A North East celebrity has been unveiled to take part in this year's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

As part of the 16 celebrities revealed on Thursday (September 14), Gateshead's Michelle Heaton will take part in the popular TV show's brand-new fifth series. 

Michelle Heaton rose to fame in music group Liberty X and has gone on to become a stage actress and television presenter. 

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As part of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, viewers can enjoy an epic seven one-hour episodes, which will see famous faces abandon their glamourous lifestyles as they attempt to survive the most unforgiving jungle in the world, in Thung Ui, North Vietnam.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday, September 26 at 9.30pm and continues every Sunday at 9pm from October 1.

Alongside Michelle, former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock; Singers, Gareth Gates and Siva Kaneswaran; TV Personality, Danielle Lloyd; TV Presenter Melinda Messenger and ex-Premier League Footballer, Jermaine Pennant will take part in the programme. 

They will be joined by ex-Welsh Rugby International Gareth Thomas, Reality TV Stars James “Arg” Argent, Montana Brown, Teddy Soares, Amber Turner, Comedian, Zoe Lyons, Actor, Kirsty-Leigh Porter, Great British Olympian, Perri Shakes-Drayton and Paralympic Gold Medalist, Jon-Allan Butterworth MBE.

The Northern Echo: The cast of this year's SAS: Who Dares WinsThe cast of this year's SAS: Who Dares Wins (Image: Channel 4/Pete Dadds/PA)

Not everyone will have what it takes to make it to the end of this course run by the elite team of ex-Special Forces operators - Chief Instructor, Billy Billingham MBE and his team of Directing Staff (DS), Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver. 

To coincide with the launch of the show, Michelle Heaton said: “I loved being on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins because it put me in situations that I would never put myself in normally. It got me to think outside the box. It got me uncomfortable. It’s only then you learn where your real limits are.”

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Chief Instructor, Billy said: “SAS selection course follows the ethos of the regiment. Self-motivation, self-discipline. pursuit of excellence and the will to never give up. Our recruits will be pushed emotionally, physically and mentally beyond anything they have ever experienced. The standards will never drop but most of the recruits will! No concessions, No excuses. Only results”

Foxy added: "To get through Special Forces selection, you need to be someone who is self-sufficient, robust and resilient. If the celebrities turn up with the wrong attitude thinking it's a fun boot camp, then we have no choice but to keep the pressure on until they stop acting like it’s a holiday. This course is like an awakening for celebrities…"