It was one of the most brutal courses in SAS Australia history, but an incredible three recruits have come out the other side and passed selection in 2022.
NRLW player Millie Boyle and motorsports presenter Riana Crehan have become the first women to outnumber male recruits at the end of the course, while retired NRL star Darius Boyd was the only man to pass.
All three broke down in tears and embraced each other as Chief Officer Ant Middleton announced they’d all passed.
“To be honest it’s just such an amazing experience,” Darius said after learning he’d passed. “I didn’t think it was possible, it’s just amazing.
The three successful recruits burst into tears when they heard they had passed.
(Image: Channel Seven)Millie added: “I am just buzzing with emotion, and it’s been the longest two weeks of my life, but the best two weeks. It’s just amazing.”
“This really has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my whole life, physically, mentally, emotionally … it really is life changing,” Riana said of passing.
The only recruit who made it to the final day of selection and didn’t pass was Bachelor and Survivor star Locky Gilbert, who was dramatically culled by his own teammates at the last minute.
After battling through one last team mission, the four recruits had to make a difficult decision: one of them had to go.
Locky couldn’t believe he’d been culled at the last second.
(Image: Channel Seven)“This isn’t about capability, it’s about mindset, teamwork, trust, integrity, sincerity” Ant told the recruits. “If you had to drop one team member, who would it be?”
Millie and Locky both voted for Riana to go, while Riana and Darius wanted to drop Locky – in the end, it came down to the Directing Staff to break the deadlock. They culled Locky.
The reality star was blindsided by the move, fuming that he had once again been “voted off” a show so close to the finish line.
“I’m f—king devastated. That’s like the worst way you could go out, to be voted out by your peers,” he told producers as he walked away.
“Voted out. The one person that can be voted out is the f—king guy that’s been voted out twice already!”
Watch Locky react to being dropped from the course. Story continues after video.
Despite the fact Locky, in his own words, “f—king failed” the course he said he’d be taking plenty of lessons from his time on SAS and plans to “become a better person”.
But the trials were far from over as the remaining three recruits faced down an even more terrifying challenge in the hopes of passing selection.
Instructed to repel down a sheer cliff face above the ocean to retrieve vital supplies, then make the treacherous climb back up in just 15 minutes, it seemed like a task designed to make them fail.
The trio couldn’t be happier that they passed selection.
(Image: Channel Seven)Yet Riana, Darius and Millie all managed to complete the challenge with just seconds to spare, the three incredible recruits going on to all pass the course.
It’s the first time since SAS‘ first season that multiple recruits have passed selection. In 2020, rugby player and former Bachelor Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins, comedian Merrick Watts and AFLW player Sabrina Frederick were the last three standing and last year, only former NRL player Sam Burgess passed.
There where whispers for weeks that more than one recruit would pass the 2022 course, with betting odds showing that Riana, Darius and Millie were all clear frontrunners to make it through the show.
Poor Locky, on the other hand, faced pretty dire odds of success after making a few too many questionable remarks on the show that saw him branded “cocky” and “arrogant”.
Want all the details on the latest season of SAS: Australia? Check out these stories:
Is SAS Australia really “as fake as MAFS”? Here’s the truth
The most brutal injuries in SAS Australia history
Do we already know who wins SAS Australia 2022?
Where is SAS Australia filmed? Inside the brutal location
Who is SAS Australia’s ruthless leader Ant Middleton?
SAS Australia star Anna Heinrich’s baby stole our hearts
Inside Locky Gilbert and Irena Srbinovska’s relationship
Meet the family waiting for Barry Hall at home after SAS
Inside Orpheus Pledger’s past as a Home And Away hunk
