SAS Australia: The truth behind Dan Ewing’s brutal interrogation scene

Dan Ewing was torn to shreds by the directing staff during an interrogation on Tuesday’s season finale of SAS Australia after giving them a bizarre cover story.

The brutal scene resulted in the 36-year-old actor being kicked out of the competition – ostensibly because he lied while the other recruits were truthful.

But fellow contestant Jana Pittman has come to his defence, telling 2Day FM’s The Morning Crew on Wednesday that all the recruits were instructed to fabricate stories for the instructors – but only Dan was punished for it.

‘Poor Dan… We were given the exact same story and Dan and I did sit there for hours and hours and hours rehearsing it,’ the former Olympian said.  

‘That story he said, he went into character straight away, whereas I think some of us went in and thought, “Oh gosh, these guys [the DS] are scary, they’re the real deal, I think they’re not wanting a story here,”‘ she added. 

Jana, 38, revealed that Dan had simply followed the initial instructions he’d been given, while the other recruits chose to ditch their cover stories and speak honestly.

‘We were given the exact same story’: Jana Pittman has come to the actor’s defence and backed up his story that all of the recruits had to fabricate stories to the instructors

‘Dan stayed in character which is, to be honest, what we were told to do initially,’ she said.

Jana added that Dan was ‘pretty upset’ over his portrayal on the show and the way his scenes had been edited to make him look like a self-absorbed brat.

‘I’ve spoken to him a lot, and in Dan’s situation I think he is such a strong guy who has come out as someone who’s very into yoga and [is] holistic in his nature,’ she said.

The former athlete believes the producers ‘missed [an] opportunity’ to use Dan’s journey to highlight the ‘mental health and identity crisis’ in young men.

Unfavourable: The former Olympian said Dan was ‘pretty upset’ over his portrayal on the show and the way his scenes had been edited to make him look like a self-absorbed brat

She said the editing on SAS Australia appeared to favour the ‘dramatic sides’ of Dan’s personality rather than the important moments in his journey. 

Jana’s defence of Dan comes after production sources corroborated her claims that the final five recruits were each given fictional ‘cover stories’ for the last episode to study and memorise.

Even though these stories weren’t true, they were to told to commit to them even under fierce interrogation – but Dan was the only one to actually do this, and he was ultimately punished for it.

Targeted: Jana’s defence of Dan comes after production sources corroborated her claims that the final five recruits were each given fictional ‘cover stories’ for the last episode – but Dan was the only one to stick to his under interrogation, and he was ultimately punished for it

‘Dan recited the cover story perfectly, yet got ripped a new one. They were trying to suggest he made up this cover story when it was the cover story he’d been given as part of the challenge,’ a source said.  

‘The stitch-up begins when they edit out all reference to the “cover story” the recruits are given and told to study, which of course feeds into what happens next when Dan is sent packing after another run with [Ant] Middleton.’

This was allegedly another calculated move by producers to keep Dan from making it to the end of the competition – because he was a threat to the preferred winner Sam Burgess. 

Pick a winner: This was allegedly a calculated move by producers to keep Dan from making it to the end of the competition – because he was a threat to the preferred winner Sam Burgess

‘Everyone loves a story of redemption,’ one of the recruits said.

‘Especially producers who are more interested in ratings than the integrity of the SAS course and the viewing public.

‘This show is a charade. It’s no different to Married At First Sight.’ 

Retired NRL star Sam Burgess was the only celebrity to successfully pass the selection  course during Tuesday’s finale. 

The SAS Australia reunion airs Wednesday at 7.30pm on Seven and 7Plus

Triumphant: Retired NRL star Sam Burgess was the only celebrity to successfully pass the selection course during Tuesday’s finale