Reality TV star Dani Dyer faced a brutal initiation on the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, receiving a punch to the face that left her with a bloody nose. The dramatic incident occurred during a boxing match in the show's first episode, which airs on Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4.
A Brutal Boxing Match
The 29-year-old Love Island winner and mum-of-three was pitted against Married At First Sight Australia star Jessika Power in a head-to-head fight. Despite both wearing protective headgear, Power landed a punch square on Dyer's face, leading chief instructor Mark 'Billy' Billingham to declare Power the winner. Dyer later described the entire Celebrity SAS experience to The Mirror as "brutal," admitting it was even harder than she had anticipated.
"I knew it was going to be hard and I didn’t go in there thinking, ‘It’s just a TV thing,’ but it was just as hard, if not harder," Dyer said. She added that the gruelling special forces training, overseen by the show's Directing Staff (DS), ultimately made her feel "a lot stronger" and capable of handling anything life throws at her.
Danny Dyer's Proud Reaction
Dyer also revealed the humorous reaction of her famous father, EastEnders actor Danny Dyer. She said he thought she was "nuts" for signing up and was baffled by her resilience. "He’s not a fitness person at all," she joked. "When he does Soccer Aid, he has a fag just before he goes on the pitch. He was really proud of me but we went, ‘I’d never do that. I don’t know how you’re my child!’"
New Series Features UK vs Australia Stars
This new series marks a first for the format, as British celebrities undergo training alongside Australian stars. The recruits facing the DS's intense regime include:
- Neighbours actor Ryan Moloney
- Love Island's Gabby Allen
- Rugby player Ben Cohen
- Olympic swimmers Mack Horton and Emily Seebohm
- Cricketers Brad Hodge and Graeme Swann
- Singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte
- TV presenter Axle Whitehead
- TikTok star Jack Joseph
- YouTuber Cole Anderson-James
- Gladiators star Toby Olubi
The premiere episode promises more high-stakes challenges, with the celebrities pushed to their absolute limits in the pursuit of mental and physical endurance.
