EXCLUSIVE: Ex-footballer Jermaine Pennant signs on for SAS: Who Dares Wins as the show’s DS staff embark on a quest to delve into his troubled past
Former Arsenal and Liverpool footballer Jermaine Pennant has signed up for the next series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The former Big Brother star, 39, enjoyed a 10-year career in the top flight but his success on the pitch has been overshadowed by troubles off the pitch, particularly as he became the first Premier League star to use an electronic tag played.
Jermaine is set to begin filming for the Channel 4 show in the coming weeks, joining cast members including TOWIE’s James Argent, ex-Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas, Wanted singer Siva Kaneswaran and Hollyoak’s favorite Kirsty Leigh-Porter.
‘His outlook on life has changed’: Former Arsenal and Liverpool footballer Jermaine Pennant has signed up for the next series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins (pictured June 2022)
A TV insider said: “Jermaine is looking forward to taking part in the grueling show, he knows it’s going to be tough in terms of fitness but he’s used to rigorous training sessions.
“His backstory is intriguing given his tough upbringing, which is why the show executives wanted him involved as the DS’s will have a lot to criticize.
“In the past few years his outlook on life has totally changed, his days of partying and drinking are over and he’s hoping to prove he’s a different man.”
In 2018, Jermaine made headlines when he took part in his then-wife Alice Goodwin’s online explicit sex shows, where she charged viewers £6 a minute to watch the explicit content.
Past life: In 2018, Jermaine made headlines when he took part in his then-wife Alice Goodwin’s explicit online sex shows (pictured August 2019)
‘We’re both happy’: Jermaine is now in a relationship with glamor model Jess Impiazzi, whom he recently described as the ‘perfect girl for me’ (pictured June 2022)
He’s also no stranger to reality TV, starring in Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and Celebs Go Dating the following year.
Jermaine is now in a relationship with glamor model Jess Impiazzi, whom he recently described as the “perfect girl for me”.
Speaking to GB News during an interview in June, he said: “We just hit it off and we had a similar upbringing too.
“She was having a difficult time and we kind of bonded and we agree and it’s working and we’re both happy.”
Jermaine was once the most expensive teenager in football history when he joined Arsenal from Notts County for £2million in 1999.
Historical: Jermaine was once the most expensive teenager in football history when he joined Arsenal from Notts County for £2million in 1999 (pictured February 2015).
He was just 15 when he made the move and completed 12 games for the Gunners before signing for Birmingham City in 2005, where he played with an electronic tag following a drunk driving conviction.
The following year he secured a £6.7million move to Liverpool where he played in the 2007 Champions League final and earned £30,000 a week.
But after three years at Anfield, his footballing career began to fizzle out after stints at Portsmouth, Stoke City and Wolves, a stint with La Liga club Real Zaragoza before ending his career in India and Singapore.
His last club was Billericay Town, where he only played 13 games.
