The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Almost Famous OG: Bye, Bob! With DS Billy and Rudy

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

Bye, Bob -- Well, at least for this episode! Trista has the "Special Forces" DS' all to herself as she learns all about their positions and gets the juiciest, behind the scenes gossip on both the US and UK versions of the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hi, everybody. This is Trista. And unfortunately, I don't have Bob here to join me this morning for the Almost Famous OG podcast. He has a work obligation. But I am really excited to talk to Billy and Rudy, who are two of the four DS that ran the course, my Special Forces course,

season three. Mark Billy Billingham is a decorated SAS soldier and led hostage rescues and received the Queen's Commendation for bravery. Like these guys, you guys,

they are hardcore, legit soldiers who I walked into this respecting, but walked out of it respecting even more. Dolpho Rudy Reyes is a decorated special forces operator, a former U.S. Marine Corps Recon Marine. He's also an actor, a spokesperson, and a fitness role model.

I mean, those muscles have muscles. Anyway, I'm really excited to talk to them about how they got into their careers, what they saw kind of behind the scenes on this show, any advice they could give. I just want to know all the things, and I really wish I could do this in person. but Zoom is the next best thing and I'm really, really excited to welcome them to the Almost Famous Podcast.

Hi, guys. Welcome to the Almost Famous OG podcast. And I say, guys, hello, staff. Yeah, that's right. Lock your nasty bodies. Weak body, you better hold yourself

at the position of attention. I'm trying. I'm trying. How are you? It's so good to see you face-to-face. and not yelling at me. You can change that if you want. Yeah.

Yeah, I'm sure you could in an instant. I don't need to give you a reason. We're doing well. We're doing well. You look great. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, that was the hardest thing I ever did in my whole life. And you saw me in the middle of it.

So, you know, life is good. Life is good. I'm home. I'm good. And I'm so excited to talk to you. because I felt like, you know, at the reunion, a lot of us were talking about how we hoped that you guys would surprise us because we wanted to see you in person and actually give you a hug and thank you and get to know you more on a like one to one level. So I'm so excited that I get the

chance to do that. I'd love to start out hearing from both of you on how you got started in the military. like what what into your decision to join and make this your career and your life and what was your family's take on it as well? Because my son is contemplating going into the military. He actually is considering Navy SEALs. And so it's kind of part of my life. So I'd love to know your backgrounds in getting into it. Right. Well, I'll start. So I was born in UK into a family. family of five. Not really a military family, although my grandfather was in the RAF,

and he was actually a guinea pig on Christmas Island when they dropped the age bomb. Whoa. Yeah, anyway, so he was in the RAF. My uncle was in the RRF, and another uncle, my dad's brother, was in Borneo in the war, and was taken, well, not taking prisoner,

but ambushed, and most of his patrol were killed, and he went missing for 60 million. That's a gentleman. too, yeah, jungle fighting, yeah. And so my

sort of family link with the military wasn't great, if I'm honest, and my dad wasn't really, didn't really

want any of his siblings to go into any of his children to go into the military. However, for me, it was a lifesaver

because as I was growing up, I was a bad child. The age of 11, I was in a gang, was in juvenile court for fighting.

And I'm, I was going rogue. I had two, I've got an older brother, older sister, young, I'm a middle child. And middle child was slightly different. And that's a fact. And I was different. It was a loving family, a very poor family, but I gravitated the wrong side and went towards gangs. Now, I always say, you know, I was led by somebody else. I knew what I was doing. I was a bad child. 11 years old, 13, I got thrown out of school, but gluing the master. Yeah, yeah, because I thought it was funny. And it wasn't. What did you do? I glued the mathematics teacher to the chair. Yes, it was funny at the time, but it wasn't. I'm so sorry. He didn't take too lightly to that. No.

I got expelled from school. So I had no education after really 13. And I started working at 3 illegally at the age of 15. And then at 15, my whole life turned upside down. The gang warfare fighting got crazy and I got stabbed and nearly died. I got stabbed in the back. And anyway, when I came around in hospital and realized the pain I was causing to my family, because they were all at my bedside thinking I was going to die.

And I thought, I've got to change my life. I've got to do something and get away from this lifestyle. And I hold my hands up, you know, you know, like your mother will always say he got in with the wrong people. I was the wrong people. We all knew. I knew what I was doing. Anyway, I joined the cadets, the military cadets at the 8 of 11 as well. So all through this time, I was boxing, I was getting trouble.

