Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2026 line-up

Okay, so the new season of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins just dropped, and honestly, it’s perfect timing. I always need a little extra push when I’m trying to stick to my New Year’s fitness goals, and watching those celebs get put through their paces is definitely inspiring – or at least makes me feel slightly less lazy!

Fourteen celebrities have once again committed to the challenge, traveling to North Africa to test their limits. They’ll face a grueling course designed to push them to their breaking points, and only those who complete it without quitting will earn the approval of the Directing Staff.

In a surprising new format, the celebrities competing in the 2026 season have been divided into two teams: Team UK and Team Australia. Each team has seven members who will compete against each other in a series of challenges.

Want to know who’s competing on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2026? Keep reading to find out more about the cast!

Team UK

Dani Dyer
Gabby Allen
Jack Joseph
Cole Anderson-James
Ben Cohen
Toby Olubi
Graeme Swann

Team Australia

Jessika Power
Ryan Moloney
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Brad Hodge
Emily Seebohm
Mack Horton
Axle Whitehead

Scroll down to find out more about this year’s contestants.

Dani Dyer

Age: 28

Job: TV personality

Instagram: @danidyerxx

Dani Dyer is a well-known British TV star who became famous after winning the popular reality show Love Island in 2018.

Lately, I’ve been really enjoying watching Dani Dyer on TV! She co-hosts a show with her dad, Danny Dyer – it’s called True Love or True Lies on MTV, and they have such a great dynamic. Plus, they also have a podcast together called Sorted with the Dyers, which is hilarious and surprisingly insightful. It’s awesome seeing them work together!

Dani explained she’s joining the show because she’s a longtime fan. She specifically remembers watching a previous season with Georgia Harrison and feeling inspired to participate herself.

When the chance finally appeared, I knew I had to take it. Opportunities like this are rare, so I decided to try and see what I could accomplish.

Okay, so Dani’s not your average reality TV contestant. This woman is a serious thrill-seeker – she actually scaled Kilimanjaro for charity, which is impressive enough. But when she explains why she takes on these challenges, it’s delightfully blunt. She simply wanted to test her own courage, to see if she had what it takes. It’s a refreshingly honest admission, and honestly, I’m rooting for her already.

I wanted to challenge myself and see what I was capable of, because honestly, I get scared easily.

Gabby Allen

Age: 33

Job: TV personality

Instagram: @gabbydawnallen

Okay, so I recently checked out Gabby Allen’s background, and she’s become quite a familiar face thanks to reality TV. You probably recognize her from Love Island – she was on season 3 and then killed it by winning Love Island: All Stars! She hasn’t stopped there though, also appearing on shows like Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Ghost Hunt. Beyond the TV world, she’s also a fitness entrepreneur, so she clearly keeps busy!

Gabby was amazed by her makeover on the show. She described the change as dramatic, noting she went in feeling polished but emerged feeling accomplished. It was strange to her that everyone treated her normally afterward, because she felt the physical transformation perfectly mirrored her internal emotional state.

This is a dream come true – something I’ve always hoped to experience. It’s incredibly challenging to push my limits, be vulnerable, and step outside my comfort zone, but that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding.

Jack Joseph

Age: 25

Job: Content creator

Instagram: @jackjos3ph

Jack Joseph gained popularity creating funny videos on TikTok, especially during the pandemic, and now has over 6 million followers. Growing up with a dad who was an army mechanic, Jack feels driven to be strong and meet high standards.

Jack explained he signed up for Celebrity SAS because he’d become too comfortable in his life. He loves his job and feels lucky to have it, but realized he’d been stuck in a comfortable routine for the past five years and wanted a challenge.

I was looking for a challenge to help me break out of a rut. I’d tried a few things, but when I heard about Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, I immediately knew it was a unique chance. There’s really nothing else that pushes you quite this hard, and it came at exactly the right time for me.

