SAS Australia season 3 recruits revealed

From professional athletes to reality stars and socialites, we reveal the full cast of SAS Australia’s season three — with production to kick off this weekend.

As the current season of SAS Australia goes into its final stages, a new batch of celebrity hopefuls have signed up to the gruelling reality show.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the full cast of familiar faces set to be put through their paces in the brutal SAS selection course run by British ex-special forces officer Ant Middleton and his team.

From professional athletes to reality stars and socialites, it is a mixed bag of talent.

Former Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill, Olympic diver Melissa Wu, AFL great Barry Hall, retired NRL star Darius Boyd and boxers Ebanie Bridges and Michael Zerafa are in the mix with production kicking off this weekend.

Former Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill.

Real Housewives of Sydney star and singer Melissa Tkautz.

Former Home and Away actor Orpheus Pledger. Picture: David Swift.

Former Bachelor contestant Anna Heinrich. Picture: Adam Yip

“These men and women will be cut off from the outside world at a secret base in spectacular terrain, where they will eat, sleep and train together in punishing conditions with no allowances or exceptions made for their ­celebrity status or gender,” a press statement from the show reads.

“As they’re subjected to extreme physical endurance, sleep deprivation, interrogation and psychological testing, the celebrities will be pushed beyond their limits.”

Participants are understood to have taken part in a promotional photo shoot in Sydney on Friday before travelling to set with cameras rolling from yesterday.

Like Schapelle Corby in season one and Bra Boy Koby Abberton and retired footballer Sam Burgess this year, the third celebrity hitout of the ­reality show won’t be without its controversial contestants.

Former cocaine dealer Richard Buttrose. Picture: Toby Zerna

Former NRL player Darius Boyd. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

Model Simone Holtznagel. Picture: Richard Dobson

Barry Hall. Picture: Supplied/Channel 7

Boxer Michael Zerafa. Picture: Tony Gough

Rugby Sevens Player Ellia Green. Picture: John Appleyard

Former cocaine dealer to the stars Richard Buttrose, the nephew of ABC boss Ita Buttrose, will compete, as will soap actor ­Orpheus Pledger, who was ­arrested by Victoria Police in February allegedly in possession of just over half a gram of methamphetamine and 30 Diazepam tablets. In September his court case was adjourned for a diversion plan.

Also making the cut are Bachelor stars Anna Heinrich and Locky Gilbert, rugby star Ellia Green, Real Housewives of Sydney’s Melissa Tkautz, NRLW player Millie Boyle, comedian Paul Fenech, Motorsports presenter Riana Crehan, model Simone Holtznagel and AFL commentator Wayne Carey.

The news comes as the current season goes into its final stages with eight celebrities remaining in the competition. Burgess, along with Olympic athletes Jana Pittman and John Steffensen, top AFL player Heath Shaw, sprinter Jessica Peris, ironman Jett Kenny, tennis ace Mark Philippoussis and actor Dan Ewing this week go into what producers are calling “hell week” in the hope of passing SAS selection.

SAS Australia has been a huge ratings success for Channel 7, smashing the competition in both the first and second seasons.

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Originally published as SAS Australia season 3 recruits revealed