Episodes
-
“Ronin is a spy film, an action film, a samurai film in bits” - TV & Film chat with Bags and Alex
Become a Patron of H-Hour at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** British Army veterans Bags Simmons (Royal Tank Regiment, Bare Arms TV & Film) and Alex Brockdorff (Queen’s Royal Hussars, actor/director, A24’s Warfare) join Hugh for a loose, birthday-weekend TV & Film special. Instead of war stories…
more -
“I was just doing my job” — Lt Cdr Jenny Cleary MBE ARRC on the MBE, chiefs running the Navy, and why the small-boats plan is “ridiculous”
Become a Patron of H-Hour at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker episode, Lieutenant Commander Jenny Cleary MBE ARRC answers patron-submitted questions in a fast Q&A format that precedes the larger long-form interview. Jenny explains why her MBE feels like “just doing my job”…
more -
Sniper & Combat Medic - "I'm 19, first kinetic experience, first mass casualty event"
H-Hour on Patreon: https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts Chris Dodd joins H-Hour for an extended conversation about his years in the British Army and his experiences serving in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. A badged sniper and qualified combat medical technician, Chris describes the demanding...
-
Former PWRR Sniper Chris Dodd “The person with the biggest stick is the winner”
H-Hour on Patreon: https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts In this H-Hour Icebreaker episode, Chris Dodd answers questions submitted by H-Hour patrons in a Q&A format. Topics include whether all infantry should be trained to the higher standards associated with the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines…
more -
“At the end of the day, it’s their country and they won.” Levison Wood
Become a Patron of H-Hour at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Levison Wood returns to H-Hour for his second appearance on the podcast, having first featured in 2019. This expansive conversation covers war, exploration, history, the natural world and the experiences that have shaped his life. The...
-
“The biggest danger of any expedition is getting in a car.” Explorer Levison Wood
Become a Patron of H-Hour at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker episode, Levison Wood answers questions submitted by H-Hour platinum patrons in a short Q&A format. Wood discusses what it was like to command a platoon in 3 PARA after commissioning through Sandhurst, including…
more -
Ex-SBS Operator: "I've just been PNG'd. I don't even know why." H-Hour #289 Dean Stott MBE
Dean Stott MBE returns to H‑Hour for a long‑form sit‑rep on life after the Special Boat Service. We dig into evacuations in Israel and beyond, the “ground truth” versus the media monster, the reality of being PNG’d by MOD, and why outdated secrecy policies are still shaping the lives of ex‑SF...
-
Ex-SBS Operator - “Excellence is discipline.” H-Hour Icebreaker with Dean Stott MBE
This 20‑minute icebreaker with Dean Stott MBE warms you up for the full H‑Hour conversation in Episode 289. Patron‑submitted questions go straight for the deep end: lizards and BBC war‑crime allegations, SAS/SBS selection myths, resilience in chaos, jungle weapon safety, and whether “good enough”...
-
“We are literally flying the emergency room to street level” Air Ambulance pilot Adele Dobler
What happens when your “office” is a helicopter and your job is to bring an emergency room to the streets of London in under seven minutes? In this episode I sit down with Adele Dobler, a helicopter air ambulance pilot with London’s Air Ambulance, to unpack what it really takes to fly lifesaving...
-
"Confidence is like a callus – you have to wear the skin." Adele Dobler's H-Hour Icebreaker
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts***** For this Icebreaker with helicopter pilot and author Adele Dobler, I put patron questions to her about arriving on people’s worst days, fear, and decision-making under pressure before rolling into the full episode. She explains how…
more -
Commando Lee Spencer - "Training, instinct, and mindset kept me alive."
In this powerful follow-up conversation, Frank returns to share the extraordinary story of how he survived a life-threatening accident on the M3, lost his leg, and fought his way back from the edge of death. He speaks candidly about the split-second decisions, the long road through recovery, and...
-
“My time was up. My luck was up.” H-Hour with Jacob Lockwood (Lockwood Smocks)
Join the H-Hour community at https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #286, I welcome Jacob Lockwood, Coldstream Guards and founder of Lockwood Smocks, for a wide-ranging conversation on military life, entrepreneurship, and the challenge of building something real in an increasingly...
-
H-Hour Icebreaker - Jacob Lockwood
Join the H-Hour community at https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For this Icebreaker with Jacob Lockwood, I welcome him for a punchy patron Q&A ahead of the full episode, where we get into the attitudes, scars, and humour that sit behind the man and the brand. We talk about his feelings about...
-
UKSF Operator: "I needed to pass [Royal Marines training] because I had nothing to go back to."
Join the H-Hour community at https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #285, I welcome Pasha Munro, ex Royal Marine and Special Forces operator, for a wide-ranging conversation on military culture, transition, social class divides, and navigating civilian life after elite service. We…
more -
UKSF Pasha Munro's H-Hour Icebreaker
Join the H-Hour community at https://patreon.com/hkpodcasts/ ***** For this Icebreaker with ex Royal Marine and Special Forces operator Pasha Munro, answering patron-submitted questions he tackles UK special forces whistleblowers — arguing operators should be left to do their job within ROE and...