I was in trouble with the floor, nearly died. And I thought, right, I need to get to the military. And at the age of 17, I joined the parachute regiment. 70 of us turned up on day one, and I was the youngest, the skinniest, and the cheekiest. And by the end of the training, there was only seven of us left, and I was one of seven. And then in that, you know, when people say, what did you learn? I learned respect, I learned discipline. I remember on day one, looking at the instructor in front of me and thinking, wow,

I had so much respect for him already He hadn't even opened his mouth Just the look of him and knowing what he'd done And I said to myself This is going to be hard But there's no way I'm going out at that gate Unless they throw me out or I die I want to be like that man there

And that was at the start of my journey So I did nine years In the airborne infantry, the parachute regiment I started to climb the ranks I'd been in conflict, I've been tested And I loved the job I loved what I was doing You know

And I thought where do I go next And then after nine years, I went on what they call special forces selection, SAS selection, special air service. 283 of us started on day one. And that looking number against seven of us finished. And I went to my squadron, B squadron, and did amazing things all over the world. War fighting. And military is not all about fighting wars.

You know, believe it or not, a very small percentage of the military do fight wars. but I was in that small percent. So from 92 all the way up to, you know, 2010, really, I was war fighting in places all over Europe, Africa, Middle East. I know, I say war fights, I was stopping conflict because that's what our job was, stopping suffering. And I loved what I was doing. I loved the fact that I was sacrificing myself

for the benefit of others to give them a life and give our people back home a life without the trauma that we could, and problems we could have had. So I love the job. I love what I did. Got decorated by the queen, did amazing things. You know, I described it as a crazy train that goes across the globe, doing amazing things in war and conflict and natural disasters.

You get off. You do amazing things. You get back on it. You never talk about it. And then you go again. And hopefully, you step off the crazy train at the end and walk out the games and go, oh, that was a life. That was a career.

Or unfortunately, a lot of my friends didn't get the opportunity to do that. They would sacrifice. But that was the world. I was in, and I loved it, and then I left that, and then went after the military, and then went into bodyguarding and this crazy world I am right now. I love that your story. I mean, that makes me respect you on a whole other level. I told you, you know, during the experience, learning just the teeny tiny, the teeny tiny taste

that I got of what you both have given to your countries, your world, my respect was just elevated and just hearing your story. And I know, like my mom wrote me, I had Q on the show and he shared a bit of his story. And my mom texted me yesterday. I think she's like, I finally got to listen to Q's interview. And I loved hearing his story. So thank you for sharing that. Rudy, what about you? You know, some of the great things that Billy described, I think they're kind of eternal to all the men and women that serve. We believe in something bigger than ourselves, something about a culture that has ethics. Our core values in the Marine Corps, they are honor, courage, commitment.

When you're a young man, I think we are designed and pulled to believe in something bigger. It's the kind of thing that happens because the right of passage. We chose to find a right of passage and submit. to something bigger than ourselves so we could be something more than ourselves. I have to tell you, I love my country so much, and I love the Marine Corps so much, and I love my veteran community, because without it, I would not be here. They gave me the greatest training. They gave me the greatest confidence.

They instilled a level of discipline and toughness that you can get nowhere else. And, you know, the Marine Corps is renowned for doing two things. winning battles and making Marines. That's all we do. Winning battles, making Marines. So of the U.S. military forces, we are the aggressive shock troop. We're much smaller than all the rest of the forces. And we're used to doing things on our own. Expeditionary. They did not send the U.S. Army to go fight the Japanese. They didn't send the Air Force or the Navy. It was the U.S. Marines that had. to fight the Japanese because the Japanese with Bushido would fight to the death. From that esteemed culture, also what makes our branch of service so special, too, is it is our

history. It's not our equipment, for the most part. I was an infantryman before I tried out for recon and made it through selection and became, you know, high speed, low drag, as they call us, high speed low drag. It's not the equipment. We get most of our stuff from hand-me-downs. Actually, it's a lot like when Billy describes in British military and specifically even the S-A-S,

they got a bag, borrow, and steal to make things happen. That's the Marine Corps. We don't complain. We make do. So that kind of can-do attitude, we create something called gung-ho, which means in the spirit. That actually comes. Everything in Marine Corps is about history.

that history is what makes it special it's not the equipment we do have a gorgeous dress uniform but it's the history and gung ho was from the box rebellion when the marines were fighting the chinese turn of the century and it means in the spirit everything um that ties us to a connection of bravery and history um my personal hero is john basilone he's an italian american he was a soldier from first in the army and he started a truck driving business in the Philippines as a soldier. Well, World War II started off and so he wanted to get his truck driving business again, but the only place that would take him to the Philippines was the Marine Corps, joins the Marine Corps.

