Despite his initial portrayal as this season’s token villain, SAS Australia recruit Koby Abberton has become somewhat of a fan favourite thanks to his brash observations and his willingness to call out BS.
WATCH: SAS Australia’s Koby Abberton grills Mark Philippoussis about his salary
While the 42-year-old initially rose to fame as surfing’s bad boy from Maroubra in the late 2000s, Koby’s transition from Bra Boy to doting dad and husband has notably softened the man who once made headlines for his various crimes.
This became most evident during an emotional challenge in which the recruits were required to share their deepest and darkest secrets with each other, with Koby admitted to fabricating an incident involving his stepdad in the 2007 Bra Boys movie.
In the film, Koby told viewers his stepfather had hit him with a baseball bat, but more than a decade later on SAS Australia revealed this to be a lie – and Koby has no problem taking ownership for his mistake.
“In the Bra Boys movie my wounds were really fresh and I was still really hurt compared to what I am now. I went into that movie full of hatred and I went in wanting to hurt my little brother’s dad,” Koby admitted to New Idea.
“In the heat of the moment and out of revenge I said the wrong thing. I owe it to my little brother to clear it up, that was the wrong thing of me to do.”
Koby says that he hasn’t spoken to his brother about the incident yet, but hopes that him seeing his sincere apology on national TV will help to mend old wounds.
“It was the wrong thing of me to do and now that I’m older and I understand what it’s like to be a father – he never hit us. In hindsight, I was a hurt little scared kid, and I did it to make them feel bad,” he says.
As the surfer made the difficult decision to Voluntarily Withdraw on Wednesday night’s episode due to his back pain flaring up (he’s broken it twice), fans were given yet another candid insight into the star’s softer side.
“I’m not here to hurt myself, I live a really simple life and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” Koby explained following his choice to VW.
“I’ve been a good dad for five years, but if I go home and I’m lying in bed for a year, my whole life goes south,” he said.
“I don’t want that for my son.”
Amid his early exit from SAS Australia, Koby gave props to his fellow recruits, telling New Idea that the entire experience was “humbling”.
“I kind of humbled myself and I had to pull out on national TV and I didn’t like that,” he says.
“I [quit] for one reason and one reason only, to go home a happy, healthy human. Then you go through that whole pain pills, medication and it goes into an evil downward spiral of depression if you ask me.
“It was very humbling and every person on the show after me was stronger than me and I take my hat off to them.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
