The latest season of SAS Australia premiered tonight and wow, if I wasn’t stressed before, I’m sure as hell stressed now.
I still question why in the world anyone would choose to go on this show because the torture and physical and mental challenges they are forced to face just does not seem worth it.
But what SAS Australia does best is stripping down the celebrities to reveal their deepest and darkest secrets, and tonight’s episode saw former NRL star Sam Burgess head into the interrogation room.
The 32-year-old was on top of the world at one point, with a beautiful family and a thriving career. But it all came crashing down after he took part in an affair behind his wife’s back.
Former SAS soldier Ant Middleton isn’t known for taking it easy on the recruits, saying, “We’ll f****ing find out who you are, we’ll dig so far into their souls. When we put the mirror in front of them, they’ll either run or they’re going to embrace it.”
“I guarantee you, honesty is the best policy, however, not a lot of people are honest with themselves.”
After Sam took a seat at the table, he was hit with his first question asking why he can’t return to doing what he loves.
“I got septic arthritis in my left shoulder, I didn’t realise what it was. By the time we went in and had a look, in surgery, it was just too far gone,” he responded.
But things began to unravel when he was asked how he dealt with the blow.
“I didn’t really, I didn’t really deal with it,” said Sam. “Also, two days after I retired, I separated from my marriage.”
Sam and his ex-wife Phoebe were married for five years before they decided to part ways, but it wasn’t exactly a seamless transition.
“I don’t think I was the greatest husband at times. I embarrassed my wife,” revealed Sam.
“I had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. Yep, it’s true. I was away on tour and regretful that happened. Would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be. “
For Sam, that was the turning point in his life, when things truly began to spiral out of control causing a path of destruction behind him, revealing he “hated that I caused pain to other people.”
“I’ve actually put myself into rehab, for four weeks. I just completed 28 days of rehab, just because my last 18 months have been crazy. Everything I touched turned to shit,” he said.
The sportsman went on to say he was offered a few coaching roles, both of which were taken away from him after police announced an investigation into his wrongdoings.
“I turned to drinking, taking drugs. I thought I could manage that but it got to a point where I got a DUI with drugs in my system.
“I’ve lost it all.”