Erikoisjoukot (Finnish, 'Special Forces') is a Finnish quasi-military training television programme based on the British SAS: Who Dares Wins format. The show first premiered on streaming service Ruutu in May 2022, and later premiered on Nelonen network early 2023. The second season began to air in March 2024, with a third season being confirmed by the channel to air in 2025.

During the three first seasons of the program, it became the most viewed finnish original series of Ruutu streaming service ever, with over 400,000 launches on the platform. Before the end of the 3rd season, one of the instructors of the show, Jan Knutti told in an estonian YouTube podcast that they have already confirmed two further seasons, set to be filmed back-to-back in summer of 2025.

Format Following the premise of the original, British adaption, a group of celebrities are put into a shortened version of the Special Forces’ selection course. Over the course of two weeks, the recruits must face their fears and complete in various tasks designed for those who aspire for the Finland's Defence Forces' Special Forces. At the end of the course, the Head Instructor and his fellow Directing Staff will decide, who has passed the selection process.

The conditions of the recruits during the course are considered rudimental as they reflect a real combat base. They are accommodated at the Abandoned Limestone Factory in the town of Lohja, the surrounding environment of which is not only versatile, but one of the roughest in the country. The recruits will not receive any special treatment, but will be completely at the mercy of the Directing Staff.

Unlike many other reality competition series, there are no straight eliminations. However, the recruits can be culled by the Staff, or withdrawn, in case of any injuries or medical reasons to be quitted from the course. The recruits can also decide themselves, to voluntarily withdraw from the competition, if the pressures are getting too high – and hand their armband to one of the Directing Staff instructors.

Cast The Directing Staff consists of four ex-Special Forces soldiers of the Finnish Defence Forces, with the combined experience of over four decades of war fighting and operations. The Head Instructor () is Janne Lehtonen, an ex-Finnish Navy Special Forces Sergeant, Combat Diver, Scout Sniper and Combat Medic in Counter-Terrorism contracts, with over 13 years of experience on the fronts. The other Directing Staff instructors are: Jan Knutti, a former Navy Combat Diver and Finnish Border Guard's Officer for the Counter-Terrorism unit; Matias Petäistö, a former Pioneer and team leader for the Finnish Army's Utti Jaeger Regiment; and Robin Hendry, a former Navy's Combat Diver and Combat Medic. Keeping up the medical supervising of the recruits is Antti Oksanen, ex-military, and professional surgeon.

NamePositionSeries1 (2022)2 (2024)3 (Spring 2025)4 (Autumn 2025)5 (Spring 2026)6 (Autumn 2026)Sgt. Janne LehtonenHead Instructorcolspan="6" Jan KnuttiDirecting Staffcolspan="6" Matias PetäistöDirecting Staffcolspan="6" Robin HendryDirecting Staffcolspan="6" "Aspen"The Hunting Dog / DS colspan="4" "Rossi"Hunting Dog / DScolspan="4" Jessica ReimanUndercover Molecolspan="2" colspan="3" MD. Antti OksanenHead Medicalcolspan="6" Vilho AholaPsychologistcolspan="4"

Seasons Series overview

Winners SeasonWinners1Elias Kaskinen, Amanda Harkimo and Viivi Altonen2Aleksi Hakanen, Elina Gustafsson, Oona Tolppanen and Noora Räty3Riku Nieminen and Hanna Tikander4Mika Poutala5Joonas Vuorela and Martina Aitolehtihttps://www.is.fi/tv-ja-elokuvat/art-2000012047619.html

Season 1 (2023) The filming began on early August 2021 at Abandoned Limestone Factory, in the city of Lohja, Finland. 14 well-known finnish Celebrities took part in this Season.

Recruits RecruitCelebrityKnown forEpisode leftStatus1Ville LångBadminton player102Henna VirkkunenMember of the European Parliament43Sauli KoskinenMedia personality74Amanda HarkimoReality TV star, DJ105James NikanderRap-artist, "The Black Barbarian"36Sara ChafakMiss Finland 201217Heikki SorsaSnowboarder78Sami JauhojärviFormer cross-country skier69Amin AsikainenFormer professional boxer610Sunneva SjögrénBeauty entrepreneur111Kimmo OhtonenJournalist1012Tom PackalénMember of Parliament713Viivi AltonenMiss Finland 20201014Elias KaskinenSinger-Songwriter10

Episodes

Season 2 (2024) The 15 celebrity recruits of the second season were revealed in January 2024. Like the first season, this season was filmed at the abandoned Limestone Factory in Lohja, in autumn of 2023. At the end of the season, there is an "Aftermath" episode, in which the recruits and instructors gather to discuss about their journey.

