Derbyshire dad chosen from thousands to star in Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins

Stacy Williams has been put through his paces along with 24 other contestants on army-style reality shows SAS: Who Dares Wins.

A Derbyshire dad chosen from 5,000 applicants to star in a Channel 4 army-style reality show says tackling the world's toughest military selection process has been '˜the best and worst' thing he has ever done.

Stacy Williams, from Stretton, beat around 5,000 hopefuls to become a contestant on SAS: Who Dares Wins, in which former soldier Ant Middleton takes 25 civilians through 11 days of SAS recruit training.

Stacy was keen to challenge himself as, at 44-years-old, it would be the final year he would be able to apply.

The first episode of the show, which was filmed in September 2018, aired on Sunday, with millions tuning in to watch the group put through their paces in the Andes, Chile.

Stacy, a father-of-one, said: “I tell people this was the best and worst thing I’ve ever done.

“This has been the first season women could apply, but nobody was given special treatment, that’s for sure.

“That first episode saw us jump into an icy waterfall, climb mountains in harsh conditions and we were woken in the middle of the night to exercise.

“I think I got about six hours of sleep in the first three days.”

Despite the show’s gruelling nature, its a dream come true for Stacy- who left school with his sights set on a career in the Marines.

“I was wrongly told my grades weren’t good enough,” he added.

“I became a wood machinist, but always felt I could have achieved more.

“I think the show made us all realise we were capable of more than we ever thought possible. I made 24 friends for life.”

The show runs on Sundays from 9pm.