Interview with Brendan Cole – Recruit #2
Category: InterviewWhat made you sign up for this show?
This particular type of programme is right up my street. When it came through I was quite chuffed to be asked. I like to do anything adrenalin-fuelled that challenges you, that pushes you out of your comfort zone. I think people don’t know me as that person, they only know me as a dancer. So when the offer came through, I jumped at it.
Being a dancer have you always had to prove your masculinity?
I don’t think I’ve had to prove my masculinity as such, but I want to prove that I am capable of anything that I am challenged with. With this particular programme, I knew how rough and tough it was going to be out there, so I’m glad I was able to show that side of me.
Was there anything you were nervous about heading into the course?
I was particularly worried about a few aspects of it, to be honest. The cold was the main thing as I’m not one for the cold. I like sunshine and sweating, not cold and freezing. I was 90% sure we would be going somewhere bloody cold and potentially in freezing cold water and that’s not my happy place. I can do it, but I much prefer to be in a sweaty environment. I had no idea how long I’d survive in that environment or how long my body could physically last in that situation.
How was your physical and mental health going into this experience?
My mental strength is strong - I’m able to see the good in most situations, even if it’s tough. I consider myself a fairly strong person mentally and physically. If I’m asked to do something for a long period of time, I can do it. I have physical endurance and stamina and very little has ever phased me in my life mentally, when it comes to challenges in general. I feel like I am quite robust and resilient. That was the nice thing about doing SAS - I knew I was going to be challenged to the absolute extreme on every level. It’s interesting to see how you perform in certain areas when tiredness and fatigue kicks in. That was always going to be a challenge for everyone who entered the show. It was fascinating to see how people coped. Everyone had different strategies. It’s tough. When you haven’t slept properly, the way you behave and perform certainly gets shown.
What was your favourite challenge?
I think running down the rock face was pretty cool and probably my favourite. Watching the DS show us how it’s done, as they ran down this rock face, coming down so fast, dressed all in black, looking really cool, I was excited about that. I just wanted to look as cool as the SAS guys running fast down that rock face.
Was there anything you hated?
I think my least favourite challenge was murder ball. I think that is probably one of the worst things I have ever done in my life. I like a challenge, I loved the competitive element of it but once fatigue sets in and mixes with the conditions we were under, it was horrific. When you are trying to rip a tyre off someone else, you exert a lot of energy. If you were going into that fighting fight that’s one thing, but we were absolutely zapped of energy. So having to continue under those conditions was tough.
Was it a competitive environment?
I would say we were more supportive than competitive but at the same time when we needed to complete, people stepped up and were very strong. There were quite a few of us within the group who are naturally competitive, for example Lauren is a professional athlete, Tony is a professional boxer and I’m a professional dancer, so you expect us to be competitive. But then there were people like Helen who you might not expect to have that side to her - but she has.
It must have helped having that spirit between the celebrities?
Yeah, I think that’s good having those kinds of people around you because it fuels you to do better as well. You push each other on because let’s face it, we all wanted to do our best. You don’t go into a show like this to just make up the numbers, you want to come out on top and excel at every single thing. I went in there with the attitude that I want to be the best that I can be at every single point. There will always be someone faster or stronger, but it’s about being the best you can be in the moment.