor Billy Billingham MBE and his team of Directing Staff (DS), Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver. 

Speaking at a Q&A ahead of the new series of Celeb SAS, mother-of-five Danielle shared how being away from her children was “the biggest challenge” during her time at the harsh training camp, so much so that she “cried herself to sleep at night.”

Missing her family was one thing, but something the model wasn’t expecting to do was play mum to The Only Way is Essex star James ‘Arg’ Argent. 

“We will all say [Arg] was a massive liability,” Danielle told virginradio.co.uk and other press. “I just felt like I had to take on the role of being his mum because I'd be pulling his pants up one second and getting his a*** crack away, putting his belt on, having to put on his shoes.

“He couldn't get himself dressed, it felt like I was back at home!”

Family was a big part of why Danielle wanted to enter the famously difficult series, which often includes hand-to-hand combat with fellow recruits, spine-chilling challenges and nerve-wracking tasks - mostly while strapped to a heavy Bergen rucksack. 

On why she wanted to join Who Dares Wins this year in particular, the telly star explained: “I think I signed up because I wanted to prove to my kids that I wasn't just some mum who cooks and cleans and changes the beds. 

“I think that was the main reason why I did it. But as far as fun, it definitely was not fun, I think I said to [DS Jason Fox] at one point that I'd rather give birth five more times.”

While she won’t be in a hurry to return to base camp in Vietnam any time soon, Danielle did admit that taking part in Celebrity SAS has changed her forever. 

She added: “I feel like it made us all definitely stronger mentally, maybe physically, because I was definitely not physically there. It definitely changed me to be a more positive person.”

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, on Channel 4, stream of watch live, Tuesday 26th September at 9.30pm, continues on Sundays from 1st October.