Who is Jason Fox? The action hero now co-hosting Battle Treasures
Former soldier Jason Fox made TV’s SAS: Who Dares Wins a hit. Now he’s having his say on historical warfare as co-host of Sky HISTORY’s Battle Treasures.
Image: Jason Fox | Battle Treasures with Foxy and Bruce
Having served as a Royal Marine Commando and UK Special Forces soldier, Jason Fox has managed feats of endurance very few of us will entertain. He was in the military for 20 years before finding fame as British TV’s no-nonsense ‘tough guy’.
Today, he is best known for putting civilians and celebrities through their paces on the hit Channel 4 reality show SAS: Who Dares Wins. He also exposed the underbelly of the Latin American drug trade on the docuseries Meet the Drug Lords: Inside the Real Narcos.
Now he’s adding yet another TV series to his already impressive CV — Sky HISTORY’s Battle Treasures with Foxy and Bruce. Bruce Crompton provides historical context behind military artefacts, while Foxy draws upon his soldiering experience to explain how they would have been used in battle.
To understand why Foxy really knows his stuff in this area, you only have to dive into the background of the man himself. Below, we at Sky HISTORY tell his fascinating life story — and how his army experiences have fed into his TV career.
The young Jason finds his calling in the army
Jason Fox was born on 31st August 1976 in Plymouth. However, he was raised in Luton — and, by his own admission, did not excel at school.
He spotted a promising opportunity to escape academic pursuits when, at the age of 16, he saw that the Royal Marines Commandos were recruiting. ‘I hated school and wanted to leave home, and the quickest way to do that was to enlist,’ Jason recalled. ‘I just wanted to see more of the world.’
That, he certainly did — even if his transition to the military lifestyle did initially spring some nasty surprises upon him. Previously, his mother had done ‘everything’ for him. Now ‘It was suddenly all about the laundry, the ironing and keeping myself clean and cleaning all the equipment.’
Still, once he had accustomed himself to the big upheaval, ‘It was good. Being like a kid running around in the dirt was what I enjoyed. Less so the parading, the pomp and the ceremony.’
What were Jason Fox’s army years like?
After about a decade as a Marine, Jason worked hard to meet the prerequisites of joining the UK Special Forces. He became part of the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Royal Navy’s special forces unit.
To call Foxy’s stint in the SBS eventful would be putting it mildly. On one occasion, he got caught up in a gun battle where his 30-strong squad was outnumbered and surrounded by more than 200 enemy fighters.
Jason embraced the adrenaline-inducing nature of the job. All the same, he has since admitted that he faced ‘an awful lot of pressure’. This included the ‘Pressure not to fail at your task, but also the potential for being seriously injured or even not making it back home. There were lots of those moments.’
From the military to the small screen
After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Jason left the military in 2012. This started him on his path towards his TV career.
Initially, it was very much in a behind-the-scenes capacity, with Foxy helping production crews to withstand tough jungle, desert and arctic environments.
When SAS: Who Dares Wins started airing in 2015, Foxy made his name as an on-screen star. The show puts contestants through what is largely a condensed version of the UK’s Special Forces selection course.
The format originally focused just on ordinary civilians, but later branched out to include famous figures like ex-footballer Wayne Bridge and ex-MP Matt Hancock.
Foxy has also penned books, including his autobiography Battle Scars and self-help title Life Under Fire: How to Build Inner Strength and Thrive Under Pressure. He has toured the UK with talks on his military background and supported various charities, including the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC).
See Foxy again on Battle Treasures
In his pre-TV life, Foxy led a wide array of military operations — including counterterrorism, hostage rescues, counterinsurgency and counternarcotics missions. He’s also an expert on explosives and jungle survival.
Jason Fox has wielded more than a few powerful weapons. So, he’s just the right person to give Battle Treasures viewers insights into the practical side of the historical weapons highlighted on the show.
Keen to clue yourself up on other shows about historical warfare? Within seconds, you can subscribe to the Sky HISTORY Newsletter and look forward to updates landing straight into your inbox.