He fights the Japanese. He has the Congressional Medal of Honor. He's being overrun and with a water-cooled 30-Cal machine gun in the cover. of darkness because there's mud and blood and charging Japanese bonsai charge after charge. He has to pick up the gun with his arm and it melts through his flesh down to his boat. And he's got to rock and roll and kill wave after wave of enemy. And when the smoke clears in the morning, he runs out and is pulling the bodies out of the way. So he has a clear sector of fire because this was going to go on.

for days and weeks so it's so badass i'll tell you what i'm so proud to be a recon marine you know all of us in the special forces world we're close to air support uh cats you know i can i control the jets and the rotary wing and the helicopters we're paratroopers we're combat divers we're explosives experts we're scout snipers we've got all these things that we do that we bring to bear to manicure the battlefield and to kick ass um but boy to me having the bravery to fight side by side with your brothers, seeing all comers and taking them down and never giving up and keeping in the spirit, I'll never have an ego about some of, you know, all the medals on my chest and fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, northeast Africa.

I always look up to the generation that came before. So, you know, even in our program, even here for SAS and special forces, reason why we push ourselves so hard and give you everything we got and why we're so hard on you is because we love you and we love the process and we know it makes good strong men and women that's what the military means to me oh i mean what a story my boyfriends professor is way too friendly and now i'm seriously suspicious oh wait a minute sam maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon.

This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating.

He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him. because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Kurt Brown-Oller. And I am Scotty Landis, and we host Bananas, the weird news podcasts with wonderful guests like Whitney Cummings.

And tackle the truly tough questions. Why is cool mom an insult, but mom is fine? No. I always say, Kurt's a fun dad. Fun dad and cool mom. That's cool for me. We also dig into important life stuff. Like, why our last names would make the worst hyphen ever?

My last name is Cummings. I have sympathy for nobody. Yeah, mine's brown-oller, but with an H. So it looks like brown-holler. Okay, that's, okay, yours might be worse. We can never get married. Yeah. Listen to this episode with Whitney Cummings

and check out new episodes of bananas every Tuesday on the exactly right Network. Listen to bananas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane. Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this,

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Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect.

And want to hear people with mental illness. this psycho babble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Okay, so when they approached you to do this show, did either of you, why are you laughing? No, we just love this stuff so much, to be honest.

I'm like, are you laughing at me? We're just laughing really at the joy that we just love so much. And every time we show up, I mean, Pili, I think this is our 11th season coming up, me and you together. And everyone, there's a time when the aches and the pains and the arthritis and mate, I think this is my last one, mate is him. You know what? Afterwards, we can't wait to do it again.

We're like, fuck, yeah, we're going to go again. How did you guys meet? Actually, on the show. So this show, believe it or not, was started in the UK around about 2015-16. It started off with non-celebrities, just men. Then after about a couple of seasons, there was non-celebrities, men and women. Then it went from non-celebrities, men and women, to celebrities. And then we did back to it.

So that would encourage you to see it to. I did. I did. I watched it before. They're not playing around. They're not playing around. They're not playing around on yours either. Yeah. So that's when it started.

So that started. Then the guy that was an acting chief instructor, if you like, he left or was asked to leave. And then they needed a replacement. And Rudy looks a bit like him as well anyway. They scouted out Rudy. Okay. You know, bought him in. It made sense because a lot of the questions, well, what's that got to do with British Special Forces?

Well, British Special Forces, American Special Forces. have been side by side for the last 30 years fighting the war on terrorism. So it made sense. So that's where we met. He really came in and replaced the guy that was moved on. And it was, we're just, it's a military thing. As you'll find, that camarader you've built with you guys on that show, you love that forever.

You'll literally be able to pick up the phone in five years' time, speak to one of the girls or guys and go, and pick up exactly like you were back in the accommodation. We met him. I've never met him before in my life. We fought on the same battlegrounds all over the world. Never even knew that, obviously. And then it was just like the camaraderie, the dark banter, the laughs.

It just kicked in straight away. And that's how we've met. That's how we've bonded. And it's gone forward since then. And then it was just the UK version initially. Then that helped us come to America, break into the American market, if you like. And then we meet all you guys. And so now we've got two Americans, two Brits, and it works great.

If you could see behind the scenes what it's really like, you would love it. Yeah. Yes. I would die. I want that so bad. It's so deep and dark. We absolutely bust each other every second of every minute. You know, you wouldn't believe it. Oh, I'd believe it. I can only imagine, you know. Yeah. Makes us laugh and keeps us going to because as hard as we're working you all, believe it or not, we're working twice as hard. I get that. working you and taking care of you because we're your range safety officers too you know we're

lifesavers as well and we're planning course and we're observing so that we're taking notes so that we can really do the the profession right whenever you all get a chance to lay down in the rack we're we're right at work we're freaking running data we're getting freaking information and then we're going to to prayer rooms and we are in it um and we love it it's all about giving you the best that we can. Totally. You know, it's based on all our experiences and time that we serve and all the lessons learned and failed and got right and wrong. It's about giving that to you in that short period of time. That's why it feels to you, you haven't got time to scratch your ass. You know, one minute, you don't know what's going on. We haven't got time

