SAS star Mark Billingham on being paid £10k a month as a bodyguard to Hollywood stars

Trust: Mark Billingham on the TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins

Former SAS soldier Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham earned more than £10,000 a month as a bodyguard to celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Michael Caine. 

But the decorated star of TV programme SAS: Who Dares Wins tells Donna Ferguson he lives in a trailer – ‘a posh caravan’ – on a leisure park in Hereford when he is in Britain. 

Otherwise, he and American wife Julie Colombino, a fashion designer, spend as much time as possible in Florida where they own a three-bedroom house with a swimming pool. His second novel, Survive To Fight, is out now. 

What did your parents teach you about money? 

To value it and to make sure you have enough to pay your bills. My dad used to tell me that money was the root of all evil. He said that people with money always end up getting greedy and falling out, so you need to use it wisely. 

Money was tight when I was growing up. My parents were both labourers. They worked in factories and did 12-hour shifts, but we never seemed to have any money. There were five of us kids in a three-bedroom terrace house in Walsall, West Midlands. Even though I had a loving family, I got into a lot of trouble – joining gangs, skiving off school and doing stupid things. I got stabbed at age 15. It was tough. 

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? 

Yes. I joined the Army when I was 17 and left when I was 45 and for most of that time I struggled. The most difficult period was when I had a young family. I didn’t have a great education, so I wanted to give my kids the best chance in life. I wanted to make sure they had everything I didn’t have when I was growing up, including the opportunity to go to private school.

I had four kids at the time – I now have six – and two of them went to private school, so I had to earn extra money to pay for that. I would moonlight, doing security work every time I got leave or weekends off. A lot of military guys did that – that’s just how it was.

Have you ever been paid silly money? 

Yes, when I eventually left the military in 2007 and got a proper job I ended up as a bodyguard to celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe and Michael Caine. I earned really good money – three times as much as I was earning in the military. I think it was more than £10,000 a month.

I also did work in the security industry in Iraq after the Gulf War, where I earned a similar amount – £10,000 to £12,000 a month. I did that full-time for about two years and those were the best years, financially, of my life.

What was it like guarding celebrities?

It was great. Behind closed doors, celebrities are just normal people. They laugh and joke and take the mickey out of each other. They were always respectful to me. If I ever said there was a security reason why they couldn’t do something, they never questioned it – they trusted me 100 per cent. 

With that sort of job, you’re always looking at any threats to them. For example, there’s always a danger of kidnap or somebody wanting to do something to become famous for 15 minutes – punch them or do something stupid. So your role is to make sure they’re protected from that and enable them to have a normal life without being harassed all the time.

The most expensive thing you bought for fun? 

My motorbike. A couple of years ago, I bought an Indian Scout for £12,000 which is a lot of money to me. I selfishly decided I wanted to have something just for myself that I could enjoy. I try to ride it as much as I can. But I’ve been so busy over the past year that I’ve hardly been on it. 

In safe hands: Mark Billingham protecting film star Angelina Jolie

In safe hands: Mark Billingham protecting film star Angelina Jolie

What is your biggest money mistake? 

Not buying property with a bunch of my mates when I first joined the military in the 1980s. I remember them saying in 1984 that we should all chip in and buy a property. At the time, you could get on the housing ladder for £26,000 in Surrey. From buying one house between them, my friends went on to purchase two or three houses each. And because of all the price rises, they have made a fortune. I’ll meet these guys now and think, ‘I regret my decision.’ But at the time, all I was bothered about was partying. So I may not have much money in the bank, but I have a lot of memories in my memory bank.

The best money decision you have made? 

Buying a three-bedroom house in West Palm Beach in Florida with my wife, who is American, about three years ago. We bought it for $300,000 (£264,000) and now it’s probably worth $450,000 (£370,000). It’s near the beach and we have just built a swimming pool in the back garden. We spend as much time there as possible. I have a holiday home in the UK in Hereford where I have a trailer – a posh caravan – on a leisure park. 

Do you save into a pension or buy shares? 

No. I have a military pension and I save into an Isa. I have never really understood pensions and the stock market. I like to see where my money is or be able to touch it.

What is the one luxury you treat yourself to? 

When I travel for work, I love treating myself to a five-star hotel with spa, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. I spend between £200 and £300 a night. It has to be dog-friendly, too, because my bulldog Alfie goes everywhere with me. 

If you were Chancellor, what would you do?

I’d go after the super-rich who seem to manage to avoid paying tax. I’d shut down tax avoidance schemes and then I’d go heavily after the people who commit benefit fraud. I’d recapture all that money and use it to improve the pay of the military, NHS staff, the fire brigade, the police and teachers. 

What is your number one financial priority? 

To invest in property. I’d like to buy six modest properties in the UK – one for each of my children – to make sure that should something ever happen to me, I will leave each of them a place to call their own. 

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