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SAS: Who Dares Wins Contestant Says He Was Victim Of Football Paedophile Barry Bennell

SAS: Who Dares Wins Contestant Says He Was Victim Of Football Paedophile Barry Bennell

Jamie Cartwright bravely opened up to the directing staff on the Channel 4 show about what he went through

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

An SAS: Who Dares Wins contestant has courageously opened up about the abuse he says he was subjected to by prolific football paedophile Barry Bennell.

Jamie Cartwright is appearing on the sixth season of the Channel 4 show where he reveals the secret he kept for 25 years.

Viewers will see Jamie bravely opening up to the new DS Melvyn Downes and chief instructor Ant Middleton in the third episode of the series.

Speaking to the pair, Jamie - who is the oldest recruit on the course at 40 - explained how he played football as a youth for Stoke City but never broke into the first team.

When Ant Middleton asked why, Jamie responded: "My mind was too full of other things.

"When I was 11-ish, I was a pretty good footballer at that age, I was getting a lot of interest and I ended up playing for a local team and they had a particularly good coach.

"Unfortunately, the coach turned out to be a prolific paedophile and for two-ish plus years I was a victim of that."

Barry Bennell.
PA

Jamie went on to explain how he denied it due to 'embarrassment', and continued to do so for 25 years.

It wasn't until another victim went to the national press that Jamie tweeted him to say well done for being brave and that person remembered him.

Jamie continued: "I had a ten-minute conversation. That's the first time I'd spoken to anybody who understands it and that was it - that allowed me.

"If he's got the strength to go on national TV, I had to stand next to him and do it with the rest of the boys that came out, so I did. It's the best thing I ever did.

"I felt when I'd said it once, I wanted to stand on top of a f***ing mountain and shout about it."

Jamie (centre) with DS Melvyn (right).
Channel 4/SAS: Who Dares Wins

In response to Jamie, Melvyn said: "What you've gone through and to come on here and do what you're doing, everybody is going to be proud. Everybody. You're f***ing brave."

Middleton added: "It's short of amazing. I don't see a victim. I see someone that's extremely brave, extremely keen. What you've done is courage. Be honest with yourself, it frees you as an individual, doesn't it?

"And that's how we f***ing defeat them, with success. This will be your turning point because you are very, very capable of doing that."

Barry Bennell was found guilty of 52 child sex offences in 2018 and was handed a 30-year prison sentence.

Last year, Bunnell was sentenced to a further four years in prison with a further two on license after being charged with additional sex offences.

You can watch SAS: Who Dares Wins on Channel 4 at 9pm on Sunday and catch up on All 4.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 4/SAS: Who Dares Wins

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, SAS: Who Dares Wins