If you thought SAS Australia was gruelling on-screen, that’s nothing compared to the dirt that’s been dug up about the high-profile recruits. From bad behaviour, shock accidents and secret romances, here are the biggest bombshells from behind the scenes.
WATCH: Firass Dirani slams his fellow recruits
Ant’s offensive tweet
Ex-Special Forces soldier and SAS Australia DS Ant Middleton landed himself in hot water earlier this year after he tweeted about Black Lives Matter protesters in London, where he appeared to refer to them as “scum”. He later apologised for his comments. “At no point was I calling the BLM scum … I want to make that really clear,” he said.
What has Erin done to her face?
Erin, is that you? Viewers have been quick to notice just how much Erin McNaught’s face has changed since she was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2006. While she’s always been stunning, the 38-year-old’s face appears puffier. “Didn’t recognise you,” one fan commented on social media.
Ollie attacked by a monkey
DS Ollie Ollerton was mauled by a circus chimpanzee when he was 10.
“She pinned me to the floor … she swung her arms above her head and brought them down on my chest and face,” he said in a previous interview. “Part of my right forearm had been torn.”
Ali and Jackson’s on-set flirt-fest
Turns out former Bachelorette star Ali Oetjen didn’t just have her eyes set on the Honey Badger during filming.
“Ali was flirting with all the boys,” dishes our spy. “She was following Nick and Jackson around like a lost puppy.”
Meanwhile, it seems Jackson may have taken a liking to the blonde beauty, with the pair flirting up a storm on social media recently.
In one post, Jackson, 21, refers to Ali, 34, as “Daenerys” – the character from Game Of Thrones – to which she responded: “I remember.”
The duo have also shared kiss emojis.
Badger’s bad behaviour
According to our spy, Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins wasn’t the easiest contestant to deal with on SAS. In fact, the former Bachelor was at times, “difficult to work with”.
“He likes to do things his way,” dishes our source. “And he hates doing interviews or talking to the media, so it’s a nightmare for publicity.”
The spy adds that Nick likes to “run his own race … and we all know how that ended up when he was on The Bachelor”.
The insider continues: “He has a habit of ignoring producers, which you just cannot do.”
News of Nick’s behaviour comes after he was slammed for being too aggressive in challenges when up against some of the female contestants.
Lisa Curry signs up
Loads of local celebs are keen to appear on the show next year, including Lisa Curry.
“Lisa would be perfect for a show like this,” says our insider. “She’s already expressed her interest to producers.”
Firass is faking it
While it may appear as though Firass is copping a hard time on screen, our spy says he is just acting up for the cameras.
“Firass is a hot head who never listens, but he is also an actor,” our source explains. “He is playing a character.”
Last week, the 36-year-old hinted he was cast to play the villain. “There HAS to be a villain. And, low and behold – right here, this is it,” he told his 62.8k Instagram followers.
Mark’s secret past with Ange
DS Mark Billingham says he was like a “father figure” to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children when he was their bodyguard for 18 months.
“Ange and Brad are very worried about who goes near their children,” he told The Sun. “I could take the kids anywhere I wanted to on my own. No-one else was allowed to do that.”
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