to explain it, but there's a reason behind everything that we do, physically, mentally and emotionally. We're trying to get the best of you guys. It doesn't feel like it. It feels like we're trying to kill you. That's how you feel at times. You know, it's a them in a scenario, it has to be. Yes. But we're giving you, you know, over 100 years of experience combined in 10 days. We haven't got time. So everything you do, even the silent periods of sitting around wondering what's going on,

there's a reason behind that. Totally. To allow you to think and take information and deal with process things. And then, hang, we again, off you go again. So, you know, all that's been all put together all the time to give you the best experience that we can. It's right on, Trista. So the truth is, at the baseline, we care about each and every one of you.

It really is a point of pride and honor to give everything we possibly can to you for your self-development. And it's just our process is a rough, rugged, and hard process. But we care. And that's why we give you everything we got. Billy says it every time you will leave that course, whenever that is a better, version of yourself and you will look back for the rest of your life about lessons that you learned on that course. And that's incredible. I'm very thankful that I can be a part of that. I really,

really love the work. I mean, you should. You should be proud of it. It's amazing. It's such an amazing show. I am so thankful. You know, even though I was only there for two days, I really feel just grateful to have been part of it. Because when they first asked me, I was like, like, hell no. Like, why would I do that? I'm 51 years old. And why would I do that? You saw you look like a wet rat. You look like a wet rat coming off of that beach. Her hair was a messy. It was like so, like stringy and in my face. And it was the hardest thing that I have ever done. We thought you were done right down that beach. Remember, we were in your ass. We were in your face. You don't want to be here. Come on. Give yourself a favor. Give me the arm band.

I know. Keep going. That's gross. No, even though I was going to faint. And I walked up to you, Rudy, and I said, I think I'm going to faint. My body is, you know, at its limit. I think I'm going to faint. I need to see the medic. And you're like, okay, are you ready to go home? And I said, well, no, I'm not ready to go home, but I feel like I'm going to faint. And you're like, well, you have to give me your arm band. And I was like, nope, I'm keeping going. And I'm a victory. I kept going, but it was not easy. And, you know, we can get into this later. But I want to get back to the behind the scenes. So when you guys are in your accommodations, do you have access or are the producers giving you like kind of snippets of our conversations that we're having? No, you don't

see anything. No, we're not allowed to because it then becomes kind of biased. We only see what we see in front of us. So when you're in front of us and your reactions and how you're performing, that's all we see. When you go back into your accommodations or you're not in view of us, we don't, we don't listen to you. We're not allowed to. We're not allowed to know what's going on. We don't know your stories, your back stories. So when we do the mirror room, that literally is the first time we get to know who you really are at what you growing up was like, what your problems are, you know, all your issues, all that sort of stuff. We're not allowed to know anything.

If we've done a mirror room with you and you've not really opened up or told us anything when we've tried to answer you, you've skirted around questions, we may call you in for a second mirror room. And then they do get an opportunity to do what they call open source. They'll say, okay, you can have the computer for like five minutes to Google their name, see what comes up. So then prior to the second interview, if we'd feel we haven't got anything out of you, you haven't really opened up to us and we'll do that you know and obviously

you can Google anyone's name today and there's information whatever it is you know relationships financial problems whatever good things bad things so then we become pre-balmed for the second interview with you so we won't even mention it

until we feel the time is right we'll give you an opportunity to tell us about so what is your relationship with like with your family and you don't want to then we go actually you know from source it says that you've had it

And then it breaks down that barrier one more time. And then that mirror room is amazing how it gets people to open up and get rid of everything that's annoys to you and becoming a problem. Because we've all got it. Everybody's got different lifestyles. We've all got the same issues, financial relationships, whatever it is. And that mirror room is great for cutting that way, let it drop,

and then go, feel free and step out of the room. And then we see a different version of that person that came in the room after that because they've got nothing else talking about that can now really you know they've dropped all the vulnerabilities here we go now we build up and that was it that's the process we're trying to get to. That's the magic isn't it really

it's not to be nosy or intrusive into your life it's hey it doesn't matter no one really cares the only the only people that person making this a problem is you and what's getting you to stand that and drop that no one cares

about now let's see you the real you is we've got we're now going to build rebuild your character we don't break you down we'll peel you back and then what should have a point of let's say vulnerability because we only there's only one way to go and that's up and everybody does now going back to yourself and you probably feel i only lasted two days two days is a great journey every it's an individual journey for everybody you've got yourself you've got young super athletes and you know how can that be fair well it's not It is fair because we expect the super fit athletes to do things quicker than you would do. You do exactly the same as everybody else, and your journey may not be as long as theirs,

but your journey is just as good. For your two days, that is you completed the course. That's all you needed to do. You found out a lot about yourself. You did things that you'd never thought you could do. You know, in that short period of time, and that's what it's all about. You went physically beyond something you've probably never done for the last 10 years. mentally inside your head

you wanted to give up and we've all got that's natural and we wouldn't let you give up because we knew you wasn't ready you thought you were but you weren't like you said you felt faint you didn't faint did you and you got up and went again

you know the image things we're not interested in an image we're not interested who's the fastest the fittest we're interested you who really are you and you do find that out whether it's in one day or 10 days That's right.

