'Snakes, scorpions and 53C heat': Gloucester stuntman on SAS Rogue Heroes

Olly Lloyd was filming for the BBC show in temperatures that reached 53C

"I saw plenty of scorpions, and snakes were being caught before we got to set, to make sure it was safe."

Olly Lloyd, 22, from Gloucester, was one of a team of stuntmen and firearms officers filming with BBC One drama, SAS Rogue Heroes.

Filming took place for three months in Morocco in 2021, with temperatures reaching up to 53C on some days.

The six-part drama is based on Ben Macintyre's SAS Rogue Heroes book, which charts the creation of the SAS.

A constant hazard for the production was sandstorms, which frequently disrupted activity on set.

"We'd start very early in the morning and from there go through costume," said Mr Lloyd.

"That was providing we didn't get hounded by sandstorms - we'd be battling with sandstorms all day."

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'You just crack on'

The SAS was formed in 1941, originally conceived as a commando force in the North African campaign during World War Two.

Mr Lloyd said the experience brought him closer to the original soldiers.

"You just crack on in the heat," he said.

"You've just got to do what you're doing and do your job to the best of your ability.

"It was embodying the spirit of what the SAS went through at that time, we were living in the same conditions that they did."

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Mr Lloyd is also quite modest about seeing the final product.

"Yes and no, if you ask whether I'm looking forward to seeing it on TV," he said.

"I'm less concerned about myself but more wanting to see the good work that everyone else has done.

"I was just a small cog in a big wheel."

SAS Rogue Heroes will premiere on BBC One on Sunday 30 October at 9pm.