-
Special Forces Support Group guest: “When talent doesn’t work hard, hard work always beats talent.”
For H-Hour #284, I welcome Rohan Byfield, former Paratrooper with 24 years in 1 Para and SFSG, now founder of R2Bean2 coffee (try his signature Dark Lord Reserve blend), for a wide-ranging conversation on military life, mindset, leadership, and transitioning to civilian success. We discuss SFSG's...
-
Rohan Byfield's H-Hour Icebreaker - ex SFSG
For this Icebreaker with former paratrooper Rohan Byfield, founder of R2Bean2 coffee, answering patron-submitted questions he defines cowardice as not owning your mistakes — like Paras making excuses for getting caught with drugs — and shares when he's taken the "cowardly route" by holding back...
-
“Stand-up fighting is what people want to see. They don’t want to see rolling around on the floor” H-Hour #283 Joe Brooks – world champion fighter
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #283, I welcome martial artist Joe Brooks for a wide-ranging conversation on his path in combat sports, his recent Total Kombat world title, and what makes the promotion feel different from the usual MMA startup. We dig...
-
Joe Brooks – world champion fighter. H-Hour Icebreaker guest.
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For this Icebreaker with martial artist Joe Brooks, answering patron-submitted questions he reflects on how being a trained fighter makes him far less likely to get into street fights, because competition gives him the confidence…
more -
“If we had to get rid of one of our values, it’d be tolerance, because we put up with too much shit”Pro Fighter and Dominatrix – Monique Etienne
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #282 I welcome Monique Etienne, a Muay Thai fighter and dominatrix, for a wide-ranging conversation on masculinity, relationships, censorship, and national identity. We discuss the rise of figures like Andrew Tate - does…
more -
“The whole cult manosphere thing is nuts” Pro Fighter and Dominatrix – Monique Etienne
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For this Icebreaker with Muay Thai fighter Monique Etienne, answering patron-submitted questions she breaks down the hardest part of Muay Thai—its brutally full-contact nature—contrasting it with junior karate where you had to pull...
-
“I was either gonna die out there or make it” – British adventurer Annasley Park
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this episode I welcome Annasley Park - a British adventurer and former elite cyclist who, after overcoming career-ending injuries and an eclectic journey through sports and global exploration, became one of only nine women ever…
more -
“Certain countries would get their females pregnant” to gain hormonal advantages.
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Live-streamed to H-Hour patrons, this Icebreaker introduces Annasley Park - a British adventurer and former elite cyclist who, after overcoming career-ending injuries and an eclectic journey through sports and global exploration,...
-
“What makes [the movie] Warfare so brilliant, is that its not shiny… it’s f**king grim” – Actor Alex Brockdorff
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour episode, I chat with actor and ex-Queen’s Royal Hussars Officer Alex Brockdorff about breaking into film/TV via commercial crew work—starting as a runner and becoming a location manager to “keep a roof over my head”...
-
New officers should “keep your mouth shut and listen.” Alex Brockdorff’s H-Hour Icebreaker
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Live-streamed to H-Hour patrons, this Icebreaker introduces returning guest Alex Brockdorff and runs through patron questions about his Army career and acting work. Alex explains that Sandhurst is designed as a training...
-
Rogue Heroes Military Adviser – “This is what warfare is like. This is what men are forced to do.”
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** For H-Hour #279 I welcome back “Bags,” a former Royal Tank Regiment officer and military advisor for film, TV, and theatre, where we discuss reviving TV/film episodes—starting with a tank-film theme—and how cavalry and tank…
more -
“The whole Afghanistan campaign for it to have worked would’ve taken 40, 50, 60 years.” – Bags Simmons H-Hour Icebreaker
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, I welcome back Bags Simmons after roughly 18 months since his last appearance on the show. Answering questions submitted by H-Hour Patrons, Bags explains that the British didn’t deploy tanks to…
more -
“I thought that Covid would be the wildest time. Things have just been getting wilder” Freddie Kemp
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** Freddie Kemp returns to the H-Hour studio after three years to dive into his latest endeavors in the film industry. Kemp talks about his advisory role in the upcoming film 'Fuze,' the increasing dominance of streaming platforms in...
-
“If you want to be good, you have to be f****** self-disciplined.” Military Adviser Freddie Kemp
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker episode, Freddie Kemp answers questions from H-Hour patrons. Topics explored include the perceived respect for reservists in the military, the discipline and commitment required of reservists, and the...
-
“Right and wrong isn’t set in stone” – hero Royal Marine Lee “Frank” Spencer
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** H-Hour #277 Lee "Frank" Spencer. In this podcast, Lee 'Frank' Spencer, a former human intelligence operator with extensive experience in Afghanistan, shares his nuanced perspective on the conflict. The discussion covers the...
-
“No one should be defined by disability”. former Commando Lee “Frank” Spencer
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ***** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, Lee 'Frank' Spencer joins Hugh to discuss his journey through military service and his remarkable achievements post-injury. Lee talks about the mental and emotional challenges he faced, including his...