And it's like, that's why I always say it's, it's a great journey for everybody. You do, no matter where you leave, you walk off away from it, a better version of yourself, and always wishing you could do it again or do a bit more. And that's life. And that's very much the military way of life. That's exactly what. And the other thing you'll take from this, I think I've already said, is the camarader you've built now is exactly the same as the military. You know, we're in this together.

And it's a great thing. It is, Trissa, what's so rad for us professionally as directing staff and as military professionals. You know, we've worked with people all around the world. We have been in peacekeeping missions or conflict. We've been solving problems for getting a basic resources to villages or doing medical or snatch and grab missions and direct action. We've been up and down in every way possible in the human condition with all kinds of languages, all kinds of cultures. We really get to know people.

We're a master's at people. They give us no dossier. They trust that we have the ability with our observation and our passion to when we receive you all. And, you know, Billy, he's from the UK. He don't know any of you Americans. You yanks. You know, you don't know a damn thing.

Yeah. Totally. I know some of you. I know some of you, right? But the whole point is that we don't care about your name or your brand or your background or your history. We're going to find out who you are right here, right now. Why? Because that's what you're here for. We're here for you so that you can be yourself. And how do you become yourself? We blow torch your freaking passed off of you. We put you in pain, we make you exhausted and tired, wet, sandy, and cold. We make you failure pretty soon. All of the masks fall away and we get to know you. It is awesome for you. It's awesome for us because we really, at the bottom line, want to see your growth. And I love this program for that. It makes our military look formidable, which it is,

is what we can do. We're all in our 50s and 60s now. It makes us professional. And ultimately, you look at the U.S. and the U.K. military, you can see that we love our people and our countrymen. So I just adore this program. This is my right hand man. I bounce off of this guy. He bounces off of me. Foxy's always prickly, but, you know, always big and strong. And Q is just happy to be there. It is really, really awesome, Tristan. Everybody gets so much more out of it than they recognize, and it takes days and weeks, months later, they will reach out to his, oh, my gosh, this really impacted me. So that's what I love it. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious.

Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy?

That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him, because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not?

To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Kurt Brown-Oller. And I am Scotty Landis, and we host Bananas, the weird news podcasts with wonderful guests like Whitney Cummings. And tackle the truly tough questions. Why is cool mom an insult, but mom is fine? No. I always say, Kurt's a fun dad. Fun dad and cool mom.

That's cool for me. We also dig into important life stuff. Like, why our last names would make the worst hyphen ever? My last name is Cummings. I have sympathy for nobody. Yeah, mine's brown-oller, but with an H. So it looks like brown-holler. Okay, that's, okay, yours might be worse.

We can never get married. Yeah. Listen to this episode with Whitney Cummings and check out new episodes of bananas every Tuesday on the exactly right never. listen to bananas on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts hi my name is enya umanzor and i'm drew phillips and we run a podcast called emergency intercom if you're a crime junkie and you love crimes we're not the podcast for you but if you have unmedicated ADHD oh my god perfect and want to hear people with mental illness

Psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane.

Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, pull that, turn this. It's just, I can do my eyes close. I'm Mani. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And on our new show, no such thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the right i'm looking at this thing listen to no such thing on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever

you get your podcasts you know after being first asked and saying hell no i i really was like you know what i need to think about this for a minute and and watch the show and watch the u k versions um and And one of my, I mean, my goal honestly was to get to the end. I really truly wanted to get to the end. But one of the other ones was like, if I feel like, if I get hurt or whatever, I want to get to the mirror room because I know that that's where the good stuff happens. You know, that's where the growth happens. At least that was my perspective in watching the show was that was where the growth happens. And I was so thankful that day to get that conversation. that one-on-one, one-on-one time with you guys. And, you know, in hearing, like, it's just going to get harder, it's just going to get harder, it's just going to get harder, it's just going to get harder. And then waking up the next morning and having, you know, basically bombs exploding all around me, I was like, okay, I don't know that my heart, you know, I actually had this, like, peace come over me. And I thought, you know what? I have gotten so much out of just

