IN PICTURES: SAS Who Dares Wins TV show helps Dan Cross on road to recovery

Dan Cross recently took part in Channel 4 TV show ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’, where ex-Special Forces soldiers put recruits through a recreation of the SAS selection process.

Dan’s wife Nikki was knifed to death in the family’s Grovehill home in September 2015, while Dan was away working. He heard the incident over the phone before police turned up.

Since Nikki’s passing, Dan has raised the pair’s two children and embarked on a journey to speak out about mental health.

From May last year he has been a volunteer for a peer support programme by the Homicide Victim Support Service. Taking part in the brutal reality TV show has helped Dan tell his story – and he has already received messages of support and gratitude from people suffering their own tragedies.

Writing on Facebook, Dan said: “Reaching people like this was one of the key reasons I decided to take part in the show.

“I hope the show and my experience connects with people – and helps many more children and families who are suffering with grief.”

Dan was put through a gruelling process on the show, before he revealed his story to his shocked mentors.

Sadly, he was medically discharged from the programme after suffering problems with a knee injury.

Speaking about his experience on the show, Dan said: “My physical and mental capacities were pushed to the limit and beyond during this unforgettable experience, where I learned so much from real life special forces heroes and formed life long friendships with my fellow recruits.

“I hope everyone enjoyed my suffering for your entertainment and the message comes across about speaking out regarding mental health and recovering from tragic and traumatic circumstances in life.”

Since leaving the show, Dan revealed on ITV’s This Morning programme that he has found a new love in his life, who has ‘fitted in perfectly’ to their lives and is helping the children progress.