INTERVIEW WITH GABBY ALLEN – RECRUIT NUMBER 5 (BRITISH)

Age: 33

From: Liverpool

Occupation: TV Personality 

IG - @gabbydawnallen TT - @gabbydallen

Gabby Allen is a reality TV star and fitness entrepreneur, with a combined social following of 1.3 million on Instagram and 3.6 million TikTok likes. She is best known for Love Island (ITV2), where she appeared in Series 3, and for winning Love Island: All Stars (ITV2). A trained dancer and fitness instructor from Liverpool, Gabby has built a successful fitness brand while defying expectations after major spinal surgery for scoliosis as a teenager. Her TV credits also include Celebrity Big Brother (Channel 5) and Celebrity Ghost Hunt (Channel 4). Now taking on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares, Gabby draws motivation from the memory of her late father and is fiercely determined to push herself to the limit and make it to the end.

Why did you sign up to take part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins?

Getting to do something like Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I've always wanted to do. To be able to challenge myself, to strip myself back and put myself out there, that was a challenge in itself. The difference between me before and after was wild. Going in with all my hair done and my lipstick on, and then the aftermath —looking in the mirror thinking, well done. Everyone was talking to me like nothing had happened and I was like, guys, this is a visual representation of what’s going on in my head right now.

What appealed to you about taking part in the course?

I wouldn't necessarily say I'm an adrenaline junkie. I don't want to do a skydive. I'm not interested in that stuff. It's more just seeing if I can do it physically because I'm always kind of pushing myself to do stuff like making my workouts harder, but there's only so much and so far you can go doing that yourself. 

I also respond really well to incentives and just being pushed, so I wondered if I could actually get to the end of this. However, as I'm from Love Island, I felt like I was automatically pigeonholed but I had way more to give than you actually see of me on Love Island because there you only get to see me talking about my feelings and sitting there in a bikini looking cute. So this was an opportunity to really strip back and showcase a side of me that people might not have seen and hopefully surprise people and change their perception of me.

How did you prepare to take part in the course?

Physically, I felt like I had something to prove because it is my job. I could not go in there and be a shambles at that side of things. I was very proud of myself because I was always at the front with the men. I was always lifting the same weights as the men. It’s all about effort with this show. You will only ever fail if you show that you’re not willing, whereas I was always willing to push myself to the absolute max. I’m a personal trainer, but I also have my own personal trainer to keep me accountable and push me. Normally I predominantly do strength training, but I wanted him to put me through it, so we did more aerobic cardiovascular training. I was also running with 10kg on my back because you have a 20kg bergen on at all times on the course. So I wanted to get my knees used to weight. I didn’t really know how to set myself up mentally, so I just thought if I can get as fit as possible, that’s one side I’ll be confident with.

Did you find the physical or mental part harder?

The physical stuff, I loved it. I thrive on that. There was a beasting where we’d abseiled down a cliff, swam 200 meters, then they told us to do burpees, run up a hill, squats, run back down. That’s where I thrive. That was my opportunity to show who I am. You don’t even see that stuff on the show, which is frustrating. The physical side is where I proved myself. But the mental side was harder. Relinquishing control. I live a regimented life. To have your wake-up time and dinner time taken away is the first thing you have to accept. They punish you for things like a millimeter off your water bottle. You realize why they do it — it’s about discipline and being uniformed as a team. I realized I am a team player because I would never want someone punished because of me. My adrenaline gland was retired by the end. You’re constantly on edge thinking they’ll call you out at any point. That built the most anxiety for me.

How did you find the mental side of the course and having to open up to the DS?

That was the hardest part for me. I’m quite private. I hadn’t talked about a lot of things in my life.  The bag on the head is daunting. It’s immersive. The DS are relentless from start to finish. Going in and having to talk about why I respond the way I do, what drives me, what motivates me — you’re stripped back to your raw self. I’m normally resilient, but in that moment I wasn’t.

Did that vulnerability feel empowering?

In the moment, no. I couldn’t get my sh*t together. But what I loved about my journey is that there was growth in a short space of time. I learned from my mistakes at the beginning of the course and started recognizing why I respond the way I do. It’s tough love, but they want you to learn about yourself. Looking back now, it has empowered me. It made me realise who I am and why I do the things I do.

How did your experience on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins compare with Love Island?

They’re incomparable. On Love Island, I was just being myself and trying to fall in love. On Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, I worked my ass off. I wouldn’t do Love Island again now, but I would do Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins again.

How did you find the living and toilet situation?

I’ve lived in hostels and in Cambodia, so it didn’t bother me much. There’s no point showering. You get dumped straight back in mud. I’m girly but also a tomboy. The hardest part was the sleep. Camp beds, cold nights, being woken up at any point. You never feel fully rested. That first proper sleep after was incredible.

How did you find the heat?

I was grateful it was hot, not cold. It’s easier to cool down than warm up. Dragging ammo, free climbing mountains — it was hard, but amazing. The dryness made it harder to breathe, but I’d still choose heat.

What was the hardest challenge on the course?

Swimming. I panic in water. The ladder challenge was about composure — running across it was not the technique. The postman walk across the crater was terrifying. I was exhausted and my cortisol was through the roof. Fear is harder than physical pain.

What did you take away from the experience?

I learned composure. I’m reactive, and instead of reacting, learning to respond. Not everything will go your way, but you can control how you handle it.

What advice would you give future recruits?

Train beforehand. Do as much cardio as possible. The DS move fast and won’t wait. Give 110%. Mind over matter. You can do more than you think.