James Argent has revealed he slept next to Matt Hancock in the fifth series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The former TOWIE star, 35, and the West Suffolk MP, 44, appeared in the grueling Channel 4 show as they try to survive the brutal jungle in Thung Ui, North Vietnam.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s This Morning, James told presenters Holly Willoughby, 42, and Josie Gibson, 38, what it was like spending time with Matt.
He said: ‘I actually slept next to Matt. I guess I had to take everyone at face value and I gave the opportunity to try to get to know them all.
“I got along with Matt pretty well. He really took it seriously and gave 110%. He couldn’t have tried harder, he did very well.’
James Argent has revealed he slept next to Matt Hancock in the fifth series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Cheeky: The former TOWIE star, 35, and the West Suffolk MP, 44, appeared in the grueling Channel 4 show as they try to survive the brutal jungle in Thung Ui, North Vietnam
Elsewhere, James added: “I had seen the show but hadn’t dreamed of taking part in it. This year I completed the medical examination and gave it a try.”
He further explained, “There is a WhatsApp group. They seem to have formed a good bond and stuff since the show.
“I think I might have gotten on their nerves a little bit. Whenever I post, no one ever responds. I think they all meet and stuff like that.
“I was one of the people who showed up and didn’t have my water bottle full, so other people had to do burpees and press-ups. I sometimes came without a belt and my bag had no specific weight.
“I think I drove people a little crazy, but it was a great experience.”
Matt, James and fourteen other celebrities faced one of the toughest experiences of their lives when they traveled to Thung Ui, Northern Vietnam, to be put through the most grueling stages of SAS selection.
Seven one-hour episodes will see famous faces including Michelle Heaton, Danielle Lloyd and Gareth Gates try to survive in the unforgiving jungle.
Siva Kaneswaran, Melinda Messenger, footballer Jermaine Pennant, Gareth Thomas and reality stars James ‘Arg’, Amber Turner and Montana Brown will also appear on the show, which returns to screens on September 26.
Other stars making up the group include Love Island’s Teddy Soares, Amber Turner, comedian Zoe Lyons, Kirsty-Leigh Porter, Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton and Paralympian Jon-Allan Butterworth.
Honest: During an appearance on Tuesday’s This Morning, James told presenters Holly Willoughby, 42, and Josie Gibson, 38, what it was like spending time with Matt
James said: “I actually slept next to Matt. I guess I had to take everyone at face value and I gave them the opportunity to try to get to know them.”
Elsewhere, James added: “I had seen the show but hadn’t dreamed of taking part in it. This year I completed the medical examination and gave it a try.”
It comes after Matt said his physical and mental resilience was ‘tested to the limit almost every minute of the day’ during his time on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The MP said the closest he came to quitting the grueling program was after “breaking my rib” during the jungle phase of the SAS selection.
He said: ‘I was determined to continue so I just kept my mouth shut so I wouldn’t be medically discharged.’
Mr Hancock, who will appear on the Channel 4 show alongside 15 other recruits, previously said he wanted to push his limits after emerging from a “challenging period as Health Secretary during the pandemic”.
He served as health minister for almost three years but resigned in June 2021 after it emerged he had breached his own Covid-19 guidelines by kissing and hugging aide Gina Coladangelo in his office.
The avid adventurer, who has been a fan of the SAS series for ‘years’, said he was in ‘pretty good shape’ ahead of the show after completing a 100 mile hike on Mont Blanc and an ‘intensive fitness programme’ .
But he said: ‘Being at SAS was like nothing else… it’s one of the toughest physical things I’ve ever done and it really opens your eyes and makes you really look inside yourself.’
The show returns to TV screens on Tuesday, with lead instructor Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham and his directorial staff (DS) Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox, Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver.
Injury: Matt said his physical and mental resilience was ‘tested to the limit almost every minute of the day’ during his time on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins (pictured on the show)
Wrestling: The MP said the closest he came to quitting the grueling program was after ‘my rib was broken’ during the jungle stage of the SAS selection in Thung Ui, North Vietnam (Matt pictured during one of the show’s challenges )
TOWIE’s Amber Turner, former Love Island contestants Montana Brown and Teddy Sears, singer Gareth Gates and model Melinda Messenger are among the other recruits taking part
Mr Hancock said he had faced antagonistic British media during his career, but the SAS leadership “pushed my buttons, especially in the beginning”.
“They push your buttons to get the increase, and then they show you the consequences of that, and that’s how you learn not to do that,” he said.
‘It’s part of the training, and actually it’s a very important life lesson: don’t stand up to someone when he or she tries. I didn’t feel like I was having any trouble with it.
‘I don’t know if that comes across, but I don’t suffer fools gladly. They are absolutely not fools and I respected what they did.”
When asked to compare his experience of standing in front of the British press, he said: “I’m used to dealing with quite aggressive incoming messages, but the DS was something different.”
Mr Hancock described a “real rapport” with the other recruits, including singer Gareth Gates, Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton and former England footballer Jermaine Pennant – who he was chosen to fight in the first episode.
Speaking about the fight, the MP said: ‘I was relieved not to be paired with someone even bigger, or a woman.
Former rugby player Gareth Thomas, singer Siva Kaneswaran, Liberty X star Michelle Heaton and athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton are also in the line-up
But I thought: this is a bad time. ‘It actually didn’t hurt nearly as much as I expected when I got hit in the face.
‘The courage some people showed by persevering, especially when the fight was unequal.’
Mr Hancock, who lost the Tory whip for his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, described the reality shows as ‘very different’ but ‘both tested my resilience’.
He said: ‘There wasn’t much to do in the Australian jungle so I always looked forward to the tasks.
‘The opposite was true at SAS, where your physical and mental resilience was tested to the limit almost every minute of the day. Sitting was a luxury.’
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs on Channel 4 on Tuesday 26 September at 9.30pm