SAS Legend Chris Ryan Opens Up Like Never Before
The Old Paratrooper Podcast #TOPP
138,962 views
Chris Ryan is one of the most recognised names to come out of the SAS. From covert operations and life behind enemy lines to the reality of serving in one of the world's most elite special forces units, he shares stories and insights that have never been told publicly before.
In this exclusive episode of The Old Paratrooper Podcast, Chris opens up about his military career, survival, leadership, resilience, and reveals moments he's never discussed in any previous interview or podcast. This is a rare, honest conversation with one of Britain's most iconic soldiers.
Check out his book on the link below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breakout-bre...
00:00 - Intro, guest introduction, and where Chris Ryan grew up
00:46 - Childhood in County Durham and first ambitions to join the Army
02:14 - Missing the first intake and joining the TA through family connections
03:11 - Repeated TA selection and early lessons in persistence
05:02 - Why staying in the TA was a mistake in hindsight
06:00 - The Otterburn exercise and learning never to get caught again
07:26 - Why he fast-tracked through selection and joined the depot route
08:52 - Arriving at the depot and being integrated with the recruits
09:49 - Teaching navigation and field skills to other candidates
11:16 - Learning soldiering, team behaviour, and unit culture
12:45 - Covering a weapons lecture and getting pulled up by the CO
14:38 - The interview with the CEO and what the instructors thought
16:02 - The core lesson: never think you are too good to learn
17:42 - What was hardest during selection and the jungle mindset
20:14 - Interrogation, sleep deprivation, and mental endurance
21:42 - The woman interrogator and why some candidates failed
23:23 - The way combat survival was used to recruit motivated soldiers
24:35 - The Rottweiler incident and getting caught on the run
26:04 - Field interrogation, cavity searches, and final meal tricks
28:56 - The Mars bar interrogation and post-exercise processing
30:22 - How people talk themselves out of selection
34:35 - Why SAS selection is about ordinary soldiers doing the basics
36:12 - The Hoff Wood run and not overthinking other people’s strengths
37:39 - Junior Brecon, weapons systems, and doing exactly as instructed
39:37 - Injury history, the free fall accident in France, and protecting the body
41:43 - Changing training standards and the value of science
42:43 - Chris’s brother Alan and the soldier’s soldier mentality
45:09 - Bravo Two Zero, the question of legacy, and the cost of the patrol
46:29 - Why the patrol should never have happened
48:54 - Bad kit, old maps, poor intelligence, and broken radios
51:49 - Hypothermia, bad frequencies, and making contact with Morse code
53:15 - How the better-prepared squadron patrols operated
54:42 - Why the ground and vehicle assumptions were wrong
55:35 - Was the mission set up to fail?
56:03 - What was learned afterwards and Bob Consiglio’s sacrifice
58:49 - No formal debrief and being paid to go on holiday afterward
60:12 - Fergus Rennie, leadership decisions, and the burden of judgment
63:38 - Fergus’s later death in Bosnia and the regret that stayed
65:21 - Why Chris left after injuries, losses, and years of funerals
66:04 - Veterans community, banter, and avoiding ego
67:51 - The legacy of the escape and evasion operation
68:27 - The cold, border crossing, and collapsing from dehydration
70:47 - Capture, the secret police, and preparing mentally for interrogation
73:24 - Why preparing for the worst helped him stay calm
74:16 - How writing started through a film project and publishing deal
75:41 - Frustration with the film adaptation and its inaccuracies
78:06 - How the book was received and the strain it caused
80:31 - The disclosure process and why he pushed back
83:50 - Recruitment, public perception, and why he thinks his books help
84:40 - Favorite books, reader response, and writing thrillers
85:09 - His new Iran novel and how it was conceived
87:39 - Where to find the book and sign-off
Interested in supporting the podcast ??? The check out the merch range on the link below.
https://theoldpara.co.uk/?srsltid=Afm...
Ex British military? struggling with your hearing ? Click the link below to see if you’re eligible for compensation.
https://veterans-for-veterans.co.uk/a...
#veteran #britisharmy #viral #veteran #britisharmy #viral #royalmarinecommando #motivation #parachuteregiment #interview #military #algorithm #youtubeshorts #facebook #instagram #mentalhealthawareness #sas
20 Comments
Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Part 2 please. 👍
It seems that some very senior officers of the British Army were more politically driven than a solider should be. All too often the courage of our soldiers seem diluted by those who write the official versions of their engagements. Respect and Thanks to all those who protect us.
