Celebrity SAS curse claims another victim - ending star's 'farcical' relationship

Cherry Healey's relationship ended after taking part in Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins gave her new-found 'self-confidence' that lead to her leaving her ex-boyfriend

Cherry Healey has revealed how taking part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins gave her the confidence to leave a 'farcical' relationship.

The 43-year-old documentary maker said she was "infatuated" with her when she signed up for the Channel 4 show, but taking part in the adrenaline inducing extreme challenges made her change her mindset.

Finding the confidence to take on tasks like jumping out of a helicopter, and being exposed to the elements but needing to survive, changed her "as a person". Cherry's isn't the first relationship the Celeb SAS curse has claimed, with last year's winner Bianca Gascoigne splitting with her fiancee and dad of her baby just months after returning from filming the show in New Zealand.

Although she's now found happiness with fellow fitness fanatic Justin, who she has recently gone Instagram official with, Cherry puts her previous change of heart down to new-found "self-confidence".

She told OK! Magazine: "It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. When I came out, I’d been dating this guy who was full of shenanigans. You know, there was lots of classic rubbish behaviour. I was really infatuated. I got back and the first thing I did was break it off with him because I thought, 'there’s no way I’m going to jump out of a helicopter and then continue with this absolute farce'. So yeah, it changes you as a person and gives you a lot of self-confidence."

The TV presenter admitted that she had reservations when she was invited to join the show, but a long-time fan, she knew what she was letting herself in for, and took the challenge up. The mum-of-two shares her children Coco, 15, and Edward, 11, with ex husband Rory Allen, and she said now they are less dependent on her, she knew she had to go for it.

Perimenopause advocate Cherry explained: "It was really interesting when I got the call to say I’d been given a spot because I actually didn’t really have to think about it very hard. It was an almost immediate yes. I knew this wasn't a holiday invitation – I’ve been a fan of the show for years and I was aware of the level of tasks, so I did pause for a moment. But the timing was perfect. My kids aren’t as dependent on me as they used to be, so I have more free time. I feel physically strong, but I wanted to push myself."

Cherry had been discussing with a friend how she felt like she needed something to "test" her, when the producers called asking her to join. She shared: "It’s funny, I was having a conversation with my friend a couple of days before I got the call and I said, 'I just need something big. I need something big that's going to test me.' She said, 'Why don’t you do a marathon?' I was like, 'Well I just don’t enjoy running. I don’t want to do a marathon, I’m not a runner. I need something bigger than that, something huge.'

"And then I got a call from my agent. I thought the universe works in crazy ways sometimes. I sat down and went, 'That’s exactly it. That’s the one.'"

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