Her Majesty even said, “Been busy, Billy?” it was very cool. BB: I remember going there, I was about 17 at the time and weighed about eight stone because I was boxing at that level so I kept the weight off and because I wanted to join the paratroop regiment, the medical team said you have to be ten stone. In the show, Mark will be in charge of leading new recruits through a series of gruelling tests that are designed to push their physical and psychological boundaries to the limit. “I had already done 27 years plus when I was RSM at the Jungle School in Brunei. We’re a weak society and it’s sad. And although he quickly established himself as the instructor with the foulest temper on the show, Mark insists he’s a nice guy . And so how did Billy’s transitional journey out of the forces land him one of the roles in SAS: Who Dares Wins on Channel 4, a show that attracts over 3.2 million viewers per week. I remember having this big meeting, all the actors were there going through the script, and it came to me and I thought I can’t say this in the American dialect, so I said to Sean, “I wouldn’t say that” and he was like, “what would you say”, and I was like, in a British way, “guys grab your fucking weapons.” So I was allowed to add all my own lines to it. Honestly.”. “Being a personal bodyguard is really hard work and you are talking about 20 hours a day and a lot of behind the scenes stuff people don’t realise what goes into it. “That was after the bullet went through my sights and passed by my chin. NE8 3AH, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, (Billy’s fundraising page for Rebuild Globally), https://rebuildglobally.networkforgood.com/projects/53537-billy-s-rebuild-globally-fundraiser. “But it was under the cover of darkness so we were in and out before anyone noticed.”. Look for the unusual, be more aware. Would any of them from the show actually go far enough to get in the SAS? He taught me discipline and all the rest of it, but how to be a better fighter as well. If you imagine this nowadays, I was nine years old, it was February, so it was dark at 5 o’clock, walking around the back of a pub, to meet a man that was about to beat me up, imagine that today, it just wouldn’t happen. He also previously provided protection for a-list actors including Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and director Clint Eastwood. It gives you an amazing sixth sense. Read Next. 'I had no alternative': Boris Johnson begs Tory MPs to keep faith in his Covid strategy saying he must act... Do they know it's Christmas lockdown? Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. “I’ve also been shot at very close range, where I ended up with parts of my own weapon stuck in my face. Billy Billingham: I was a very naughty kid, from a very early age I became streetwise. They put me in as an extra in, The Tree of Life. BB: They can be mate. To see more of Billy’s charity work please visit: https://rebuildglobally.org/ (Reach Globally), https://www.phoenixheroes.co.uk/ (Phoenix Heroes), https://rebuildglobally.networkforgood.com/projects/53537-billy-s-rebuild-globally-fundraiser (Billy’s fundraising page for Rebuild Globally). And it seems a similar shake-up could be on the horizon in the SAS. But I’m not like that all the time. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here. 'But that doesn't mean that we won't consider women for the future.'. We close our conversation talking about what Billy is doing away from the Channel 4 cameras. The embarrassing revelations from the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial: From the 'disco bloodbath' to THAT... Brexit breakthrough? BB: Absolutely. BB: It was mate yeah. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy, From Council Estate to Windsor Castle with SAS Star Billy Billingham. TM: You obviously had a talent for it. Now the SAS legend is looking forward to returning to Scotland, only this time it won’t be so covert. How did you develop the situational awareness needed for that job, which is key right? But I was wrong, it’s not how it works, you don’t even get looked at, that’s just a filter to cut down the numbers before you go to the jungle. Before the current series began, Isaac would be glued to a selection of digital heroes, now he wants to be the next Middleton, Fox, Ollerton or Billingham. I was fortunate to catch up with one of the SF four, Mark Billingham, only recently arrived back into the UK from Haiti, where he had been opening a factory. Speaking during a training session in east London, Mr Middleton said: 'We (on the show) stay authentic to the actual selection process of no women allowed. Billy stayed as personal bodyguard for Brad and Angelina for some time following his exit from the armed forces. I was very intimidated, I remember thinking, shit I’m out of my depth here. Shoppers hit Oxford Street and queue for Primark amid fears new... No10 dismisses demands for golf and tennis to be EXEMPT from lockdown sports ban despite senior Tories... Britain records FEWEST daily Covid-19 cases in a fortnight as officials announce 18,950 more positive tests... What's the truth about No10's gloomy Covid figures? People don’t realise, I didn’t realise. When things don’t feel right then take a moment and recalibrate. Our site uses cookies. And so if I was about to attack your client, then I know where the bodyguard is for a start… most of them are just big lumps, it’s really not about that. That must have been a proud moment? I actually loved, I found it very tranquil, listening to all the noises of the different animals, creatures running about your feet, it didn’t bother me at all. Mark chuckles: “I grilled Sam purposefully because he was a cheeky little s**t. “But he needed it. He demands the best from those he’s instructing as he was part of the greatest elite fighting force on the planet for many years. Task masters: From left to right, Billy, Ollie, Ant and Foxy on SAS: Who Dares Wins, SAS: Who Dares Wins Season 2 starts at 9pm on October 17 on Channel 4. We fast forward to the end of Billy’s career and with Pathfinder being predominantly about resettlement from the military, I was curious to find out how you go from being a Special Forces operative to being involved in close protection duties for some of Hollywood’s biggest names? Mark Billy Billingham is a decorated former SAS solider.