-
“We need to stop regulating the product and start regulating those who misuse it.” H-Hour #276 Tom Sherwood
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ****** "We need to stop regulating the product and start regulating those who misuse it." In this episode of H-Hour, host Hugh Keir interviews Tom Sherwood...
-
“AI in the hands of the right people is incredibly powerful.” H-Hour Icebreaker – Tom Sherwood Sentra AI
Join the H-Hour Patron Community at patreon.com/hkpodcasts ****** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, Tom Sherwood and Hugh delve into the multifaceted world of mental health, trauma, and the role of AI. Tom shares his experiences from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the inception of Sentra AI, and its...
-
“We are turning normal emotions like grief or sadness into medical issues.” H-Hour #275 Dr Alastair Santhouse
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ******* In this intriguing episode of H-Hour, Dr. Alastair Santhouse, author of No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age of Over-Diagnosis, delves into the...
-
“I’m arguing for accurately made correct diagnoses that benefit the person and not a notional target figure.” – H-Hour Icebreaker Dr Alastair Santhouse
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ******Dr Alastair Santhouse, a consultant neuropsychiatrist at The Maudsley Hospital in London, authored No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age of...
-
#274 “You are not dead yet!”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ******* In this episode of H-Hour, Chris Shirley opens up about his life-altering mountain climbing accident and the arduous recovery journey that followed.…
more -
“Marines have a higher standard of fitness when it comes to close combat and training”. H-Hour Icebreaker – Chris Shirley
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir ****** In this H-Hour Icebreaker, Chris Shirley returns as a guest, answering questions submitted by H-Hour patrons. The topics range from the performance of...
-
#273 “The battlefield is a very lonely place in Ukraine.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir For H-Hour #273 I sit down with Steve Holland, who shares his firsthand experiences from conflict zones like Gaza and Ukraine. We discuss the complex dynamics...
-
“I’ve never seen death like that”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir In this H-Hour Icebreaker, a preview to the full podcast, former soldier Steve Holland shares gripping accounts from Ukraine, offering profound insights into...
-
#272 “I think the police are one of the most interesting actors in all of these protests.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir Adnan Sarwar and I delve into the heart of modern Britain, exploring the causes and impacts of social unrest, the nuances of immigration, and the evolving...
-
“I think we should work for our identity.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir In this insightful icebreaker for H-Hour, former soldier Adnan Sarwar answers challenging questions from Platinum subscribers, reflecting on grief, identity,...
-
#271 “If there is a pill that you could take to mimic the effects of exercise, that would be the miracle.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir Tina Woods joins H-Hour to share her profound journey from studying genetics to revolutionizing the health and well-being sector. This episode explores her...
-
“Mindset is actually one of the most underrated aspects of how you achieve a good, long, healthy, happy life.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir In this thought-provoking icebreaker for H-Hour, guest Tina Woods answer questions from H-Hour patrons. Tina delves into pivotal questions on life's meaning,...
-
#270 “It was pretty amazing…filming something that has never been filmed before in a very special part of a very special country.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir For episode #270, emmy-award winning documentary film maker (and former soldier) Tom Martienssen and I delve into the fascinating and dangerous world of...
-
“There was a point with me in complex PTSD when I genuinely didn’t think there was a way out of it.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd and follow H-Hour Hugh on X: https://x.com/HughKeir H-Hour Icebreaker Tom Martienssen features Emmy-winning documentary film maker, former RAF Regiment soldier. In this compelling preview to #270, Tom…
more -
#269 “It was exhausting trying to be invincible” – Total Kombat co-founder Lee Matthews shares is story
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd Lee Matthews joins H-Hour to explore his transformative journey from a career in the Parachute Regiment to establishing one of the most respected martial arts organisations. Lee shares riveting accounts of his...
-
“I wanted to be strong. I wanted no one to be able to hurt me again.”
For H-Hour perks, join the H-Hour Discord guild: https://discord.com/invite/KCb54MQNxd This H-Hour Icebreaker features a H-Hour Patron Q&A with Lee Matthews - a British entrepreneur, former UK Armed Forces paratrooper, and multi-award winning kickboxer who co-founded Total Kombat - a brand new…
more -
#268 “When is a lawful order lawful?” A Cold War Submariner shares his story
Cold War Submariner Marcus Peters and I dive into the complexities of military ethics, the unspoken valour of Cold War submariners, and the challenging transition into civilian life in H-Hour #268. We explore the stringent selection process for submarine captains, the camaraderie and unique…
more -
“Your uniform doesn’t define you. What defines you is your values, your approach to life.”
H-Hour Icebreaker #268. In this engaging icebreaker episode, former Cold War submariner Marcus Peters discusses the ethical dilemmas in military orders, the day-to-day life of military personnel, and the robust training exercises they undergo. The conversation shifts to the challenges and support...
-
#267 “It’s all about dancing and music—it’s about community.”
H-Hour #267 features Yukari Takehisa - co-founder of Longevity Rave. Yukari , a DJ, delves into the liberating power of raving and its positive impact on mental health and longevity. Partnering with her co-founder Tina, they blend electronic music with scientific research on well-being, aiming to...