SAS Legend Chris Ryan Opens Up Like Never Before
The Old Paratrooper Podcast #TOPP
138,962 views
Chris Ryan is one of the most recognised names to come out of the SAS. From covert operations and life behind enemy lines to the reality of serving in one of the world's most elite special forces units, he shares stories and insights that have never been told publicly before.
In this exclusive episode of The Old Paratrooper Podcast, Chris opens up about his military career, survival, leadership, resilience, and reveals moments he's never discussed in any previous interview or podcast. This is a rare, honest conversation with one of Britain's most iconic soldiers.
Check out his book on the link below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breakout-bre...
00:00 - Intro, guest introduction, and where Chris Ryan grew up
00:46 - Childhood in County Durham and first ambitions to join the Army
02:14 - Missing the first intake and joining the TA through family connections
03:11 - Repeated TA selection and early lessons in persistence
05:02 - Why staying in the TA was a mistake in hindsight
06:00 - The Otterburn exercise and learning never to get caught again
07:26 - Why he fast-tracked through selection and joined the depot route
08:52 - Arriving at the depot and being integrated with the recruits
09:49 - Teaching navigation and field skills to other candidates
11:16 - Learning soldiering, team behaviour, and unit culture
12:45 - Covering a weapons lecture and getting pulled up by the CO
14:38 - The interview with the CEO and what the instructors thought
16:02 - The core lesson: never think you are too good to learn
17:42 - What was hardest during selection and the jungle mindset
20:14 - Interrogation, sleep deprivation, and mental endurance
21:42 - The woman interrogator and why some candidates failed
23:23 - The way combat survival was used to recruit motivated soldiers
24:35 - The Rottweiler incident and getting caught on the run
26:04 - Field interrogation, cavity searches, and final meal tricks
28:56 - The Mars bar interrogation and post-exercise processing
30:22 - How people talk themselves out of selection
34:35 - Why SAS selection is about ordinary soldiers doing the basics
36:12 - The Hoff Wood run and not overthinking other people’s strengths
37:39 - Junior Brecon, weapons systems, and doing exactly as instructed
39:37 - Injury history, the free fall accident in France, and protecting the body
41:43 - Changing training standards and the value of science
42:43 - Chris’s brother Alan and the soldier’s soldier mentality
45:09 - Bravo Two Zero, the question of legacy, and the cost of the patrol
46:29 - Why the patrol should never have happened
48:54 - Bad kit, old maps, poor intelligence, and broken radios
51:49 - Hypothermia, bad frequencies, and making contact with Morse code
53:15 - How the better-prepared squadron patrols operated
54:42 - Why the ground and vehicle assumptions were wrong
55:35 - Was the mission set up to fail?
56:03 - What was learned afterwards and Bob Consiglio’s sacrifice
58:49 - No formal debrief and being paid to go on holiday afterward
60:12 - Fergus Rennie, leadership decisions, and the burden of judgment
63:38 - Fergus’s later death in Bosnia and the regret that stayed
65:21 - Why Chris left after injuries, losses, and years of funerals
66:04 - Veterans community, banter, and avoiding ego
67:51 - The legacy of the escape and evasion operation
68:27 - The cold, border crossing, and collapsing from dehydration
70:47 - Capture, the secret police, and preparing mentally for interrogation
73:24 - Why preparing for the worst helped him stay calm
74:16 - How writing started through a film project and publishing deal
75:41 - Frustration with the film adaptation and its inaccuracies
78:06 - How the book was received and the strain it caused
80:31 - The disclosure process and why he pushed back
83:50 - Recruitment, public perception, and why he thinks his books help
84:40 - Favorite books, reader response, and writing thrillers
85:09 - His new Iran novel and how it was conceived
87:39 - Where to find the book and sign-off
Interested in supporting the podcast ??? The check out the merch range on the link below.
https://theoldpara.co.uk/?srsltid=Afm...
Ex British military? struggling with your hearing ? Click the link below to see if you’re eligible for compensation.
https://veterans-for-veterans.co.uk/a...
#veteran #britisharmy #viral #veteran #britisharmy #viral #royalmarinecommando #motivation #parachuteregiment #interview #military #algorithm #youtubeshorts #facebook #instagram #mentalhealthawareness #sas