Celebrity SAS accused of being unfair by making women carry same weight as men

08 October 2023 , 21:01

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Michelle Heaton running during series 5 of Celebrity SAS (Image: Pete Dadds/Channel 4)

Reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins has been accused of treating female contestants unfairly by making them carry the same weight as the men.

In a challenge aired tonight, he recruits had to carry rucksacks weighing 20kg, whatever size they are. Now singer Michelle Heaton – one of two women booted off the Channel 4 show after struggling with the weight – says allowances should be made.

The Liberty X star, 44, was told she and model Melinda Messenger, 52, were holding up the rest of the squad. She said: “I think that there should have been maybe a weight to what you carry ratio. I’m 50kg, Melinda was probably less, and you stand with a guy who’s over 120kg of pure muscle.

Melinda Messenger on the show (Channel 4)

“It does make a difference in what you’re able and capable to do, because the tasks at hand are with that weight on top of you. I do think that if I was making the rules, I would maybe take that into consideration.

“It’s not about giving women or men special treatment, it’s about seeing the ratio of what you actually weigh to what your body could withstand. There shouldn’t be any cotton wool around us.”

TOWIE's Chloe Brockett makes cheeky dig at Saffron Lempriere during filming

Melinda (pictured) and Michelle were told they were holding up the group (Channel 4)

Michelle and Melinda were forced to hand in their armbands by instructor Mark ‘Billy’ Billington as the course left them trailing the other contestants. Melinda said: “Billy was saying: ‘The weakest members of the group are slowing everyone else down.’ I was like, ‘Oh God, I really am slowing other people down and making it harder for them.’ And so at that point I was like: ‘Okay, maybe I should go.’”

Melinda is engaged to the show’s medic, Dr Raj Joshi, who sent former Welsh international rugby union player Gareth Thomas home with an injury during the ‘murderball’ challenge, which was aired tonight. Gareth revealed he tore his hamstring on day one and battled through the pain until he felt it snap.

The Celebrity SAS recruits (PA)

He said: “I just felt it bang. I knew at that moment that it was over for me. I knew it was coming, but I honestly was absolutely devastated.”

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, next Sunday, 9pm, Channel 4.

Ashleigh Rainbird