John Barrowman earned a whopping £30,000 fee despite quitting after just 32 minutes of Celebrity: SAS Who Dares Wins, MailOnline can reveal.
The 57-year-old actor has been called the “worst newcomer” in the series’ history after telling executives: “I’m done with this”. He added: “I… this is not for me, I know who I am and what I stand for, it’s not for me” after arriving on set.
But the former Dancing On Ice judge, who was sacked from the ITV series in 2021 after apologising for his flashy performance on the set of Doctor Who, will still receive his full lucrative fee for his brief appearance on the Channel 4 programme.
A TV source said MailOnline bosses were ‘furious’ that he abandoned the challenge after flying to New Zealand but leaving the course within half an hour.
John, who earned a whopping £937.50 per minute for his performance, claims he left the series not because of the heavy physical demands, but because he contracted food poisoning, which left him feeling unwell and even vomiting.
John Barrowman earned a whopping £30,000 fee despite leaving Celebrity: SAS Who Dares Wins after just 32 minutes of filming, MailOnline can reveal
The actor has been dubbed the ‘worst signing’ in the show’s history after telling management: ‘I’m done with it’, adding: ‘I… it’s not for me, I know who I am and what I stand for, it’s not for me’
An insider said: ‘Channel 4 are furious because John knew what he was getting into, he is no stranger to the show.
“He was flown all the way to New Zealand after being in promos and press in the UK. It’s a missed opportunity to pull out so early.”
‘Bosses thought it was a big deal to bring John on board and believed he would be eager to talk about his story and hit back at some of the doubters. But to leave so early in the series was a huge disappointment.’
The source added: ‘Due to the terms of his contract, John is still being paid the full amount, which is more than some of the other candidates who are much further along in the process earn for their appearance.’
John vowed to take the process seriously and said it was his mission to show viewers his true colors after he was accused of flashing.
He said: ‘The press claimed I was walking around and putting my dick on everyone’s shoulders. That happening to me has ruined me. This course is going to help me get through it and I want people to see what kind of person I really am.’
ITV removed John from Dancing On Ice in 2021 after he was accused of repeatedly exposing himself on the set of TV shows.
The actor, who starred in the BBC series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, insisted his flashing was “just meant as a good joke” and not for sexual reasons.
MailOnline has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
The former Dancing On Ice judge is still being paid his lucrative fee in full for his brief appearance on the Channel 4 programme
John confirmed that the show’s producers were keen for him to stay, but he couldn’t be convinced
He told ITV’s Lorraine that he doesn’t regret quitting the show after 32 minutes because he knows who he is and the most important thing is that he gets love from his family.
John told ITV’s Lorraine on Monday: ‘The idea behind it was that I thought it would give you the opportunity to tell the story and the show itself helps people come to terms with things that they’re struggling with or have been through and that’s why I did it. And I like a challenge as well.’
He added: ‘But I know who John Barrowman is and I’m starting to get sick. I have to make a conscious decision whether I want to stay here and that was it… I said I was getting out because I didn’t think I could do it if I was sick.
“Making that decision and thinking about it now was the best decision I ever made. And the best decision to do the show, because it did exactly what it needed to do for me, but in a short amount of time.”
John confirmed that the show’s producers were keen for him to stay, but he couldn’t be convinced.
He said: ‘They tried to stop me and they tried to keep me in. I understand why, but in my head I had already made the decision and I know I made the right decision.
“I know who John Barrowman is and no matter what the trolls say, I know my mother loves me, my father loves me, my family loves me, my friends love me and that’s the most important thing.”
John appeared on the show with fellow recruits Rachel Johnson, Pete Wicks, Bobby Norris, Georgia Harrison and Marnie Simpson.
Their first task was to walk across two parallel bars suspended 102 meters above Skippers Canyon.
During the crossing, the celebrities also had to perform several maneuvers before reaching the other side.
John was the first recruit to take up the challenge, but he failed to complete the mission.
