SAS: Who Dares Wins axed: has Channel 4 show been cut - will celebrity one continue in 2023?

SAS: Who Dares Wins has been axed in what is turning out to be a hectic year for Channel 4. Having weathered a privatisation threat which was officially abandoned in January, concerns over advertising revenue as more audiences flock to ad-free streaming services have continued to grow.

Channel 4 could lose a fifth of their advertising income, which in 2021 totalled more than £1 billion. However, the channel has denied that the decision to cut SAS: Who Dares Wins was based on revenue issues. 

Producers tried to reinvent the hardcore reality series, which sees contestants take on an SAS style selection process, in recent years - head presenter Ant Middleton was booted off the show in 2021 following tweets about the Black Lives Matter movement.

The series location was also moved in 2022 to the Jordanian desert and this year the action took place in the jungle of Vietnam, whereas the show has previously been shot on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland.

New presenters also joined the show - former US Marine Rudy Reyes came on board for season seven and eight, whilst Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke joined for season seven only to be replaced by Royal Marine Mountain Leader Chris Oliver the following year. 

But all of these changes were not enough to save the show, and it was today (1 June) reported that SAS: Who Dares Wins would not return for a ninth season.

Why has SAS: Who Dares Wins been axed?

The popular Channel 4 show has been cancelled after eight seasons. Insiders have claimed that the decision to cancel the show was made due its performance, not budgetary restrictions.

Exact viewing figures for the most recent seasons are unknown, but the fifth series reached a peak of 3.2 million. 

However, there have been rumours that the channel is in the process of reviewing the continuation of many of its long-running shows as part of a channel-wide shakeup.

The news came just six days after Channel 4 cancelled its reboot of the 1990s romcom Four Weddings and a Funeral, leading some to suspect that other shows could follow these projects onto the scrapheap.

Will Celebrity SAS continue?

Yes, despite axing the original series, the celebrity spin-off version will continue to air with the next season landing on Channel 4 later this year.

A specific release date of the fifth season is yet to be confirmed but it is likely to air around October. The cast includes Matt Hancock, who controversially signed up for the show after leaving the cabinet in 2021 but before taking part on I’m A Celebrity last year.

Hancock upset Channel 4 according to insiders who said that they thought they had scooped Hancock's first reality TV appearance, only to see him head to the Australian jungle for ITV a year before Who Dares Wins airs.

Other contestants believed to be taking part are Dancing on Ice star Michelle Heaton, TV personality Danielle Lloyd, singer Gareth Gates, and comedian Zoe Lyons.