The Wanted star Siva Kaneswaran has said being “tortured” on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins was ultimately “fulfilling”, because it made him a “new improved person”.
The singer, 34, from Dublin, will be put through his paces on the latest series of the gruelling reality show to find out if he has what it takes to make it through SAS selection.
He will join a string of famous faces including former UK health secretary Matt Hancock, singer Gareth Gates and Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton for the jungle phase of SAS selection in Thung Ui, North Vietnam.
The hit show will return to screens with seven 60-minute episodes, featuring chief instructor Mark “Billy” Billingham, and his directing staff Jason “Foxy” Fox, Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver.
Kaneswaran said: “If you dig being tortured for a few days and being dragged out your comfort zone, then this is the show for you!
“In a weird way, it was very fulfilling in the sense that you face your fears and you come out of it a new person, a new improved person.”
Previous contestants on the show include former Dancing With The Stars professional Curtis Pritchard, the ex-boyfriend of Maura Higgins.
Kaneswaran shot to fame after joining boyband The Wanted in 2009 after an early career as a model.
The band’s hits include All Time Love, Heart Vacancy and Glad You Came, which topped the singles chart in Ireland for five weeks, and the band also enjoyed chart success with songs such as Chasing The Sun and I Found You.
The group announced a hiatus in 2014 but reunited in 2021 for a charity concert in support of band member Tom Parker, who was battling brain cancer.
Parker died in March 2022.
During the band’s hiatus, Kaneswaran found success as a songwriter and earlier this year he competed on the fifteenth series of Dancing on Ice.
Also taking part in the celebrity version of SAS: Who Dares Wins will be model Melinda Messenger, singer Michelle Heaton, TV personality Danielle Lloyd, former footballer Jermaine Pennant and former rugby player Gareth Thomas, as well as reality stars Montana Brown, Teddy Soares and Amber Turner.
Comedian Zoe Lyons, actress Kirsty-Leigh Porter and Paralympic gold medallist Jon-Allan Butterworth will also feature in the upcoming series.
The fifth celebrity series is a spin-off of the original SAS: Who Dares Wins which saw civilians put through military training exercises to test their physical and mental strength.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4 on September 26 at 9.30pm.
