SAS Australia 2023 has been slammed for casting controversial actor Craig McLachlan, with many fans opting not to watch the upcoming season.
The actor was charged with common and indecent assault after several of his female co-stars, including Christie Whelan Browne, complained after working with him on the stage production ofThe Rocky Horror Show in 2014.
The charges were later dropped in December 2020.
At the time, Magistrate Belinda Wallington said she believed Craig wasn’t aware that the women had not consented to his alleged acts, reports news.com.au.
“The law requires me to apply the law as it stood at the time of the alleged offending. That required me to apply a subjective test to the accused’s belief as to whether a complainant consented to sexual touching,” she said.
“The laws have since changed – but do not apply retroactively. The law on consent has been replaced with a more objective test: was the accused’s belief reasonable?
“Were the current law applicable, it’s possible that the result may be different.”
Craig McLachlan says SAS Australia helped him overcome ‘extreme social anxiety’
The 58-year-old told The Daily Telegraph that his stint on the special forces show helped him overcome his “extreme social anxiety”.
He told the outlet that he struggled to “trust people” after his assault charges.
“For me, having experienced sustained trauma over a period of too many years, being with these wonderful people rekindled something deep inside me,” he recalled whilst speaking about his time on the show.
“I was also going into this extreme situation, living with and needing to put my trust in people I’ve never met,” he continued.
“I was quietly freaking out. But the SAS gods were smiling upon me because I quickly discovered my fellow recruits were kind, encouraging, generous, funny and completely non-judgmental.”
What do fans have to say about SAS casting Craig McLachlan?
Fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the casting of Craig, with many agreeing that they didn’t want him on their screens.
Others were excited to watch him star on the show.
This wouldn’t be the first time the show cast controversial contestants because former gang member Koby Abberton and convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby have also appeared on SAS.
In the 2022 series, they also cast Richard Buttrose, a convicted drug dealer, and former football “legend” Wayne Carey, who has a long string of abusive behaviour tethered to his name.
Craig was famous for his roles in ICONIC Aussie shows, including Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters and Neighbours. According to The New Daily, SAS Australia will be his first TV appearance in over five years.
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