Viewers of SAS: Who Dares Wins were left horrified after a male recruit punched a female recruit during a boxing challenge on the show. The contest saw 11 remaining recruits go head to head in a boxing match, with gloves and headgear, until former soldier Ant Middleton called a stop.
Lauren Calvert, 31, was paired against Adam King, 34, who weighs 30 kilograms more than her. The two had been paired earlier in the episode before being told they would fight. Chief instructor Ant Middleton told Lauren: 'You mix it with the men, right? Remember you told me that at the beginning, didn't you? You meant that, didn't you? That's why I'm putting you in that situation, giving you the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is.'
Lauren managed to land a few hard blows before Adam knocked her to the ground with a brutal swing to the face. She dropped to the ground looking tired and beaten, but Ant was there to pick her up and tell her she was ready for another round. One viewer said: 'Did you know Lauren’s oppo is 30kg heavier??' Another wrote: 'This will be difficult for Lauren especially because Adam is 3 X heavier then her.'
Ant was impressed by her efforts, telling her: 'Good, you wanted to mix it with the men well guess what you've f***ing just done that. Well done.' Later, Ant and the Directing staff discussed how the recruits handled the challenge, praising Adam's control. Ant said: 'He could have absolutely leathered number 7 [Lauren], which he did but controlled.'
During a private meeting, Adam opened up about his drug-dealing past and time in prison, saying: 'I went to jail 10 years ago for a cocaine charge and had five and half years. Around 16 or 17 I started getting involved with dealing weed, doing some drug drop-offs with the older boys. And then I just started climbing up the ladder basically.'
