Louie Spence recalls ‘suffocating’ during swimming task on Celebrity SAS

The Channel 4 military-style reality show returned on Sunday and saw 14 new celebrity recruits tasked with plunging 26 feet into the sea before swimming to a passing speed boat.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB), Spence, 56, said: “It was no good and I thought I’d be good at the swimming task.

“I swim every day, I enjoy swimming, but, you know what it was, you have to put a life jacket on.”

“He (directing staff, Rudy Reyes) went out like a fish in water, with no life jacket. So when you jump in, it gives you a bit of drag.

“And I said to them I want a tight jacket, because I thought I won’t get as much drag. Well, I was like suffocating. It was too tight. That’s why I didn’t make it to the boat.”

Spence, along with S Club singer Hannah Spearritt, withdrew from the show during the first episode.

Spence said: “The reason I did it (the show) as well, was that I came off my antidepressants six months before I got asked to do the show.

“So I was feeling really strong in mind and physically I thought I was okay. I upped my physicality, so I thought it’d be a challenge to see, not being on like medication, how I deal with this kind of situation, and, in fact, the mental side of it, I felt fine with.

“I wasn’t frightened about jumping in the water, all of those kind of things. It was the physical (side).

“I just felt as though I didn’t have the physical capacity. And I was surrounded by these people who were so enthusiastic, and it was a big team that you had to play with.

“It’s all part of being a team. And I didn’t feel as though I was going to contribute to being part of that team.”

This year’s celebrity recruits also include ex-drug mule Michaella McCollum, former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa, Strictly Come Dancing 2025 runner-up Tasha Ghouri, Traitors winner Harry Clark, rapper Lady Leshurr, boxer Conor Benn, singer Lucy Spraggan, and ex-Love Island contestants Chloe Burrows and Adam Collard.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins next airs on Channel 4 on Monday at 9pm.