SAS Australia‘s DS Chris Oliver’s path to primetime TV has been anything but ordinary.
From leaving school at 16 to join the UK Royal Marines Commandos, he then went on to join the elite Special Boat Service, a stint in corporate security.
Now working in television, it’s clear to say that adventurer Chris has lived several lives in one.
Fans will be delighted to know that Chris is joining the 2026 season of SAS Australia vs England, leading 14 new celebrities through the gruelling trials.
Scroll on for everything you need to know about the steadfast TV star.
Was Chris Oliver in the SAS?
Chris left school at 16 with his sights firmly set on the military and never looked back.
“I was interested from about the age of 12,” he recently told Luxe Magazine.
“The Marines’ advertisement campaign at the time put the emphasis on the person joining. It was more, ‘do you think you’re good enough?’ Straight away, that instilled a sense of determination. I wanted to prove I could do it.”
He served nine years in the Royal Marines before completing Special Forces Selection and joining the elite Special Boat Service — the naval equivalent of the SAS and one of the most demanding units in the British military.
During his 17-year career he deployed to Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why did Chris Oliver leave the military?
After 17 years of service, Chris left the military in 2015 and found the transition harder than anything he’d faced in the field.
“The hardest part isn’t being in the military, it’s leaving it,” he told Luxe Magazine.
“You don’t realise until you’re out how hard it is to find your place in society. You’ve spent so many years training and working in a very different environment, and suddenly you’re faced with a completely new world.”
He channelled his skills into corporate security when he left the armed forces, taking a role with Barclays protecting senior executives.
Where does Chris Oliver live?
Chris grew up in Sunderland in the North East of England and credits the city with shaping much of who he is today.
“It’s where most of my family still live.
“I have two brothers and two sisters with none of my immediate family having ever served in the military.
“Growing up I was a keen runner, spending most of my teens competing in Athletics and Cross Country for Sunderland,” he told Channel 4.
He now splits his time between Poole, Dorset and London.
Is Chris Oliver married?
Chris has a longterm partner, Jasmine Shergold, 36, with whom he shares his life outside of the spotlight.
“My partner Jasmine and our two kids keep me grounded.
“Family is everything to me. It’s the priority in my life, no question,” he told Luxe.
Jasmine is a nutrition business owner, digital content creator and mum their their two kids.
Alongside their love of family life, the couple share a love of fitness and have taken part in the Great North Run and Great South Run together in the past.
Does Chris Oliver have children?
Chris and Jasmine have two children together, Jude and Aria.
“Whenever I’m back up north with my kids, I like to get out and about, catch up with friends, and I love nothing more than taking my son up to the Silksworth running track.
“It brings back so many memories of being a youngster, turning up on a cold night and pushing myself. For me, that was the start of building up the resilience and mindset that has helped me through life,” he told Luxe.
Is Chris Oliver on SAS Australia?
Chris Oliver is a DS for SAS Australia 2026, where this season he will join chief instructor Billy Billingham alongside Jason Fox and Rudy Reyes.
This season brings with it an international twist, with an Australian celebrity cast going head-to-head against a British lineup.
