The latest episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins aired on Sunday night, with Northern Ireland’s Michaella McCollum once again put through her paces in the Channel 4 endurance series.

This instalment opened with the celebrity recruits tasked with retrieving vital equipment from a partially submerged boat. The vessel was filling rapidly with water and sinking, adding a layer of urgency to the exercise. Only 40% of the participants successfully completed the task, with several struggling to remain calm under the pressure of the confined, flooding environment.

McCollum failed this task and was met outside the boat by Jason Fox (Foxy), who told her, “Retrieving packages isn’t your forte, is it?”

To which McCollum replied sheepishly, “No.”

Foxy’s comments were directed towards McCollum’s past as a drug mule.

The 31-year-old from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, rose to notoriety in 2013 as one of the “Peru Two” after she was caught attempting to smuggle more than £1.5 million worth of cocaine out of Peru. Alongside Scottish woman Melissa Reid, she was arrested at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima with the drugs concealed in their luggage.

Convicted and sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, McCollum served just over two years in the Ancon 2 prison before being granted early release in 2016. While behind bars, she worked as a beautician and learned Spanish, which she has since described as a vital coping mechanism during her incarceration.

Since returning home, she has completed a degree in International Business Management at Ulster University, published a memoir, and taken part in a BBC documentary recounting her ordeal and subsequent efforts to rebuild her life.

Her appearance on Celebrity SAS marks one of her most high-profile ventures since her release, placing her in a reality format famed for its extreme physical and psychological demands.

Following the failed retrieval, the episode moved on to a punishing mountain trek. Contestants were paired with an “oppo” — a partner assigned for mutual support — and instructed to pull heavy equipment across icy and treacherous terrain. The task tested both stamina and teamwork, with the cold conditions adding to the strain.

Later in the programme, the recruits faced a different kind of trial. They were paired up, this time for a combat challenge. Each pair had to engage in a physical fight under the supervision of the directing staff, with the exercise designed to push their aggression, resilience, and ability to withstand confrontation.

McCollum’s bout was against rapper Lady Leshurr. Despite showing determination, the Dungannon woman was ultimately defeated by her opponent.

Episode three underlined the variety of challenges facing the recruits, combining high-stakes retrievals, gruelling endurance work, and close-quarters combat. For McCollum, the hour offered both physical and symbolic trials — from facing literal sinking conditions to enduring pointed reminders of her criminal past.

With the series still in its early stages, McCollum remains in the running for selection. Her progress will be watched closely as the remaining episodes continue to strip back the celebrity façade and test each participant’s capacity to endure some of the most demanding conditions television can throw at them.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Channel 4, Sundays at 9 pm.