Recruits RecruitCelebrityKnown forEpisode leftStatus1Mika ParikkaReporter, radio presenter2 2Susanna KoskiPolitician7 3Tuomas KauhanenRap-artist1 4Mandimai SundbergSocial media influencer2 5Aleksi HakanenSocial media personality12 6Vertti HarjuniemiFitness influencer, Gladiators-star "Titan"12 7Mari ValosaariRadio presenter, former fitness athlete6 8Pierlin Mpaka MakumbuRap-artist, "PapiPike"19Petra GarganoFormer singer of Tiktak4 10Helmeri PirinenProfessional scooterist8 11Oona TolppanenFitness entrepreneur, Gladiators-star "Sapphire"12 12Anni VuohijokiFormer Olympics weightlifter4 13Sami GaramCook5 14Noora RätyIce hockey goaltender and coach12 15Elina GustafssonEx-boxer12

Episodes

Season 3 (Spring 2025) The third season was filmed at the factory on Lohja in October 2024, and is airing in Spring 2025. Seventeen celebrity recruits took part in this season.https://nelonen.fi/uutiset/nama-17-kokelasta-astuvat-erikoisjoukot-koulutukseen As a gamechanging feature for the season, one of the recruits, Jessica Reiman is the "spy" or "mole" set by the Directing Staff, whose mission is to constantly keep up with the recruits, and leak information about them to the staff.

During the airing of the season, the show became the most watched finnish Original series on Ruutu service with over 400,000 monthly launches, whilst the live TV channel viewing numbers decreased notably.

Recruits RecruitCelebrityKnown forEpisode leftStatus1Michael NtimaEntrepreneur2 2Janne KopariEntrepreneur83Ansku BergströmChoreographer from Tanssii tähtien kanssa14Jessica ReimanPersonal trainer, former lieutenant of the Defence Forces5Undercover Mole5Kerttu RissanenFitness trainer, former Salatut elämät actress126Eino HeiskanenActor77Mira AholaWell-being coach98Ömer AcarPrivate dentist and nature photographer99Viljami HarjuniemiAdvertisement entrepreneur1210Riku NieminenActor1211Ville KaunistoPolitician212Daniel AholaMedia personality1113Jasmine PajariPresenter414Rami HietaniemiEx-greco roman wrestler715Hanna TikanderPodcast-host1216Paula JoukanenMiss Finland 2023117Jari SorsaPersonal trainer5

Episodes

Season 4 (Autumn 2025) Filming of the fourth season began in May 2025 in Lohja, making it the program's first season filmed in the summer conditions of Finland. 16 more celebrity recruits embark on the course, that airs from September 2025. As a new element, the directing staff split the recruits into two "teams" ("Alpha" & "Bravo") in which they work together for the first part of the season. For this season, the staff also follow the recruits' well-being more close than ever, including with real-time heart rate monitoring and recovery statistics, to get a larger-scale view on the recruits.

Recruits RecruitCelebrityKnown forEpisode leftStatus1Karoliina BlackburnActress32Mika PoutalaPolitician, former speed skater163Nico SaloFloorball player164Sonja AielloWell-being coach135Mauro SeverinoClothing designer2 6Iida KetolaHairdresser77Arttu KuosmanenRock artist, "Archie Cruz"1 8Aleksi RantamaaPodcast host1 9Noora ToivoSports reporter on Yle1610Mikko KekäläinenJournalist, presenter1511Elina MäkinenIce swimmer1312Mikael RenwallContent creator413Robert HeleniusEx-boxer1614Tiia AaltoMiss Suomi contestant415Nino ÄrlingContent creator1216Markus PöyhönenCoach, former sprinter1

Episodes

Season 5 (Spring 2026) 15 new Celebrity recruits undergo 11-day Special forces training camp. The season was filmed after the fourth season in June 2025, at Lohja. New psychologist Vilho Ahola joins the instructors, with a duty of ensuring nobody quits this season with ease.

Recruits RecruitCelebrityKnown forEpisode leftStatus1Samuli JaskioActor22Pinja SanaksenahoSocial media personality163Joona PuhakkaSocial media personality24Tuomo KasanenContent creator, active reservist85Julia KykkänenSki jumper7 6Tomi LångstedtSpeaker47Osmo IkonenArtist138Janne NevalainenContent creator59Martina AitolehtiEntrepreneur, wellness coach1610Pinja PerholehtoPolitician311Tero HeikkiläContent creator1212Terhi LummeWeightlifter, Gladiators star "Cobra"1213Joonas VuorelaPodcast host1614Mira PotkonenEuropean champion boxer1615Melina MäkeläRadio host5

Episodes

Season 6 (Autumn 2026) A further, sixth season of the program was announced in the late 2026 Nelonen Media's official programme. Filmed during Spring of 2026, it is teased to be even more intense than its previous seasons.https://www.nelonen.fi/uutiset/nelonen-median-syksyn-2026-tv-ohjelmisto-nyt-julki

Reception Critical reception The show has formed mixed reception. While some television viewers have been pleased and open minded towards the format, many people disagree with the physical and mental pain the recruits will have to go through in the series. Some authors of Helsingin Sanomat have criticed for the pointless "maltreatment" of the recruits, and that it "won't raise one's health". For the response, the Head Instructor of the program, Sergeant Janne Lehtonen has said, that "everything on the program has a purpose", and that "by stretching the limits of human body, people can find new sides and characteristics from themselves".

Awards and nominations YearAwardsCategoryNominatedResultRef.2022Golden VenlaTracking RealityErikoisjoukot20242025https://www.kultainenvenla.fi/kultainen-venla-2025-finalistit-julkistettu/

See also SAS: Who Dares Wins

Notes

References

External links Erikoisjoukot on Ruutu