SAS Who Dares Wins star Pete Wicks has broken his silence after being knocked out and pulled off the Channel 4 show.
The Towie favourite, 33, was one of 14 famous faces taking part in the current series, which hit our screens earlier this month.
But during last night’s instalment he was forced to quit when disaster struck after he jumped from a helicopter.
The reality star found himself knocked unconscious and face down in the water, and was left with broken ribs.
Although he did recover, the accident meant he was unable to continue with the Selection Course.
Speaking about his departure from the show, Pete said: “I was gutted actually. Listen, this is a bit of a thing for me, it’s like I’ve always wanted to do this show and the worst thing for me was to be taken out because that’s something that I can’t control.
Read more on Pete Wicks
“But listen, if I’m completely honest with you, they’re a hundred percent right because I wouldn’t have been able to carry on with my broken ribs.
“To have been out so early, I was absolutely gutted because it’s a fail.
“And unfortunately now for me, I feel like I failed, it’s something that will f***ing haunt me because I just don’t fail things.
“I don’t say I’m going to do something and don’t do it, so I was genuinely so hurt, gutted, disappointed, f***ed off and angry at myself. And I still am, to be honest with, even a year later.
“That was tough for me. I felt like I’d let a lot of people down, I felt like I’d let myself down.”
Although the show tests the stars physically, it is also very mentally challenging – and Pete is gutted that he never got the chance to challenge himself in that way.
He continued: “Regardless, my fitness was nowhere near a lot of the other people, but it wasn’t about that.
“The whole show is more mental than it is anything else and I wanted to get interrogated and I was just gutted not to even get that far.
“There was no way I was every going to hand my armband in, I knew I never would, so to go out the way I did really hurt.
“To be withdrawn because you’re physically unable to carry on for something that was an unfortunate accident, I just found really, really tough.”
Pete seriously hurt his ribs, but wanted to carry on, but looking back, realises why he needed to leave.
The star continued: “My ribs were really bruised and it’s taken a long time to heal. But the show were great. I completely get why they took me out.
“At the time I felt like I wanted to try and carry on and I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to, I’m sure I wouldn’t, they know better than I do. And obviously me being unconscious is a big thing, they can’t take any risks and I totally get that.
“But it doesn’t mean I’m not absolutely gutted.”
The terrifying incident hasn’t put him off returning to the show if he had the chance to do it again.
Pete continued: “One hundred percent, without a shadow of a doubt I’d do it tomorrow if they gave me another chance at the course.
“I feel like I’ve got unfinished business and I failed as far as I’m concerned. I want to put that right.
” It was something that is genuinely going to haunt me. I think there is so many things that happen on that show that would have benefited me as a person.
“Everyone who’s been on it said they came out a changed person. I think that’s the thing that I’m most sad about is that I didn’t get an opportunity for that too, I really felt like I was beginning, after just a few days, to understand a little bit more about myself and why I’m the way I am.
“I think that’s what I missed out on, I really think the course would have changed my life.
“So to leave the way I did just left me quite angry. It’s left more than just a bitter taste in my mouth, I’m truly gutted.”
After swimming to shore, Pete told a medic: “I winded myself and passed out, all my ribs are quite painful and my head is banging.
“I genuinely thought this would be the challenge for me to show what I f****** got and I got it wrong, I got it very wrong.
“I think my leg got a little bit caught in the bag and I went straight down onto the bag, knocked myself out, and broke my ribs.
“I felt dazed and confused. I was struggling to move my upper body.
Read More on The Sun
“Basically, I think where I’d hit the bag, and I think just the impact of being unconscious and everything else, I was very confused.”
Pete became the second recruit to leave the Channel 4 series following Love Island’s Amber Gill.