my short two days, that I'm okay. I don't want to be a burden anymore. I just didn't want Golden to have to carry my pack anymore. I didn't want Cam to have to run after me and get my pack so he could help me into the vehicle. I don't want Christy have to, you know, blow hot, like she was literally blowing her breath on me to heat me up when I was hypothermic. And I was like, you know what, it's okay. So in those moments when we come to you and we're ready to, give up or you're seeing someone's struggle. I, you guys are human. You have families at home. You know, you're caring people. You're doing this to get us to be better humans. But is there ever a time where you're like, how do you handle your emotions when someone, you know, like when I came to

you on the beach and I'm like, I think I'm going to faint. I don't know if I can do it. And you're like, well, you know, you want to, you want to quit? And I'm like, no. Is there ever a time that, or a Can you talk to us about how you handle your emotions when people are really, really struggling? And you have to kind of continue to be that tough love, you know, you know what I'm trying to say? Like I assume you have emotions, you know, when people are struggling. Firstly, we're not there to break or hurt anybody. We're there to push you. In order to get the best out of somebody, you've got it's going to be uncomfortable.

It's going to hurt. It's not easy. If it's going to be easy, it's not worth having anyway. So from our side, how we handle that emotion? I'm no fool. And we watch it and we think, you know, we know when your breaking point would be. We know if you have that moment,

we'd have already discussed. We're ready for that conversation to take place. I go, yep, you're right, you're done. Okay, let's move. Did you hand your arm band to me? You did, didn't, yeah. And if you can, I remember, because remember, it was early morning.

And we're getting our day started for training. And you called me down there. I took a moment, though, I really, really looked in your eyes and asked, is just really what you want to do? Because I didn't, we didn't want you to go. You weren't ready to go at that point. Yes. But back to the emotions thing.

So it's based over experience. We've had a lot of experience of training people, working with people, dealing with situations that I wouldn't want anybody to have to deal with ever again. You know, so we've got a lot of experience. So it's all based on the knowledge. knowledge and experience that we have got of how we handle ourselves, how we sort of present ourselves to you to get you to the next level or not to the next level. You know, sometimes it can be a little bit, it feels a little bit brutal. Sometimes it has

to be that way. Now, but like I say, as I've already said, it's a personal journey for everybody. And we know when you're about to almost stop. We know what you, we know and you don't is we know what's coming next. You've no idea. So we'd be looking at you and thinking, And Trista's given all of she's got. She's physically drained. She's mentally trained. She's got as much out of this as probably she's going to get. There's no point in there doing what's coming next, which you don't know what.

Because all we're going to do is you're going to go backwards. You're now going to go. Yeah. And I think we're great judges of that. And that all come down to emotion and how we talk to you, how we deal with things. And sometimes it does fruitful, but sometimes it has to be. And there are times where, you know, we human beings. we can see it at that point

and you need that little bit more reassurance an arm around your shoulder and say, hey, listen, you can go a little bit more or you can't go a little. So we're judges and that's all based on all the experiences and touch word. I don't think I've got it wrong yet. You know, I haven't screamed at somebody

for the wrong reasons or give that bit of comfort when I've been played, which I never will be, etc. So it's being able, based on knowledge and experience, true experience of knowing when to be soft approach a hard approach a midway approach and yeah so but you know there are I don't feel I don't know I've got it wrong I think we've got it right every time you know I've never gone to punker thinking oh I should have stopped it there

yeah even the milling even the milling you know milling yeah someone's going to get hurt that's what happens yes it does happen now without giving any spoilers you know you've got people who have smashed it out of the park and then go and trip over a wire on the way back to the accommodation and that was their journey out. Do you know what I'm saying? But in terms of looking at you

and us being emotional or being it's just based on experience. Yes. And we're all watching it. You know, what you don't see is like I'll be, hey, keep an eye on Tristro, keep an eye on gold. You know, we're seeing people

coming to that point in there where they're about to break. And we don't want to break anybody. Okay, so that is when we'll leave a change direction for you, make you do something different, or say something, pull you apart, or stop the exercise or, you know. So it's all rumbled a bit there, but it's generally, it's knowledge and experience gained over 30 years of being in the military from the Gulf and likewise. Tristan, we're, we're instructors too. We have been instructors for men that are going through selection, jungle course, scout sniper,

we're already men that are completely physically, mentally switched on and committed. And some of them don't even make it. So we learn how to observe the human experience. And we can see what's coming. We're going to squeeze every little bit out of you for your benefit. And at the same time, if you're vulnerable, because every night we have our prayers,

where we assess every single one of you deeply, honestly, and we will manicure how we approach each and every recruit or what team evolutions we put together for a reason. Now, it seems chaotic to you all out there. There is a method to the madness. There is a reason behind everything we do. Not to say that we, not to say that we are not flexible because sometimes storms come in, locations are washed out,

vehicles break down. We can't pivot. That's what makes us so special. But there's a method to the madness. And it must seem chaotic on your end. But yeah, we know what we're doing. Yeah, I mean, we know you know what you're doing. I feel like I wouldn't have felt as safe as I did if I didn't feel that.