Cole Anderson-James

Age: 28

Job: Content creator

Instagram: @coleanderson.j

Cole Anderson-James unexpectedly became a TikTok sensation after losing his sales job at the start of the pandemic. He’s now pursuing a career as an actor, and has even been in the popular show ‘After Life’ with Ricky Gervais.

Cole hadn’t watched the show previously and only decided to participate six hours before his flight. This left him with no time to practice, but also no time to worry about it.

Ben Cohen MBE

Age: 46

Job: Former World Cup rugby player

Instagram: @bencohenrugby

Ben Cohen is a retired England rugby player who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He’s known as one of England’s top try scorers and played 57 international games. In 2004, he received an MBE from the Queen for his contributions to the sport. As an openly gay athlete, Cohen also founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, which works to fight bullying, homophobia, and transphobia.

I’m a big fan of Ben, and I know he’s done a lot of fun TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing and The Jump. But Celebrity SAS seemed like a totally different beast! He actually said he almost didn’t do it – everything was telling him not to! He admitted it looked incredibly tough, and honestly, who wants to be yelled at and insulted? He was really unsure how he’d handle that kind of pressure, which I totally get!

I decided to take this on because I really wanted to grow as a person. I knew it would be a tough mental challenge, which I thought would actually be good for my well-being. More than anything, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – something you can’t just put a price on or experience every day.

Toby Olubi

Age: 37

Job: Olympian and gladiator

Instagram: @tobyolubi

Toby Olubi is a world-class athlete – he competed in bobsleigh at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Now, as Phantom on the BBC show Gladiators since January 2024, it’s clear he’s incredibly physically fit, making him a strong contender on Celebrity SAS!

Toby decided to be on the show because he wanted to be genuine and show viewers who he really is, something he doesn’t feel he can do on his other projects. He explained, ‘This show forces you to be real – you can’t pretend to be someone you’re not, and I really enjoyed that.’

Graeme Swann

Age: 46

Job: International cricketer

Instagram: @officialgraemeswann

Graeme Swann, a retired cricketer who helped England win the Ashes series three times – in 2009, 2010, and 2011 – has long been eager to compete on Celebrity SAS.

He explained that he’d told his agent just two weeks before getting the offer that he didn’t want to be on any of those shows, except for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

I said I’d jump at the chance if they ever asked me to do it – I really enjoy that kind of thing. And surprisingly, just a few weeks later, they actually did ask!

After retiring from cricket in 2013 due to an elbow injury, he appeared on the 2018 season of Strictly Come Dancing, finishing in 10th place.

Jessika Power

Age: 33

Job: TV personality

Instagram: @jessika_power

Jessika Power is arguably the most famous contestant to come from the Australian reality show, Married at First Sight. She’s continued to appear on other reality TV programs, including Celebrity Big Brother, Celebs Go Dating, and Celebrity Ex on the Beach.

People have called me a lot of things – like a ‘husband stealer,’ ‘dramatic,’ and ‘troublemaker.’ I’ve also been labeled ‘controversial.’ I wanted to demonstrate that I’ve changed and become more mature, as those labels aren’t who I am now, according to Jessika.

This show really forced me to step outside of what I was used to – and it definitely succeeded! I took it on as a personal challenge, but I also hoped to show that people are capable of change and that we shouldn’t make quick judgments about people we see on TV.

Ryan Moloney

Age: 45

Job: Actor

Instagram: N/A

For more than 30 years, Ryan Moloney has been a familiar face on Australian television, best known for his role as Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi on the long-running show Neighbours. He’s also directed a few episodes of the series.

Ryan said yes to Celebrity SAS as he viewed it as unmissable opportunity.

The hardest part is definitely pushing through when you’re completely drained. It’s about finding the strength to get back on your feet and keep moving forward, even when you feel like you have nothing left.

“So that was the hardest part, but also the best lesson to learn,” he said of his time on the show.

