Cork trio set to take part in 'Ultimate Hell Week' challenge on TV

TO date, two groups of civilians have taken on RTÉ’s ‘Ultimate Hell Week challenge — now it’s the turn of the celebrities to have a bash.

In new series Ultimate Hell Well — The Professionals starting on RTÉ1 on Wednesday, September 8 at 9.35pm, 18 star recruits will take part in a gruelling special forces selection course designed by former members of Ireland’s elite Special Forces unit, the Army Ranger Wing (ARW).

With a failure rate upwards of 90%, only the toughest candidates will survive. Welcome To Hell...

In the series, the celebs are transported by high speed rib to the new Hell Week base, an abandoned military base in east Cork. Waiting for them at the jetty are the course instructors, who give them a short, sharp blast of what they can expect.

The recruits, who for five days will have no contact with the outside world, are left in no doubt this will be an experience like no other.

Among the group are Cork trio, rugby legend Peter Stringer, ladies’ football star Valerie Mulcahy and rugby ace Anna Caplice.

The ARW is one of the toughest, best-trained Special Forces units in the world. They are on standby 24 hours a day, either to deploy overseas or to react to any serious domestic criminal or terrorist threat.

This constant high level of preparedness means their training and skills are benchmarked against other elite Special Forces units across the world including the SAS and the Navy Seals.

To become a member of the ARW, all unit members must pass selection. That is the fate awaiting the new batch of recruits.

The models and influencers, sports stars and soaps stars, singers and comedians all think they have what it takes to pass the Hell Week course. Each has excelled in their chosen field but now their reputations are on the line, as they go way beyond their comfort zone.

Over five days, the celebrity recruits will be required to pass numerous rigorous physical and mental tests. Surviving on two to three hours of sleep a night, they will have to overcome cold-water events, height tests and claustrophobic challenges as well as various trials of strength, stamina and determination.

Based on the actual exercises and tests currently used on the ARW selection course, the instructors have designed a course that will test recruits physical, emotional and psychological resilience. It is designed to break all but the toughest.

But Hell Week is not all about who is the fittest or strongest. It’s as much about mental toughness.