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John Barrowman shares real reason he quit Celebrity SAS after 32 minutes

‘It will take me longer to eat my dinner,’ said unimpressed fans

Maira Butt
Monday 23 September 2024 08:43 BST
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John Barrowman's two-word response after quitting Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins

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American Actor John Barrowman has revealed the real reason he quit Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins after just 32 minutes on the show.

The Dancing on Ice judge was seen being violently sick on the first episode of the show on Sunday (22 September). The spin-off programme sees celebrities undergo a series of gruelling survival challenges from the Special Forces selection process.

Barrowman, 57, was joined by Strictly Come Dancing contestant Pete Wicks, as well as former prime minister Boris Johnson’s sister, Rachel. In the first episode, they began their demanding winter warfare training in the south islands of New Zealand.

However, the Doctor Who star didn’t make it very far, declaring “I’m done”, after he threw up during the first challenge.

Barrowman added: “I just… it’s not for me, I know who I am and what I’m about, it’s not for me.”

Although the TV personality was offered medical care and the support of a doctor, he told his fellow contestants: “I’m out”.

Speaking to The Sun, he explained why he made the decision to quit.

“I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but they made everybody eat vile tofu,” he began. “I would never eat tofu in my life, but you’re so hungry, you just eat it.”

Barrowman quit after 32 minutes
Barrowman quit after 32 minutes (Pete Dadds/Channel 4/PA Wire)

After the meal, Barrowman – who suffers from motion sickness – had to sit through a two-hour car journey to the task site.

“Then it was projectile vomit everywhere and the tofu came up,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to make myself ill or hurt myself in order to try to prove something that I don’t need to prove’.

“And it was seriously me going: ‘I am completely comfortable with who I am.

“I’m completely a happy person. We’ve all got our issues and problems, but I’ve made a mistake.’”

‘I’ve made a mistake’ said the star
‘I’ve made a mistake’ said the star (Pete Dadds/Channel 4/PA Wire)

Fans were left unimpressed at the attempt, as one person said, “It will take me longer to eat my dinner than John Barrowman lasted in the new series of Celebrity SAS“.

They added, “Know he had his reasons, could have given it a chance before quitting”.

Some were more supportive as they said, “Good on you John. At least you had a go which is more than some. It was obvious you were ill. Well done”.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs every Sunday and Monday night at 9pm on Channel 4.

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