Essex social media star Cole Anderson-James has become one of the latest celebrities to withdraw from Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, after the gruelling reality show proved too much.
Cole Anderson-James, who is from Essex and boasts an impressive 2.8 million followers on TikTok, featured in the latest series of the hit programme, which sees famous faces pushed to their physical and mental limits in conditions designed to mirror UK Special Forces selection.
The influencer, whose videos have racked up more than 123 million likes, has officially quit after a punishing task that involved climbing 27 flights of stairs while carrying heavy kit in soaring temperatures.
Speaking during the show, the 28-year-old candidly admits defeat, saying:
“I’m not mentally strong enough. I’m done.” He then hands in his numbered armband, signalling his voluntary withdrawal from the course.
In a typical series of Celebrity SAS, contestants are removed from their everyday comforts and placed into harsh environments around the world for a condensed version of real SAS selection.
Recruits are tested through extreme endurance challenges, fear-inducing tasks and relentless pressure from the Directing Staff, with the final stage simulating capture and interrogation.
This year’s Directing Staff includes Chief Instructor Billy Billingham MBE, alongside Jason “Foxy” Fox, Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver, who oversee the recruits and decide whether they are fit to continue. While contestants can be medically withdrawn, many choose to leave by handing in their armband when they feel they can no longer cope.
Cole’s exit comes amid what has been described as one of the most chaotic series yet, with five celebrities withdrawing early on.
Sources have claimed contestants were “dropping like flies” as the intensity of the course quickly took its toll.
Despite his huge online following and confident on-screen persona, Cole Anderson-James’ departure highlights the brutal reality of the show – where fame, fitness and popularity offer no protection against mental exhaustion.
Episodes of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continue on Channel 4.
