NEW SAS: Who Dares Wins hardman Chris Oliver admits he’s never been called a handsome guy in his life, despite viewers praising his good looks.
The military veteran, 40, who has completed four tours of Afghanistan and seen combat in Iraq, Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone, is more than a decade younger than fellow manager – Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham, Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox and former US Marine Rudy Reyes.
Former special forces operator and Royal Marine chief Chris Mountain joined the series as show staff put 20 recruits through an SAS-style selection course[/caption]
And fans of the Channel 4 series have greeted the latest addition enthusiastically, believing it has made the show more “engaging”.
Speaking exclusively in his first-ever newspaper interview, Chris says: “I have a wry laugh when I read about it, it’s a nice problem to have.
“But that’s how it is, people are going to take it or leave it. I can bluntly say that I’ve never been called a hottie on my way, but if people say that, I’ll take it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a pretty boy either – maybe he’s tough and handsome?”
Indeed, some even joked that he wouldn’t look out of place on Love Island, but Chris says he couldn’t be more different from the guys currently in South Africa filming the new series of winter on ITV2.
The Sunderland-born star adds: “I might not look out of place in the villa, but I sure would look out of place in the villa.
“I’m much more adaptable to the down and dirty, rugged, muddy, uplifting side of life as opposed to sitting by a pool and doing whatever they do on Love Island.”
Former special forces operator and Royal Marine chief Chris Mountain, who has 16 years of combat experience, joined the series as the DS staff put 20 recruits through a style selection course SAS in the jungle for the first time.
But he plays down any suggestions he could be seen as a soft touch in North Vietnam, a stance confirmed during the series opener last Monday when viewers saw him rip through the 20 new signings.
Chris admits he can be ‘feisty’, but what annoys him the most is ‘the lack of discipline and attention to detail’.
He also insists the show hasn’t ‘woke up’, an accusation leveled by former DS Ant Middleton who claims the show has been made ‘easier’ and now focuses more on ‘gory stories’ of recruits.
Chris says: “I’ve seen things reported in the press and I’ve watched the show from a distance and the key figures on the show, but I’m like, ‘hey put your name on the course and see what it is and you ‘will soon find that there is nothing awake’.
“This course is brutal, even for me coming from this background, to see it put into practice was impressive to say the least as these recruits are put through their paces.”
