Ken Hames
Encyclopedia
Major
Ken Hames (Rtd) is a British
former Special Air Service
's officer, presently a motivational speaker
and specialist television presenter.
family, where his father had served in a series of regiments and battles before retiring to become a farmer.
as a tank driver, he was selected to attend the Royal Military Academy
at Sandhurst in 1976 (SMC and RCC 13), returning to serve as a Platoon Commander in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine
. Hames joined the Queen's Regiment, before serving on an exchange program with the Royal Marines
, with whom he served as a Captain in the Falklands War
and was at the liberation of Port Stanley. After the Falklands, he suffered for a period with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After returning to service, he was one of the last guards of former Nazi Rudolf Hess
at Spandau Prison
in then West Berlin
. Hames then joined the Special Air Service
, where after a period of service he commanded Britain’s anti-terrorist team for one year. Hames then rejoined the active part of the unit, and served in the First Gulf War. He served for the majority of his time in the Army with the Queen's Regiment and, after amalgamation, the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, before finishing his service as Second in Command of the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick.
, he came to note of a television producer and became involved in various adventure-themed programs. Following a debut on Battle Stripes for Sky TV in 2000, Hames designed and presented Channel 4
's Desert Darlings, and in October 2002, filmed the follow on in Namibia
with couples who attempted to cross the Namib Desert
.
Hames was involved with the production and camp design for the first series ITV1
's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, and subsequently the children's television series Bring it On
, and Hero Factor for the Discovery Channel
. Hames filmed SAS Battles for Five and most recently Beyond Boundaries
, Mission Africa
and Ex-Forces and Homeless all for the BBC
.
Hames also spends some of his time working as a facilitator with experiential training company Farscape Development.
with his wife and two children.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Ken Hames (Rtd) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
's officer, presently a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
and specialist television presenter.
Biography
Hames grew up in a British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
family, where his father had served in a series of regiments and battles before retiring to become a farmer.
Army career
Hames joined the British Army in 1973 as junior soldier. After serving in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
as a tank driver, he was selected to attend the Royal Military Academy
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
at Sandhurst in 1976 (SMC and RCC 13), returning to serve as a Platoon Commander in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. Hames joined the Queen's Regiment, before serving on an exchange program with the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, with whom he served as a Captain in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
and was at the liberation of Port Stanley. After the Falklands, he suffered for a period with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After returning to service, he was one of the last guards of former Nazi Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
at Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine. The prison was near, though not part of, the Renaissance-era Spandau Citadel...
in then West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. Hames then joined the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, where after a period of service he commanded Britain’s anti-terrorist team for one year. Hames then rejoined the active part of the unit, and served in the First Gulf War. He served for the majority of his time in the Army with the Queen's Regiment and, after amalgamation, the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, before finishing his service as Second in Command of the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick.
Post-Army
After 25 years service, Hames retired from the Army in 1998. Becoming an expedition leader and motivational speakerMotivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, he came to note of a television producer and became involved in various adventure-themed programs. Following a debut on Battle Stripes for Sky TV in 2000, Hames designed and presented Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Desert Darlings, and in October 2002, filmed the follow on in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
with couples who attempted to cross the Namib Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
.
Hames was involved with the production and camp design for the first series ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, and subsequently the children's television series Bring it On
Bring It On
Bring It On may refer to:In film and television:*Bring It On , a 2000 film about a high school cheerleading squad**Bring It On Again, a 2004 sequel**Bring It On: All or Nothing, a 2006 sequel...
, and Hero Factor for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. Hames filmed SAS Battles for Five and most recently Beyond Boundaries
Beyond Boundaries
Beyond Boundaries is a documentary series produced by Diverse Bristol for BBC Two. Each series follows a team of physically disabled adventurers as they take on some of the toughest expeditions on the Planet under the guidance of ex-SAS Major Ken Hames....
, Mission Africa
Mission Africa
Mission Africa is an interdenominational, evangelical, Christian mission organisation. When founded in 1887, by the Irish independent missionary Samuel Bill, the organisation ministered in Nigeria...
and Ex-Forces and Homeless all for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Hames also spends some of his time working as a facilitator with experiential training company Farscape Development.
Personal
A keen family man, he currently lives in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
with his wife and two children.