AFTER the Government’s decision to let women into the SAS, Channel 4’s reality show about the elite unit has followed suit – but its military experts are not happy at the move.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun before Sunday’s new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, one of its instructors, Jason “Foxy” Fox, bluntly warned that the move could see soldiers killed.
The former Royal Marine Commando and Special Forces sergeant said: “If certain dynamics affect people’s ability to operate, then that means people are going to die.”
And the show’s chief instructor, Ant Middleton, added: “Favouritism starts forming when there are mixed teams. It’s nothing sexual but I do think it affects the overall goal.
“I believe the military have been too harsh to expect women to be on the front line. I think they could have done a softer approach in the build-up. It’s too sudden and raw.
“It’s almost like the MoD have gone, ‘We are doing our bit and ticking a box.’ I don’t think they have really thought about it. Maybe they should start working with a whole female special forces team before mixing the teams.”
The fourth series of the show, which recreates the SAS’s gruelling selection process, features 13 male and 12 female recruits.
One, Hertfordshire police officer Laura, 25, said after taking part: “Do I think gender makes a difference in this environment? Quite simply, no. Women and men can both be trained and educated to be anything they want, in any environment.”
Her colleague Vicki, a 40-year-old business owner and fitness instructor from the South East, added: “I don’t think gender made a difference but I do think physicality was a factor.
“Some of the women simply weren’t tall or strong enough to carry heavy loads for sustained periods.
“Equally, some of the men, who were incredibly strong, didn’t have the engine to keep going for long distances. So again, it comes back to the individual.”
Factfile: Vicki, 40
Job: Fitness instructor. Region: South East. Status: Separated.
“We were pushed to our physical and mental limits and at times taken to the brink of danger.
“The beastings were brutal and for me, some of the tasks were terrifying, but the toughest part was permanently living in a high-anxiety state and not knowing what was next. I’m pleased to say that when it came down to it, it wasn’t about gender but individual ability.
“We were treated exactly the same but it felt in some ways the women had it harder, that we were pushed to our limit to test the feasibility of women in the Special Forces.”
Ant, 38, insisted he would never have taken it easy on the women and said: “It was down to them to prove to us whether they deserved to be on the course and if they had the psychological and physical robustness.
“The programme is a good insight, that is for sure.” Ant, who served with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan, has always been vocal about why women must “earn their place” in the SAS and he still has serious reservations about the new move.
He said: “If you are going to change the dynamics of a team or organisation, it has to be for the better and not to prove a point.
“How are women going to do that? Is it going to cause more division and disruption amongst it all? Is it going to benefit the organisation? That is all I am asking.
Factfile: Kat, 33
Job: Pro fighter. Region: Hants. Status: In relationship.
“It felt pretty special to be one of the first female recruits as I’d always wanted to take part.
“I didn’t mind the shouting and yelling from the drill sergeant, as being a fighter I am used to that from my coaches – in fact it’s usually the only way to really push me these days.
“There was no difference in how women were treated compared to the men.
“There were some bloody strong ladies in there who showed up most of the guys and definitely would give the average man a run for their money.”
“It is not about pass or fail — you have to be careful it doesn’t stray into that political exercise of whether women are the same as men. No, they are not.
“Women and men are different, that’s a fact. Women run off oestrogen, we run off testosterone. That is the tool we use to do the best job and push ourselves physically.
“I’m not saying all men are physically stronger than women, you do get women who are stronger, but in general, men are stronger.
“It doesn’t mean better, we are just better at certain jobs and women are better at others.”
In fact after the performance by the show’s female contestants Ant’s behind-the-scenes TV colleague Matthew “Ollie” Ollerton, 45, a Special Boat Service and Desert Storm veteran, admitted: “This programme has changed my view on everything.
“What it has shown me is there is a different dynamic. Look what happens when you go out in town and you meet all your mates.
“As soon as women walk in the bar, it changes the dynamics. Men and women act differently when the opposite sex are around.
“We also found egos amplified during the filming of our series. People were scared to show any weakness in front of the opposite sex.
“I come from the special forces and it does concern me slightly how relationships form and how that affects the team effort.”
Factfile: Laura, 25
Job: Police Officer. Region: Herts. Status: In relationship.
“It was a real privilege to be on the show. I was humbled to be among some incredible recruits, both male and female, but I think we all earned our place in the series.
“I don’t think I found it any harder than the men. Everyone had their own personal battles to overcome. The men and women were treated completely equally, which is exactly how it should have been.
“But I have no ambitions to join the Special Forces. I was proud of what I achieved in the show but I don’t think I’d enjoy it as a career.”
The military vets also voiced their concern about who is being the most vocal in the debate about women being admitted to the SAS.
Ollie said: “I do believe a lot of women shouting for selection are never going to do it. My mother brought me up. I idolise women.
“Call it old fashioned but I’m quite a gentleman around women. I open doors, I stand up on trains when a woman gets on and there is no seat.
“However we act and respond differently when females are around.”
Ant is sure the new series will prove the most controversial yet.
He said: “People are either going to be fascinated or say, ‘Right, it is what it is.’ They will say, ‘Let’s not try and fix something that doesn’t need fixing.’”
The new series tests the recruits in the most challenging of environments and Ant said: “The Arctic is brutal and I was gobsmacked by some of the people’s stories.
“My jaw nearly hit the table. I was like, ‘What?’ Trust me, you are not going to get bored thinking you are going to see the same old stuff. This is certainly a game-changer.”
Factfile: Tracey, 34
Job: Security guard. Region: North West. Status: Single.
“I found it very difficult, much more than I expected. The altitude and sleep deprivation made it so much harder to do the tasks.
“But I wouldn’t say I found it more difficult than the male recruits did.
“We were all equal, with our own strengths and weaknesses. We were treated as equals – and there was definitely no easy treatment for being a woman.
“We had to be one of the men, if anything.
“I can’t lie, it’s very tough to be in the Special Forces, and I have the utmost respect for them.”
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Foxy said: “We will get grief, no matter what we do, but this creates conversation. It will be awesome.”
Ollie added: “It’s going to set the bar for shows moving forward. This is the next level of the SAS and it’s going to be so amazing.
“I’ve so much respect for the people who do this. They have the balls.
“They want to give it a shot and combined with the harsh environment in the Andes mountains in Chile that we are putting them in, this series will definitely stand out from the rest.”
- SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4 on Sunday at 9pm
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/who-dares-wins-stars-jason-fox-and-ant-middleton-blast-decision-to-allow-women-to-serve-in-sas-and-warn-move-could-see-soldiers-killed/
News Pictures Who Dares Wins stars Jason Fox and Ant Middleton blast decision to allow women to serve in SAS and warn move ‘could see soldiers killed’
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