There’s no doubt about it, SAS Australia is the hardest reality show we have on TV.
While Australian Survivor and I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! have some pretty tough challenges, nothing compares to the rawness of SAS.
With challenges completed by real soldiers for training, food rations that would keep anyone hungry, and conditions that inspire discomfort and often fear, it’s no wonder we see people withdraw all the time.
The third season is proving to be hard as ever and we’re beginning to see injuries and voluntary withdrawals among the new batch of recruits.
Check out all who have left below.
Melissa Tkautz
Actress Melissa Tkautz was the first to hand in her number on the second day of the course.
She was left in tears and trembling after attempting to complete a sky-high infiltration challenge, and was forced to withdraw, admitting she couldn’t go on.
However, DS Ant Middleton showed her a lot of support and kindness, and praised her bravery.
“Hold your head high. Extremely high. From day one, from the very first hour, you were petrified,” he told her.
“You faced every single fear and phobia that was put in front of you. You are one brave woman.”
Orpheus Pledger
Fellow actor Orpheus Pledger also withdrew from the course, but unlike Melissa, he did so during a psychological evaluation chat.
Orpheus left Ant Middleton, and the audience, very shocked with what seemed like a split-second decision.
He said the decision was “me doing what I want for myself because I care about other people.”
Michael Zerafa
Middleweight boxer Michael Zerafa became the third recruit to withdraw for the season after a shoulder injury left him unable to go on.
“Being told that I had to medically withdraw was hands down the hardest part of the entire course,” he wrote on Instagram after his withdrawal aired.
“Nonetheless, I want to say a big thank you to the incredible staff, medics, and all my fellow recruits.
“My time on the course was definitely made memorable thanks to each and every one of you … even if I was in excruciating pain.”
Simone Holtznagel
Model Simone withdrew from the course last night after being pepper-sprayed as part of a task.
The pain became too much for her, and she voluntarily withdrew, with DS Ant Middleton walking her away to be treated for her pain.
She joked that she hated him, leading him to laugh.
“You’ve done absolutely amazing, and now, you can finish strong,” he told her.
“If there’s anything that I’ve learned it’s that I’m a lot tougher, I have a lot more grit, and a lot more tenacity,” Simone told the camera.
Ellia Green
Despite being a tough competitor, rugby player Ellia Green began to feel the toll the course was taking on their mental health.
She ultimately decided to withdraw in episode five, handing in her armband to DS Ant.
“Great effort. You’ve grown from strength to strength. Work on it, and I promise you, you will be a f–king formidable force. Amazing effort,” he told them.
Wayne Carey
Former AFL player and current commentator, Wayne Carey, also withdrew from the course in episode five after experiencing issues with his shoulder.
When the strain of the injury left him unable to climb up a ladder, he voluntarily withdrew so as to not worsen the injury.
“This is arguably one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done. But I’m tremendously proud and I have no doubt this is just something that stays with you forever,” he told the cameras.
Richard Buttrose
After a bust up with the DS during a combat challenge, Richard saw himself booted from the course.
“I don’t want to be a part of your stupid TV show anymore,” he said.
“You guys are tearing strips of me for s*** I’m not f***ing doing,” he continued.
Later on, when he was asked a question by Ant, his indirect answer saw Ant demanding he hand over his number and leave immediately.
The brutal showdown made for uncomfortable viewing as Richard walked unwillingly from the show.
Barry Hall
Sporting legend Barry Hall was the next celeb recruit to voluntarily withdraw last night after he was left with a serious rib injury.
Barry was unsuccessful after facing off with former Bachelor star Locky Gilbert in a combat challenge, leaving him to decide whether to stay or leave the course.
He reflected that the aggression that helped drive him during his AFL career had mostly subsided, as his focus had shifted from his career to his family, especially his young sons.
“Courage comes in lots of forms, but courage to make decisions, sometimes that’s difficult,” Barry told the cameras.
“Go away with your head held high,” DS Ant Middleton told him.
“You’ve absolutely done yourself proud, your family proud, and the group amongst there will be extremely proud.”
Paul Fenech
Although he put up an excellent fight, Pauly’s time came to an end on last night’s episode, where he voluntarily withdrew after a casualty evacuation exercise
“I feel fantastic, it was a great experience. I’m just a little too old and probably not quite fit enough,” Pauly said of the experience as he exited.
“I guess the only thing I regret is I clashed with some people. But you know that’s just me and at the end of the day for an old dog I go alright you know.”
Eight recruits now remain on the show as it enters it’s final weeks.
Geoff Huegill
Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill handed in his number tonight after realising he wasn’t fit enough to continue.
At 42, Geoff was among the older recruits, and as they suffered a two-hour beasting that saw them running and crawling through sand and submerging themselves in icy water, he decided his time was up.
“The only thing I ever lived for after swimming was to be a dad, and doing this course, I wanted to be the role model that my father was to me,” he said in a piece to camera.
Ebanie Bridges
The recruits had been warned that a cull was coming, and as Ebanie struggled through a few challenges, she thought her name might be on the chopping block.
Sure enough, Ebanie and Locky were pulled to the front in the culling, and Ebanie was told to “depart with your head held high”.
“Bit sad obviously, I would have liked to stay till the end, but I’m very proud of how far I’ve come,” she stated as she walked out.
“The fact is that I gave it my all, I did try my best … being in this group with these amazing people has been a great experience. I’m so grateful for what I’ve learned here.
Anna Heinrich
Anna handed in her number just after the culling that saw Ebanie kicked out. The recruits were told to race over to a trough of ice water and submerge themselves, and given Anna’s recent run-in with hypothermia from a similar challenge, she hesitated.
As Ant approached, Anna told him it was her time, and withdrew voluntarily.
“I feel like it was my time, I’m so proud of absolutely everything I’ve achieved,” she told the camera as she left.
0“I think one of the things I’m going to take from this experience is to believe in myself, to know that I can do things, and to get rid of that self doubt.
“I’ve got to be confident, I’ve got to be positive, and I want to install that into my daughter and know that she can do absolutely anything she puts her mind to, and I really believe that.”
“What a role model she has in you,” Ant said of Anna’s daughter, Elle.
“You should realise that, how headstrong you are, don’t let anyone get into your head and tell you otherwise,” he said kindly.
Melissa Wu
Olympic diver Melissa Wu’s SAS journey came to an end last night, within the final 48 hours of the course. While she successfully completed an interrogation while submerged in ice, and wrote a ‘death letter’ to her family, she was too injured and tired to make it through a package extraction task. Melissa handed in her number, knowing she was only holding the team back.
“Before I was just a diver, an athlete and everybody saw me as that and that alone,” she admitted.
1“This experience has shown me that I’m a lot more than that. Just that strength of mind, strength of body, strength of character.
“This experience really pulled that out of me and showed me that I can be all of those things I am as an athlete but in a completely different way and in all areas of my life.”
The final episode of SAS Australia 2022 will air tonight on Channel Seven at 7:30pm.
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