I think I’ve heard of 8 of them so I guess that’s pretty good. I’ve heard of Simone Holtznagel but no clue who she is.
Shame they dumped two of the British Staff, I liked them. Really not keen on Ant after the last season.
The location change probably won’t have much of an impact at all and seems like an unnecessary expense. The group of celebrities and interesting and intense challenges make a season, the environment not so much.
I wonder though if its a mistake of 7 to schedule another celebrity series so close to the last one, considering the civilian version bombed and Survivor already has the action adventure element covered.
Guessing the two you’re referring to (Jason Fox & Mark Billingham) were unavailable because they were busy filming the UK SAS program.
Agree with you though - enjoyed the staff lineup the show had in its first few seasons.
My concern with the scheduling is I’m not sure whether it’ll hold its own. It definitely won’t challenge MAFS while I’m not sure how it’ll do against Survivor.
This has all the hallmarks of what happened with the original iteration of Dancing with the Stars (ie; airing a decently rating program at a different part of the year than it has been and rating badly).
Wayne Carey comes clean as TV’s toughest test claims three victims
Tonight on SAS Australia , 17 recruits set out on day two of SAS selection but only 14 would survive the day.
In the first task, recruits navigated a series of walkways 15 metres above ground to retrieve a bag and escape without detection. Some crushed the mission while others found it confusing, however it proved too challenging for actor/singer Melissa Tkautz and she decided to VW (voluntarily withdraw) from the course.
“The person that walked in here was trembling and scared and the person that is leaving is a stronger person,” said Melissa. “Ant’s changed my life forever. He looked inside my soul and he saw that I had pain but he also saw that I’m my own worst enemy and I can do it.”
AFL great Wayne Carey was interrogated by the DS after a disappointing performance in the task and they were surprised to learn about the footballer’s controversial past, including a cheating scandal and an assault charge.
“I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve done,” said Wayne. “But I’ve done a lot of work on myself over the last 10 years and I take ownership of it.”
Later, former Home and Away heartthrob Orpheus Pledger shocked the DS by handing in his number during a psychometrics discussion, while pro-boxer Michael Zerafa made the difficult decision to withdraw, suffering from a severe shoulder injury.
Recruits were plunged into a tank of cold water for a brutal Navy SEAL drill called The Beehive – pushing their fears of water, drowning and claustrophobia to the brink. The panicked recruits struggled to keep their heads above water in the terrifying exercise, which forced them to get comfortable in discomfort.
Rugby 7s Olympian Ellia Green was later brought in for questioning, stating she felt out of her depth and revealing the tragic past which has shaped her mindset.
I’m really enjoying it so far though I can see my interest wane as the pack becomes thinned out and there are too many episodes.
I didn’t think a new location mattered but I was wrong. Really love the new location and visually it does look more appealing. Base camp looks great.
I actually like the new Staff. I was worried the American would be loud and overbearing but he seems pretty good so far.
Princess Simone. Is there anything she hasn’t whined and whinged about. Talk about precious. I do give her credit for lasting two episodes but her histrionics are grating. I wish Ebanie would put her in her place. I want to like her but she comes across as so phony and false.
Loved Mel so sorry to see her go. I thought she could have at least attempted to jump and grab the ladder. Loved her and Pauly together and would have liked to see that friendship continue.
Yes cocky Locky is a chauvinistic attention whore but I can’t help but like him. At least he’s honest. I can see him making it to the end unless his attitude gets in the way.
Orpheus looked so spaced out. Not surprised he quit those withdrawals must have been very strong.
I thought Wayne’s face would have melted during the fire challenge, he looks like he’s had a lot of botox and filler.
Ita’s nephew seems smug and really not liking him much at all. I don’t care for his prison stories and attention grab for sympathy. You did the crime, do the time and shut up about it.
Favourites are definitely Pauly, Ebanie & Anna.
It’s a shame the ratings are dire but it can’t be a surprise. Mafs & Survivor had a head start, it’s too similar to Survivor and the show was trending down last year ratings wise now it’s on again less than six months later.
If SAS ratings continue to slide (let’s hope that’s not the case and it at least picks up lots on bvod), but I can see Seven just copping it for a couple of weeks and waiting for the AFL.
Where they’ll have Wednesday to Saturday covered initially then from Thursdays, as well as Sunday at least pulling a solid share assuming Dancing holds 500k.
If this happenes, they’ll probably just program fillers like Border and Highway Patrol on the Monday and Tuesday nights until their next Q1/Q2 show is ready.
