SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Billy Billingham reveals what it’s like as a celeb bodyguard looking after Angelina Jolie
SAS: Who Dares Wins star Billy Billingham has revealed what it’s like being a celebrity bodyguard after looking after Angelina Jolia and Brad Pitt.
The 59-year-old, who is chief instructor on the Channel 4 show, looked after the A-list pair after over 20 years in the SAS.
Billy has had a pretty incredible career over the years.
He served the Parachute Regiment between 1983 to 1991, and then joined the SAS in 1991 as a Mountain Troop specialist.
After his time in the military, he landed himself a job as a celebrity bodyguard – looking after the likes of Angelina, Brad, Tom Cruise and Kate Moss – which he reportedly earned around £10,000 a month for.
Despite the huge pay cheque, he decided that it just wasn’t for him after 17 months with the famous couple.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Billy said: “You know, people don’t realise what being a bodyguard is all about.
“It’s hard work, you’ve got to remember for somebody to spoil your celebrity’s day, they only have to be lucky once.
“They have one lucky moment.
“For me as a bodyguard to keep that moment never happening. I have to be lucky every single day.
“Which means you gotta be on top of your game every day. Now, what people don’t realise, these celebrities, particularly like Brad and Angie. They worked 15/16 hours a day every day.
“A lot you don’t see behind the scenes.
“So when they’re working 15 hours a day day, that means I’m working 18/19 hours a day, because when they go to bed and they’re resting, I’ve still got three hours work to do.
“I’ve got to check this out. I’ve got the vehicles ready. I’ve got the security ready. I’ve got the venue sorted.
“So there’s a lot of work behind the scenes. And the reason I say that I is because it’s difficult to rely on anybody else because if something goes wrong. It comes to me.
“I could never drivers, ever trust the drivers, because I don’t know I didn’t vet them. I couldn’t the extra security, because again. I don’t know, so I can’t trust them. So it was. It was hard work.
“So the reason I I left it after a long time. Actually, I did a long time. I did 17 months, I think, with Brad and Angie full on.
“In those 17 months. I think, I probably only had 2 weeks off, maybe.”
Things started to take its toll on his own private life as time went on as he felt he didn’t have his on privacy.
Billy lived with his clients, which meant that if he wanted to talk to his wife, they could hear their conversations and vice versa.
He explained: “So if I want to talk to my wife as I did at the time, I’m in the next room, and they can hearing everything I’m doing even my problems, and it was uncomfortable. And it was hard work.
“It was a massive, massive strain on a relationship because I was always there. I was never home.
“I spent 27 years in the military, where I was never home, i left the military and now I’ve got a job and I’m not home. It’s just hard, i got to the point where I was exhausted.
“If I’m honest, I was tired, I was. I needed a break. I needed to change the direction, and two, I just need to sort of sort my personal life out.
“So that’s why I left it. I left it full time. I still did bits and pieces, cause I had to still get paid and and money.
“But I just at that point, it’s not enough. I can’t live this life anymore of living someone else’s life. I need to sort myself out because I’m getting older.
“I need to settle down. I need to get things sorted out. So that’s why I left.”
Arguably, nowadays Billy is best known for being part of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
He joined the popular show eight years ago – and has certainly become a huge fan favourite.
Another thing he’s been working on is his fourth ever Always A Little Further tour.
The show returns this October.