Meet the Directing Staff: Chris Oliver

19 January 2023

New Directing Staff, Chris Oliver (40) is a former Special Forces Operator and Royal Marine Mountain Leader, with 16 years combat experience. Chris, who hails from Sunderland, in the Northeast of England, but now lives in Poole, Dorset, joined the military at 16 and served within the elite Special Boat Service, alongside fellow DS Foxy. He was deployed on operations to Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan, before leaving the military in 2015.

Welcome to SAS: Who Dares Wins. You’re the newest DS, tell us about yourself, your background, where you have come from?
Born and raised in the City of Sunderland, North-East England, where most of my family still live. I have two brothers and two sisters with none of my immediate family having ever served in the military. Growing up I was a keen runner, spending most of my teens competing in Athletics and Cross Country for Sunderland.

What is your military background?
I joined the Royal Marines Commandos straight form school at the age of 16, I wanted to be join the military from an early age, with an ambition of becoming a Mountain Leader. The course is a nine month course where you train to lead in the some of the harshest environments on the planet from Scotland to Norway. I served nine years in the Marines before completing Special Forces Selection and joining the elite Special Boat Service where I served with fellow DS Foxy, and deployed in active combat in Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Oman, Iraq, Afghanistan, before leaving the military in 2015.

Why did you choose to join the military?
I wanted to join the military from an early age after completing work experience with the Army at school. At the age of 16, after finishing school and taking advice from a close family friend, I left to join the Royal Marines, which was the first challenge of my life. Having been told by my old running coach that I would struggle with the discipline, I knew I would need to dig deep, but the truth was, although the training was long and difficult, I found a resilience and determination that allowed me to block out pain and endure extreme hardship to succeed and achieve my goals that I still use today.

Has your background and military experience shaped the person you are today?
The military has made me the man I am today, with the values and ethos I still follow to this day. Respect, hard work and leading by example is something that I always strive to achieve, and it has allowed me to succeed within the Special Forces, civilian and social life.

Had you watched the series before joining the DS?
I have a close relationship with the programme having helped plan the first series. Since then, I have followed the show closely over the years, especially as I know all the British DS.

What are you planning to bring to the role of DS?
I will bring a hard-hitting intensity to the DS panel, being a fiery character with a very passionate approach to military training. Respect will be at the forefront of everything I do, the values we intend to instil in the recruits have been forged on operations where we have lost good operators, so be under no illusions - anyone who doesn’t play by the rules will pay the price.
Being part of SAS: Who Dares Wins will enable me to pass on some of the wisdom that I gained from experiences within the Special Forces, which will hopefully change lives.

What can we expect from the new series?
The new series we will be taking things right back to basics, which will be brutal and raw with the environment playing a key role, as the jungle will eat, sting and bite you from the minute you’re exposed and that’s even before the DS get their hands on the recruits.

What advice have Foxy, Billy and Rudy given you, to prepare you for your new role?
Billy and Foxy have given me great insight and advice to prepare for the role both mentally and physically, which will enable me to be authentic and true to my roots. Rudy’s energy and excitement gives me the buzz that makes me want to get stuck in and I can’t wait to get started.

Did your path cross with Foxy and Billy during your time in the military?
I am extremely excited to be working with Foxy, who I served alongside and Billy, who I had the pleasure of being a student on a course where he was the Chief Instructor during my military service, so I know first-hand what it takes to pass an arduous course. Working with Rudy will be nothing new having served alongside the US in Afghanistan on combat operation during my three years out there.

What advice would you give the new recruits to get them through the course?
Respect the course and the DS will be key to your success. Don’t approach the course lightly and be prepared to take yourself both mentally and physical to a place it has never been, understand the everyday, hour and minute you remain on the course will make you a better person.

Do you think the recruits will see you as a soft touch, being new? How will you respond to that reaction from the recruits?
The recruits should be under no illusions. Any of them who believe that I will be a soft touch will be in for a shock ! Any recruit who doesn’t play by the rules will pay the price.

What training do you recommend the recruits do to prepare for this Selection course?
All round fitness will be key for the recruits, but no CrossFit or Power lifting will get you through this course, being physically robust and mentally strong will be key. Approaching the course with the right mentality and fully immersing yourself in the tasks will enable the recruits to stay on the steep learning curve.

How tough are you planning to make the course?
I am planning to make the course extremely tough; we only have a short period of time to replicate the extreme pressures and hardship of special forces selection. I will keep the recruits in the shock of capture from the minute they meet the DS. The learning curve will be steep and intense, meaning that any recruit who cannot keep the pace is not who we will be looking for and will have their number ripped off.

What will you be looking for from the recruits in order for them to pass Selection?
I will be looking to see if I could stand side by side each of them in combat. Recruits will have to show me that they can operate under extreme physical and mental pressures, be able to work closely in a small team and communicate effectively, applying all the skills taught during the course to achieve the task in hand, but most of all be able to give their 100% all of the time.

How have you prepared for this role?
To prepare for the series, I have fine-tuned my physical training and will use my 17-year military experience and strong mind set to put the recruits through their paces. Military training is something that comes naturally to me. I lead by example and get stuck in. Being in the jungle will be uncomfortable and physically demanding but this is where I thrive. I always keep myself extremely physically fit and my robustness allows me to operate in extremely harsh environments for long periods of time.