S Poddar
Doctor Who actor John Barrowman walked out of the latest run of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins after just 32 minutes. On Sunday, the most recent episode of the challenging reality show aired, and during that narrow timeframe, Barrowman decided he needed to leave the show after completing the first obstacle. His host on the show inquires whether he requires any medical assistance; and Barrowman replies: “No. I’m finished. I do know who I am and what I am about. It is not for me.”
Barrowman, 57, is one of the celebrity cast members for this year’s series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, a Channel 4 reality show that takes celebrities through extremely rigorous SAS (Special Air Service) training. The new series shoots on location in the New Zealand South Island, with a focus on winter warfare training. The show puts contestants up against a veritable gauntlet: environmental conditions specifically designed to push them beyond their absolute limits physically and mentally.
One would have expected quite a lot of excitement in the build up for Barrowman’s joining, whereas his leaving was unexpected. The actor was visibly struggling after the very first physical test and was found vomiting shortly after the end of it. From the early exit, one could see symptoms of a combination of both physical and emotional exhaustion resulting from the realization that the training was tougher than initially estimated.
All his quitting so soon was a subject of hot discussion on the internet because people were taken aback with the surprising fact that he hit his saturation point so quickly. However, his frank acknowledgment in a fit of this not being what he was cut out for resonated among others because they felt Barrowman knew himself pretty well as well as being decisive enough to make such decisions.
In this way, another celebrity is also shown fighting through this very strenuous SAS training in the same episode. Another of the contributors who spoke about his fears and online abuse he suffers, as well as his insecurities, was Bobby Norris, one of the stars of The Only Way Is Essex. This added an emotional depth to this episode. What might be said to be a resolve by Norris to confront his anxieties and his struggles came about in complete contrast to the decision by Barrowman, who bailed out of the competition rather quickly. Both, nevertheless, served to make their challenges incredibly personal.
The abrupt exit of Barrowman from Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins can be a heartbreaking moment for those fans who feel that they have not yet viewed him undertake some tasks. However, how he did it was widely understood and even appreciated by many. “I’m out,” Barrowman declared, as he stepped out of the rigors of the environment, thereby sealing his decision not to continue.
Although it is majorly about the challenges and toughness of the mind that must be endured in surviving such training, the early dropping of Barrowman into elimination attracted much attention to the fact that not all participants were capable of enduring such an intense exposure. The show is believed to run through a pattern meant to imitate the tough trainings of elite military forces, and surely not everyone has to have the strength to endure the pressure and hard times involved in such a show.
The acting, singing, and presenting may come to an end as he completes a long and varied career with his appearance on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. He is probably best known for his starring role as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood, the Dancing on Ice, and I’m a Celebrity. Get Me Out of Here!”.
- Although he enjoyed immense success in entertainment, the performer was unable to withstand the stringent demands of military-style training.
His decision to quit so soon, too, reminds us that reality shows, especially survival kind such as Celebrity SAS, always bring situations that participants may not be fully prepared for. To Barrowman, the physical fatigue coupled with the unforgiving environment made him feel like the experience was not for him.
- Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins has been known to challenge contestants to their extremes, and several celebrities have survived massive hardships just to stay on the show. In that case, Barrowman’s exit simply proves that there is nothing wrong about knowing your limits and then deciding to bow out when one’s limits are not met. The show was short-lived for John Barrowman, but his approach toward knowing when it is time to call it quits is sure to leave a mark on viewers, reminding them at times that sometimes it’s more important to know when to say “I’m out.”
