Fans of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins will know that the show aired a particularly dramatic moment in last night’s episode (11th September), where Pete Wicks fell unconscious in the sea after jumping out of a helicopter and broke his ribs as a result.
While the TOWIE star had to subsequently withdraw from the competition, his fellow recruit Shannon Courtenay has opened up about the “terrifying” moment after witnessing it from the helicopter.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview, the professional boxer said that the moment, after which Wicks needed to be rescued by staff on standby, was particularly traumatic as she had formed a strong friendship with the reality star.
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“It was horrible because me and Pete grew really close, we had a really great friendship and I was actually in the helicopter looking down at his body when he was just floating in the sea,” she said. “So it was terrifying for me.”
Courtenay added that she had made a pact with Wicks that they would both try to stick out the course in order to support one another.
“He was going to try his hardest to stay there to try and support me because he held my hand a lot of the way through it, because I wasn’t mentally the strongest person.
“We kind of made a pact that I would physically help him because he wasn’t the fittest but he would mentally help me. So when he left, he came in and he said, ‘I need to tell Shannon I’m leaving.’”
She continued: “They didn’t show it on the show but I was absolutely devastated. He was such a good friend of mine, I was just gutted to see him go. And he was devastated as well, because he really didn’t want to go out that way.”
Courtenay added that she hopes the TOWIE star returns to the show, saying: “I would love to see him do it again, to be honest,” before joking: “I’d hope he would slow down the smoking and drinking beforehand!”
Wicks wasn’t the only star to leave the competition in last night’s episode, with Love Island winner Amber Gill being eliminated after falling behind during a desert crawl challenge.
Now just 12 recruits remain in the Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022 line-up, including Strictly Come Dancing stars Maisie Smith and AJ Pritchard.
Shannon Courtenay will be appearing on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS this Sunday at 9pm. You can follow her @shannon_courtenay. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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