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SAS Australia viewers slam hostage challenge as 'poor timing' amid Israel-Gaza conflict
Challenges depicted on-screen on SAS Australia are too close to real news events, according to some viewers.
SAS Australia has been slammed by some viewers online after the first challenge on last night’s show saw the 10 remaining recruits rescue hostages while armed.
Celebrities such as boxer Anthony Mundine, former Bachelor Tim Robards and Olympic runner Peter Bol, climbed a 50-meter abandoned tower before infiltrating through a window and rescuing the hostage.
The next task saw all the recruits go through live grenade training and under heavy fire, infiltrate a building to eliminate hostiles.
Despite a disclaimer at the start of the episode which states ‘viewer discretion is advised’, many were left feeling uncomfortable at the scenes, saying it’s too close to what’s happening at the moment amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
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“A bit too close to what's happening in the Middle East right now. I know it's just a TV show but tonight's content reminds me of the devastation overseas. Hoping for peace for all,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Poor timing to air this episode of SAS Australia,” another person wrote.
“This show on prime time showing mock Terrorists with machine guns….too soon,” another said.
Israel's death toll has reached 1200 with more than 2700 wounded, its military said, during the Hamas militants' hours-long rampage after breaching the border fence around Gaza on Saturday.
Retaliatory strikes on the blockaded enclave have killed 1055 people and wounded 5184, Gaza's Hamas authorities said.
Channel 7's SAS Australia was filmed earlier this year in Jordan, relocating from Australia to the Middle East for the first time.
According to The Latch, the crew collaborated with the Jordanian Armed Forces and Royal Air Force "to secure the necessary weapons, vehicles and personnel for each of the missions".
Speaking to TV Blackbox in January, Brook Hall, Seven’s Head of Scheduling, said they wanted to air this season in Q4 of the year to space it out.
“We’ve actually run three SAS series in 12 months and it might have fatigued. But it will be nearly two years since it aired, in late 2023 and it’s in the Middle East," she said.
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