Locky Gilbert and Pauly Fenech butt heads in a bitter confrontation
Tonight on SAS Australia, tempers flared and a feud erupted between Locky Gilbert and Pauly Fenech during a punishing vehicle extraction task.
The confrontation escalated when a frustrated Locky called Pauly a c*nt and the pair struggled to see eye-to-eye for the rest of the day, even after Pauly tried calling for a truce.
The DS later questioned Pauly over the day’s fiery clash.
“I didn’t like being disrespected by Lachlan,” said Pauly. “I’ve been bullied enough in my life. If you want to push me around you can go and get f*cked, it’s simple as that.”
Locky’s cavalier attitude in the morning’s Tunnel Rat task had already caught the eye of the DS, with Chief Instructor Ant Middleton telling Locky he was “too cocky”.
Back at base, convicted drug dealer Richard Buttrose regaled recruits with more tall tales from prison. Pro-boxer Ebanie Bridges revealed a lucrative side hustle selling her dirty socks (and yes, her SAS socks will be up for sale soon!).
During Ebanie’s interrogation, while attempting to understand why she’s been so hard on herself, the DS were surprised to learn she is also a maths teacher with two degrees and a masters.
On the subject, Ebanie revealed: “I’m a perfectionist, I just want to f*cking do good. Everyone has always told me I’m very tough on myself. I could probably save myself a lot of mental stress if I chilled a little bit, but it’s just how I’m wired.”
Interesting to see what Seven do with SAS now. I thought it might have benefitted last night by not going up against a demo-similar Survivor but instead it dropped further. Next week it is already down to two episodes; will Seven tolerate potential 4th place at 7.30 for two nights a week? Already have noticed their schedule is saturated with SAS “sneak peeks” over the last few days plus the usual Sunrise and TMS stories. ALso heard some last minute breakfast radio advertising yesterday - adverts read by the radio talent rather than productions ads. One thing that is a puzzle, why don’t Seven encore the dow the next afternoon like Nine and 10 do with their reality formats?
They seem obsessed with lifetime movies and some random factual show in those slots.
Agree about SAS. Once again Seven ruined something that was going good for them in the later half of the year by pitting it against Married at First Sight and Survivor. The lunacy of Seven programmers’ strategies seem to be a chronic illness that never fails to disappoint.
It has the potential to be a better bvod player, especially those raw versions, maybe bump it to late night or multi-channel or day time but heavily push 7Plus and see if they can build some audience including demographics on digital? Would be bitterly disappointing for them no doubt, but better than coming 4th on broadcast while also better than burning off the show like Ultimate Tag on 7flix last year.
Excruciating pepper spray task proves last straw for model Simone Holtznagel
Tonight on SAS Australia, it was a day of exhilarating highs and excruciating lows for the 14 recruits still standing.
The first task saw recruits leap from a speeding boat to a helicopter. While some missed the target, smashing straight into the water, others felt elation on making it into the chopper. Pauly Fenech celebrated his success by planting a kiss on Chief Instructor Ant Middleton.
Convicted drug dealer Richard Buttrose failed to follow instructions and the DS brought him in for questioning, where he revealed he’s doing the course as a last step of redemption.
“I didn’t take any short cuts in jail, I didn’t rat on anyone, I just f***ing took responsibility for everything I got caught with, pleaded guilty for everything I got caught with and did the time,” admitted Richard. “I believe everybody deserves a second chance.”
Model Simone Holtznagel was also interrogated by the DS after they noticed her unease in the task. There she explained her anxiety stems from the death by suicide of her friend and mentor, Charlotte Dawson, when Simone was just 20 years old.
“It has definitely played into how I am and how I go about my life as an adult,” said Simone. “She wouldn’t want me to not live my life. She always had so much belief that I would go on and be this superstar.”
Recruits then had to adopt a strong mindset when they were incapacitated by pepper spray and expected to carry out a task, in an exercise Ant described as “a whole f***ing world of pain”.
The crippling task proved too much for Simone and she chose to withdraw from the course, confessing: “I’m disappointed I didn’t go out on more of a high but I’m really not huge on physical pain.”
The day ended with a surprise late night beasting, made even more brutal by Pauly’s late arrival to the parade square and inability to keep up, something he apologised to the other recruits for later.
Tuesday 7.30pm, friction among the recruits explodes during a treacherous waterfall climb and Locky Gilbert struggles to come to terms with some harsh truths.
