As featured in Spotlight: A Diary For The South East: https://youtu.be/hRZ4aR0vLHE
Liz Nicholls chats to SAS: Who Dares Wins star Billy Billingham MBE QCB whose new Always A Little Further tour visits Wycombe Swan on 25th November, plus Aldershot, Newbury & more beyond
Billy has had many astonishing experiences. He left school at 11 and ran with gangs in Birmingham before joining the Royal Marine cadets and Parachute Regiment, to rising to the rank of sergeant major in the SAS and undertaking hundreds of classified and extremely dangerous missions.
He spent more than 20 years in the Special Forces serving in countless warzones, winning a commendation for bravery, and being awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II, before embracing for the life of a bodyguard to celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe.
Billy will also take us behind the scenes of his hit TV shows where he gained a reputation for excellence, integrity, and a no-nonsense approach. A transformational leader, Billy inspires contestants to take on mentally and physically demanding challenges.
So, Billy, how did these big talking tours of yours come about?
“I got asked to help raise some money for a charity for bereaved children and of course I said yes. I thought I’d be talking to about 30 people. I went down to the venue on the morning and… there’s 300 people coming, and my heart fell out! My wife said; well, what are you going to talk about?! So we put a logical sequence together of trials, tribulations, lessons learned. And off we went! But I didn’t feel frightened, I enjoyed it.
“And I think this is now our fourth year. I love the response from the audience. I believe in giving back, especially to people who are looking for advice or just a bit of motivation.”
Q. You’ve had quite the life haven’t you? I mean literally highs and lows. What was your lowest moment, do you think?
“There’s a few. And that’s where the journey starts with me.
“So, I was a bd kid. My mum said I ran with a bad crowd but I knew right from wrong and I was bad, and it’s about owning that… Everybody should nowadays, instead of blaming others for our own mistakes. An old man I stole a hat from chased me, and rather than give me what I expected, when he caught me, he actually gave me the time of day and said come to learn boxing. That was a lightbulb moment.
“Then the next was in the cadets. I was taught proper discipline. And it was a hard discipline, but you were treated fairly, and I was learning great skills. I’m not academic. I’m a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ kind of guy.
“And then the saddest turning point in my life, which I talk about, was when I got stabbed and nearly died at 15. I felt more of an idiot, looking at people who love me, my family and my friends thinking I was going to die. I remember thinking if I get out of it, which I did, of course, I’ve got to change my life. And then getting into the military, and the military really was my saving grace.”
Q. And what advice would you have for anyone whose child is really struggling with school?
“At school, in English, maths, everything, I was the worst. I was petrified or sweating with anything academic. My strength was on the running field, doing physical things. So my advice to any child who’s struggling: do your best, be respectful, and find out what you’re good at and embrace that. Because there’s an avenue for everybody.”
To book tickets visit: Billy Billingham MBE | Projects | Fane