Ryan has been on several reality TV shows, like the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother and The Masked Singer Australia. He’s also acted in a few traditional British pantomime performances.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte

Age: 50

Job: Actor

Instagram: @natbassingthwaighte

Natalie Bassingthwaighte first became well-known as the lead singer of the band Rogue Traders, famous for songs like “Voodoo Child” and “Watching You.” She later became popular as an actress, playing Izzy Hoyland on the TV show Neighbours.

Natalie signed up for Celebrity SAS to prove to her children that they can achieve anything with determination. She wanted to discover her own inner strength and learn how to cope with challenges using the skills she’s developed, and also to demonstrate that true strength isn’t just about physical power.

Brad Hodge

Age: 50

Job: International cricketer

Instagram: @bradleyhodge302

Former cricketer Brad Hodge signed up for the show after being encouraged by his kids to take part.

He said: “I was in really good shape and training, so I felt “red hot” to nail it.”

Brad trained for the show by doing weighted walks to improve his strength and endurance, but he admitted he was even more worried about the mental challenges it would bring.

I trained myself to handle tight spaces and being underwater. As part of that, I asked my son to lock me in his car trunk for about ten minutes a few times – it was a terrible experience! I even tried using a flashlight during a couple of those sessions. The whole point was to learn to cope with feeling uncomfortable.

Emily Seebohm

Age: 33

Job: Olympic swimmer

Instagram: @emcbomb

Emily Seebohm is a retired backstroke swimmer who achieved incredible success from a young age, setting world records as early as 14. A four-time Olympian, she’s won an impressive collection of medals including three Olympic golds, plus silver and bronze, five World Championship golds, and seven Commonwealth Games golds.

I always thought I’d pursue this later in life, but it turned out this was the perfect moment. With a two-year-old son and having retired from swimming, I really wanted to set an example for him – to show him that you shouldn’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals. It’s mostly about having the right mindset, really,” the Olympian explained.

Mack Horton

Age: 29

Job: Olympic swimmer

Instagram: @mackhorton

Mack Horton, an Olympic swimmer known as “Magnificent Mack,” announced his retirement in January 2024. He achieved Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Games and also competed in numerous Olympic relay and distance races. Throughout his career, he also won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

He signed up for Celebrity SAS because he wants to keep fit after retiring from professional sports. Even though he was an athlete, he found the show physically demanding.

The physical demands of the challenge quickly become a mental game. If you’re used to sports, you know how to push through physical hardship. However, the constant mental pressure is a different beast altogether. They excel at gradually breaking you down, and that’s the most difficult aspect of it all, he explained.

Mack and his wife, whom he’s been with since high school, are expecting their first baby this month.

Axle Whitehead

Age: 44

Job: Actor and songwriter

Instagram: @axlewhitehead

Axle Whitehead is an Australian entertainer who works as a musician, actor, and on television. He’s most recognizable for his role as Liam Murphy in the popular soap opera, Home and Away. He’s also hosted several TV shows, including Video Hits, the Australian edition of The World’s Strictest Parents, and The Wall.

Axle grew up loving the show, and as someone who lives for thrills, he jumped at the chance to participate. He described the experience as life-changing.

Axle explained that the opportunity arrived when he needed a fresh start. Surprisingly, he thrives under pressure, finding it a calming and peaceful experience.

He also admitted to really admiring Foxy, describing him as a calm, warm, and gentle person, but also someone capable of being a deadly fighter. He was fascinated by what drives a person with such a contrasting nature and wanted to understand his psychological makeup.

“How can such a warm, gentle giant also be a trained soldier?”

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Monday 5th January 2026 at 9pm on Channel 4.

Authors

Phoebe Kowhai BarnesFreelance Writer

Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a freelance writer specializing in pop culture and entertainment for TopMob. Before that, she was a Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab, where she oversaw their local team. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Nottingham.

Visit us on Twitter

2026-01-05 20:09