You know, I have a huge massive fear of open water in normal life. And watching the show with my husband, he was like, you wouldn't have done that with me. Like, if it was just us, I wouldn't have done it. But, and it's not that I don't feel safe with my husband. I just feel like all of the years of experience and everything that you've done, I just was like, oh, sure, I'll jump from a moving boat, speed boat, to a helicopter. Sure, why not? I mean, I'm going to end up in probably open water, but hey, why not?

Why don't we just do this? Cold. So, yeah, I felt safe the whole time, and I really didn't even think about my fears, which is so crazy to me. I just got back from Orlando. I do not ride roller coasters in normal life, okay? I just don't. I'm not like a risk taker. I'm not that kind of person.

I was like, you know what? I freaking just did special forces. I'm going to go on some roller coasters. So I went on roller coasters, and you got to experience that with my daughter. Like, so there's little wins, you know, in my life because of it. So thank you. But that's a window into our world. You just really, what you just described there is the life of a military man or woman.

When we're going through training, so many of these things, I'd never even seen a helicopter, really. But first time I'm doing helo operations. I'd never been on a freaking warship before. But when we rock up, that means when we show up, we do what we're told and we execute. We don't even think of the fear. We don't even think about anything except checking equipment and doing exactly what you're told. And after you do that for a couple months or years, you break down that whole element of fear. If you're prepared and you trust in your equipment and you trust in yourself, the fear is gone and you can execute.

that's that's really what it's about for us it's not like some kind of superpower it's first we believe in our training believe in our equipment that's the case we're executing and and that and you'll do all these crazy things that you know like you say you wouldn't do with your husband or or we with your family members that's life

it's like somebody else will be able to control your children better than you not bring them up as parents but you know your children are naughty children can wrap you around your fingers like my kids do they describe me my grandkids my in terrorize me you know but somebody else can control your kids you know somebody else are telling them and you see them doing all sorts of things for somebody else but they won't do it for your parents that's a bit like you were your husband your husband you just wants you to do me like no yeah because you can tell him no but you can't tell us no that's right that's the

difference how you are going to do it that's so true that's how you grow though that's how you do grow. It's a classic cliche, get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yeah. Because it is. Anything worth doing really is not going to be easy. It's going to take some time, some effort, but it's worth it.

You know, the benefits of doing something that you didn't think you could do or going through that freezing cold water and doing, because you didn't want to do, but you've done it. It's just a great feeling's going on. I can do that. You know, it's, but when you're being pushed by somebody from the outside, it's easier or

more likely to get done than it is when you know i can't tell my wife when i tell my wife oh forget it run with me i can't get my woman to do a damn thing brother he beats me absolutely that's awesome oh i want to meet them um interrogations you ought to you got to see the interrogations we go through at home i'm sure i'm sure okay so Is there any advice that either you've been given that was amazing advice or that you give to people, anyone who's watching, anyone in the future who would do the show,

any advice that you can give all of us to get through those difficult times, you know, to keep pushing forward and survive and thrive? Something you've heard a million times, but I've always been told, never be afraid to fail. you're only failing by talking yourself out of doing something I have failed so many things so many times but by attempting to do something that you ain't really happy

and comfortable about if you don't reach that goal it doesn't matter what you have to do is stepped over a threshold and you've opened up new avenues so just don't be afraid and worry about not reaching your goals every time still go for it always listen to people who've got experience and advice and without, you know, being disrespectful,

and then, well, I hear what you're saying, but I'm going to try anyway. Try. And always keep trying to reach something that's difficult. And as I say, if you don't make it, it doesn't matter because, and that's why I ended up, I never wanted to be on TV. I never wanted to be doing, but by going for something else,

I was a bodyguard, and all of a sudden, all these, I mean, he was opened up to me. You know, so never, never be afraid. And actually, by failing, that's building resilience. It's making you better. But what I would say is when you're attempting to achieve something, if you're failing and you're failing and you're failing,

it's almost the same reason for failing, then that's not a, you know, that's not a mistake then. It's a real problem. You need to stop, read, right, and think, I can't reach that. Let's think of something else. So the advice is be afraid to fail and always go for it. Always, always go at it, give it your best shot.

Never go at something. 50%. If you want to do it, do it. Don't pretend you want to do it. And hope it's going to work out. Go for it. And you know what? That blends into kind of part of my mirror room with you. And you were like, we see that you're giving your 100%. And that's kind of what I needed to hear. I just wanted. And I think that that's what we do as humans. We want to be validated. We want to be appreciated. And I felt like I got the validation that I needed that you also. that I was trying my hardest, even though my hardest wasn't ever going to be as good as anybody

else, you know. No. And we're not interested in that. You got that validation at the right time. That's right. If we were to give you down on the beach when you said, I'll fit, then you'd expect more of it. It was a wrong time to give it. You didn't need it then.

