Simone Holtznagel tells her real feelings about Wayne Carey after SAS Australia

Simone Holtznagel had no idea who AFL great Wayne Carey was before they met on SAS Australia, but revelations about his past left her “quite disappointed”.

Simone Holtznagel says she doesn’t hold people’s past actions against them despite admitting she was disappointed to learn about Wayne Carey’s checkered history with women.

The lingerie model said she had no idea who AFL great Carey was before they met on brutal military style show SAS Australia.

“I knew who Baz (Barry Hall) was because he’d done I’m a Celeb before me and I knew who Geoff Huegill was but I had no idea who ‘Duck’ was as I’m not from a sporting family and we don’t watch AFL,’’ Holtznagel said.

Simone Holtznagel. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Wayne Carey. Picture: AAP

“I actually thought he was lovely. I was a bit disappointed when I got out and heard a bit more about his backstory. You can’t really judge people, people grow up and things change and you can’t let one moment define you.

“I told him that I was quite disappointed to see that and he said ‘I get that’. We’ve all said and done some dumb shit and you can’t hold it against anyone. He was such a lovely guy.”

Carey is set to be put through a tense interrogation on the show. In a promo he said sleeping with Kelli Stevens, the wife of then North Melbourne teammate Anthony Stevens, was the biggest regret of his life.

He also was arrested for assaulting police in Miami in 2007 after allegedly hitting the face of his former girlfriend Kate Neilson with a wine glass, causing a cut lip.

The next year a US court placed him on two years’ probation without recording a conviction.

Holtznagel said she struck up a good rapport with the ex-AFL players Carey and Hall.

The cast of SAS Australia 2022. Picture: Supplied

“We had to do this thing together and Baz was asking me all these questions and I was like ‘focus’. He was being so lovely, asking about me about my family and asking about my life. Duck was the same,’’ she said.

“I think I did better than most people would expect me to do. It was like nothing I’ve ever done before and nice for a bit of a challenge.

“To be honest when I got offered the show it was during lockdown and I thought it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“I was only really working once a week because everything shut down and it was a perfect opportunity to have a goal. Everyone was in the same boat and it was good to have something to focus on.”

SAS Australia premieres on Channel 7 on Monday night, February 21.