SAS Australia

Deep within the Jordanian desert...

..in arid and unforgiving conditions...

..14 new celebrities

are being dropped in the hostile environment...

Starting to get a bit hot.

Putting their glamorous

and, at times, controversial lives on hold.

All have volunteered for the course, and all have a point to prove.

When I started on 'Neighbours',

I was in people's loungerooms night after night, day after day.

But there was something that happened about five years ago

that was shocking for the public and shocking for me.

"Craig McLachlan, disgraced actor.

"Workplace bully, monster."

So, I'm here to exorcise some pretty extreme pain

with some pretty extreme pain.

Oh, shit, man.

I'm currently Australia's fastest man,

over 800m.

I'm two-time Australian Olympian.

But recently, I had to display a lot of courage

facing the doping allegations, facing the public.

The only way you stay strong

is just by understanding what you stand for.

This is the chance to show Australia what that is

and who I am.

I could go for just

pouring a bottle of water over my head right now.

I had always wanted to be a role model.

I was an Olympic gold medallist, I was a world record holder.

And then the Twitter scandal,

and instantly overnight I was not a role model.

People did not want to be like me.

I lost money, I lost opportunities,

and I lost a lot of my self-respect.

I want to be more emotionally resilient than I am.

Exactly why I'm doing this.

This is the birthplace of the desert rats,

the original SAS.

The Middle Eastern desert is a hostile environment.

You have blistering days and absolutely freezing nights.

Winds, sand, heat, cold.

If you don't know what you're doing, it will kill you very quick.

Oh.

It's going to be like this for days.

What?

What's going on?

Going in.

Oh, my god.

Oh, shit.

Shit!

Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!

Get on the (BLEEP) floor!

Get on your (BLEEP) knees!

Get on your (BLEEP)...

Get on your...

Get down, get down!

Stay down!

Close your (BLEEP) eyes!

Don't you realise where the (BEEP) you are?

Head in. On your knees. Close your (BLEEP) eyes.

Put your head down.

There you go. Head down.

On your knees!

Head down.

I'm former rugby legend,

three-time premiership player, State of Origin player,

and former three-time boxing world champion.

I'm the baddest athlete to ever come out, period.

you better not give me any (BLEEP) trouble,

'cause I'll smash your head into the sand,

do you understand me?

I wanna see what I got.

See what I got left in me, you know what I mean?

I want to finish the course. That's my goal.

stay there.

On your (BLEEP) knees. On your knees!

Head down.

On your (BLEEP) knees!

Public sees me as the original Bachelor.

Don't (BLEEP) move, keeping your head down.

Just turned 40.

Probably going through a mid-life crisis.

I need to prove to myself that I'm not done yet.

Keep your (BLEEP) head down.

My most known name is Cocaine Cassie.

I was arrested and charged with drug trafficking in Columbia...

..but I want to leave the name, Cocaine Cassie behind me.

Up! Up!

On your knees!

Head down!

I feel like people know that I work in the footy space.

(BLEEP) head down.

Obviously in broadcasting,

but what they don't know is what came before that,

which was the 100 goals, which was a premiership in the AFLW.

But you still come across those dinosaurs

that don't believe that women belong in football.

head down.

Yeah, we certainly copped a little bit.

Stand up.

There's not too many women that have completed the SAS course,

so I hope that I can get to the end.

Up.

Start (BLEEP) switching on,

and start realising where you are.

belong to us now.

The recruits must surrender themselves to the course.

Do not break the (BLEEP) line.

Understanding

that they no longer control themselves or the situation.

Do not let go of the person in front of you.

And putting their trust into the DS.

Keep your heads down.

The moment they do that,

and let their guard down and allow us in...

..the quicker they'll adapt to the course.

Surrender yourself.

Give yourself to the desert.

If you don't... Get on your knees.

..(BLEEP).

You are about to be buried alive.

Sit.

Selection for the SAS is a test like no other.

These celebrities aren't going to be bubble-wrapped.

They're not in Australia anymore.

And they realise they're in a (BLEEP) shit situation.

Go!

A new group of celebrity recruits...

If you don't want to be here, give me your (BLEEP) numbers.

Strip.

..have volunteered

to leave their comfortable lives behind...

This won't be like sitting in my comfy actor's chair...

Go! ..having someone bring me coffee.

You're now in charge of a live grenade.

Yes, staff. Go!

Oh, (BLEEP).

Dive!

They'll be trained...

Get down, the enemy!

Take cover!

..to survive the impossible.

The moment we stop, we're dead!

Chief instructor, Ant Middleton...

The team that I've assembled

is the most highly decorated, most deadly to date.

Go! ..DS Staz...

Staz was awarded the gallantry cross.

There's only three people alive that have that award.

I want a (BLEEP), "Yes, staff!"

..DS Jay...

I've completed four tours of Afghanistan,

three tours of Iraq.

Give me a read out!

..and DS Ollie... Move! Move!

Stop, stop!

..will make no exceptions.

Go!

No, no, no! (BLEEP).

What the (BLEEP) are you doing?

Do you think if I didn't drag you out,

you wouldn't be a (BLEEP) dead man?

Found not guilty of any wrongful behaviour.

Are you trying to pull the wool over my (BLEEP) eyes?

No other test asks as much...

We all (BLEEP) up.

..or means as much...

With shame comes guilt.

I'm trying so hard, Staff. I know you are.

I know you are.

..to the few who make it through.

Do not (BLEEP) move.

Do not (BLEEP) move an inch.

Once you're put into a situation where you're being buried alive,

every part of your being is being stripped away from you.

When I push you in, you (BLEEP) crawl in,

lie on your back, arms down by your sides,

is that understood?

Yes. go.

Claustrophobia will kick in.

Go on your back, arms by your sides,

is that understood? Yes.

Go. You have absolutely no control.

Arms by your side.

Go.

quiet time for you. Let's go.

The moment you start to panic...

In. ..you'll go into meltdown.

Lock them in.

It's your mind that will get you out of any given situation.

You must give yourself to the desert.

This is where you surrender...

..to the process.

Being buried alive is the closest thing to being dead.

Faced with your own mortality is terrifying.

Horrible, disgusting feeling.

And the sand's hitting the top,

it's trickling through in complete darkness.