It’s one of the toughest shows on TV, with brave contestants tested to the brink of their limits.
But for one of the recruits on the current series on SAS: Who Dares Wins, the gruelling experience had an extra element of fear as he was unable to hear the dangers of the Vietnamese jungle.
Jamie Clarke is the first-ever deaf contestant on the Channel 4 show, and relies on lip-reading to communicate.
The 32-year-old says: “I applied for SAS because I wanted to show that I am as capable as everyone else. I thought, ‘Bring it on’.
“However, there were some moments that made me nervous. I was most worried about being stuck in the dark because I wouldn’t be able to see or hear.
“One day, I had to crawl through a pitch black tunnel. I didn’t know what was going on and couldn’t hear anything.
“As I went through it, the tunnel got smaller and smaller and my mind started to play tricks on me.
“Another time, I was chosen to be the night watchman but we weren’t allowed to use light in case somebody saw us.
“I was sleeping in the jungle outside in a monsoon with venomous snakes around me. I was scared, but it was a good experience overall. I’m glad I did it.”
Jamie, of Bretforton, Worcestershire, was born profoundly deaf.
When he was six, he was given cochlear implants but found being able to hear sounds too overwhelming so stopped using them.
A naturally gifted footballer, he captains both the England and Great Britain men’s deaf teams while playing for non-league Pershore Town FC.
The striker’s eye for goal has helped him become the GB squad’s record scorer.
It also given him the chance to play at the World Cup, Deaflympics and European Championships, where he and his team-mates won bronze in 2015.
Manchester United fan Jamie says: “When I play, I feel like I have to pinch myself. It’s the best feeling being able to do this and it feels like a real privilege.”
Jamie juggles his football career with one in modelling.
Through his jobs, Jamie is frequently contacted by deaf youngsters and their parents.
He says: “They say they’ve never seen deaf people like myself being a role model doing the things I’m doing such as modelling and football.
“It’s more parents who worry about their children being deaf as they worry about the future.
“[About] how they are going to find jobs. A lot of the parents say what I am doing gives them hope
for their children.”
Jamie’s biggest fan is his makeup artist fiancée Gemma, 28, who says: “I’m so proud of everything he’s achieved.”
This year’s show has been billed as the most hardcore yet.
Called Jungle Hell, the 20 recruits have been sent to Thung Ui, North Vietnam, to take part in the jungle phase of official SAS selection.
For Jamie, one of the most important reasons for him taking part was to raise awareness of what it is like to be deaf.
He says: “Trying to do SAS and lip reading in the heat was exhausting. Next time you watch the show, turn the sound off and try and lip read the staff when they’re talking.
“I’m sure 99.9% of the public wouldn’t know what they said – that’s what we deaf people have to face every day.”
- SAS: Who Dares Wins – Jungle Hell is on tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