What you needed was a kick on the backside and push aggressive. That's what you needed. That's what we all. I'm no different. We're all, you know, sometimes I need that. And so you got that validation at the very, very right time. Now, the other thing about all that is, remember this, there's no concessions because you're a female and you're smaller or you're older.

You did exactly the same as everybody else, and you always will. And that's the thing about the course. Because a lot of people say to us, well, it's unfair. They're small ladies and they're big gents. So what? You're stepping into the special forces world. The special forces don't make compensation for anybody. Totally.

This way, you'll do this journey. You'll do it at this time. You'll do it at this, you know, standard. Simple. It will never change. It can't. So that's why when we explained to the audience as well, is Trista carried exactly the same as every big man.

She carried the same as Cam Newton. She went the same distance as Cam Newton. She did the same thing. She was shouted at. She got the same punishment. And that's actually the beauty of the show is. It is. And it's not, oh, we don't make conversation, and we shouldn't.

You know, that's why, I'll go on to it again. That is why it's an individual journey. Yeah. It's a beautiful journey, you know. Of course you want to get to the end, but it doesn't matter. It's easy to say that, but truly take that away. Your journey was the two days or two and a half days you were there. And that was a lot.

That was a hell of a lot. You know, that could have ended it a day before. Oh, we've seen people leave in the first hour. Yeah, right. True. Yeah, I love the program. Billy talks about this is a character development show. it's actually not a show. It's a course. It just happens to be captured as a show.

Yeah, right. For your self-development, what I always appreciate is this. All the recruits for the first time are in the elements, really in the elements. We take it for granted. Our whole careers have been hot, cold, miserable, sandy, filthy. And that was for every day. And we learn. that it's to not even associate a negative attitude to it. To be happy as pigs in a waller, we've been so filled in blood and trying to keep the optics clean as we're trying to observe. We've been into just nasty and nasty and we're not upset. Like, you know, it's not even a negative thing to us. Now you people get a chance to be in this really rough and tough world that makes you

cold, hot, uncomfortable, but it builds character. You'll forget all the hardships as well. All you'll ever think about is the funny sides of it. You know, standing there where your hair just draped over your face like, you know, it's all good. You know, 90% of being in the military of special forces is actually quite boring. It's that's around.

You're uncomfortable. It's miserable. You're waiting for that one sliver of excitement, and whether it's capturing somebody, doing something, saving somebody, or whatever it is. And it takes a long, long time to get. But you forget all that. You'll only remember that. You'll only remember the funny things said in the dormitory.

That's right. The time somebody shouted at somebody else or what you were called a name that made you laugh. They're the funny things. And they're the things you'll always remember and talk about. Yeah. I love it. You guys, thank you. Sorry, staff.

Thank you so much for coming on the Almost Famous. OG podcast. I just wish it had been in person and I could give you a hug. But thank you so much for making me a better person, for giving me the opportunity to see, you know, have a little glimpse into your world and sharing your world with the rest of us so that, you know, we can, we can know more, we can do better and we can be better as our own individuals. Thank you. Thank you for stepping into our arena, that's a big, balsy call to step into that arena what you do. Thank you.

It really is. So, well done. Yeah, I took a lot of guts and great. And yeah, we have to catch you up at some point. We will. We will have to catch me. I would love that. We need to create, like we're on a text thread with everybody.

Okay. And we've talked about, like, I want to do something. I don't know. I've been talking to publicity. I'm like, can we please just get something on the books so that we can all see each other in person. But anyway, thank you so much for coming. Yes, maybe charity events, something for veterans.

Yeah. Oh, yes, please. Something like that. Or even for the fires to support. Or for the fire in L.A. Let's do something together. One day of stupidity altogether to raise some money or whatever it is. I'm all there.

I'm there. Yes. That's our pleasure. And we love that when you recruit show up, you give it all you got. and the impact you make for the audience. This show is really about, this course is really about your development and how your audience and regular everyday people

can relate to what you're going through. And it helps open up people's hearts, change lives, gives people help. It's wonderful. We love what we do and we couldn't do it without you. Thank you. Thanks, guys.

Be safe. Bye-bye. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be Kenspiracy theorists. That's right.

They gave you the answers, and you still blew it. The Puzzler. Listen on the I-Heart radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I was diagnosed with cancer on Friday and cancer-free the next Friday. No chemo, no radiation, none of that. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop.

Professionally, I started at Death World Records. From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music, and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.

If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.

I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? Answer, a new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story. Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life. This is Wisecrack.

now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.