| Alt Name: | Bad Lads' Army (2004) Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class (2005) Bad Lads' Army: Extreme (2006) |
| Genre: | Reality Game show |
| Composer: | Daniel Pemberton |
| Voices: | Kevin Whately (2002) Dennis Waterman (2004–06) |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 4 |
| Num Episodes: | 32 |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Company: | Twenty Twenty |
| Channel: | ITV |
Lads' Army (known in later series as Bad Lads' Army, Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class and Bad Lads' Army: Extreme) was a reality game show that constitutes a historically derived social experiment. Shown on ITV, the series is based on the premise of subjecting today's delinquent young men to the conditions of conscripts to British Army National Service of the 1950s to see if this could rehabilitate them.
The programme was derived from an earlier one called simply Lads' Army (a play on Dad's Army) in which a number of volunteers underwent four weeks of basic training for 1950s National Service. Unlike the three sequel series (the ones whose titles began with "Bad"), the original programme's experiment was merely to see if 18- to 24-year-old members of the modern British public could cope with the 1950s training, and how they compared to the public of that period. The success of the original series led to the experiment being repeated with the recruits having committed criminal offences, often given the option to undergo the training by courts as an alternative to serving pending sentences, to explore the proposition that it would be beneficial to reinstate National Service for petty criminals and delinquents as an alternative to more conventional sentences. Series 4 raised the maximum age to 26.
The narrator for the first series was Kevin Whately, then Dennis Waterman took over until the show ended in 2006. Within each series a small number of the recruits have either walked out (after a 24-hour cooling off period), or been ejected. The majority of the remainder claim some benefit from the experience and some have chosen the regular British Army as a career at the end of it.
The programme format is relatively simple. The recruits are issued period uniforms and equipment and fed, quartered and trained according to the standards of the era. Their free time is limited to visits to the NAAFI with period refreshments and facilities. The recruits form a single platoon made up of two sections, each under the care of a section commander, either Richard Nauyokas or Joe Murray (in series 3 Nauyokas was replaced by Glenn Thomas [who appeared as the Company Sergeant Major in series 2], although he still appeared as a relief corporal). During training the sections compete against each other, building a sense of competition but also of teamwork and loyalty. Success brings modest rewards. Praise is given for whole-hearted attempts at tasks. The NCOs and officers running the training are all, or have been, professional British soldiers.
Each series had a slightly different format to its predecessors, although the theme of 1950s military training is common to all series. The 3rd series (known as Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class) had the volunteers train to become officers while the 4th series (known as Bad Lads' Army Extreme) had the volunteers train to become paratroopers.
Series 1 to 3 included interviews with celebrities who had completed National Service in the 1950s, including Joss Ackland, Michael Aspel, Brian Blessed, Richard Briers, Paul Daniels, Frederick Forsyth, Bernard Manning, Nosher Powell, William Roache, Andrew Sachs and Brian Sewell. During re-airings of the first series, the interviews were edited out.
Waterloo Platoon NCO's and Officers
| LCPL Andy Thurgood | Platoon Medic | Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| CPL Richard Nauyokas | 1 Section NCO | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | |
| CPL Joe Murray | 2 Section NCO | Parachute Regiment | |
| CPL Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| CPL John Goodwin | PTI | PTI | |
| CPL Neil Sawell | PTI | PTI | |
| SGT John Roberts | Drill SGT/"3 Section NCO" | British Army Infantry | |
| SGT Mark Sullivan | Platoon SGT | Recruit Instructor | |
| WO2 Colin Coull | Company SGT Major | Scots Guards | |
| CAPT Richard Owen | Platoon Commander | Parachute Officer | |
| Padre David Rindell | Padre | Royal Army Chaplain's Department |
| Ade Adebayo | 21 (1981) | University Student | PASSED OUT | Paul Claydon | 20 (1982) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| William Bate | 19 (1982) | Computer Engineer | PASSED OUT | Steve Daly | 21 (1981) | Sales Manager | PASSED OUT | |
| John Cooke | 23 (1979) | Construction Site Manager | PASSED OUT | Paul Eagle | 22 (1980) | Labourer | PASSED OUT | |
| Jodie Copeland | 24 (1977) | Customer Service Executive | PASSED OUT | Tony Ellis | 22 (1980) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| Jamie Dodd | 23 (1978) | Musician/Pub Cellarman | LEFT | David Gardner | 20 (1981) | Gardener | PASSED OUT | |
| Matthew Faulkner | 21 (1981) | Finance Administrator | PASSED OUT | Gordon Hamilton | 21 (1981) | Club Bouncer | PASSED OUT | |
| Michael Honzick | 18 (1984) | Design Student | PASSED OUT | Chris Hampson | 21 (1981) | Genetics Student | LEFT | |
| Ross Pitman | 21 (1980) | Research Executive | PASSED OUT | Daniel Harrison | 24 (1978) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| Kenny Poulter | 19 (1983) | Postman | PASSED OUT | Nicholas Holbrook | 22 (1980) | Business Researcher | PASSED OUT | |
| Thomas Rossiter | 18 (1984) | School Student | PASSED OUT | Alex Kingsy | 19 (1983) | Law Student | PASSED OUT | |
| Nicholas Sandford | 23 (1979) | Personal Trainer | LEFT | Aaron Larson | 20 (1982) | Actor | LEFT | |
| John-Paul Watts | 24 (1977) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Peter Leyland | 23 (1978) | Mechanical Engineer | PASSED OUT | |
| Tom Woolfe | 22 (1979) | Rugby Coach | LEFT | Dan Neal | 22 (1979) | Bartender | PASSED OUT | |
| William Wood | 22 (1980) | University Student | LEFT | Thomas O' Hanlon | 21 (1980) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| Lee Wooten | 21 (1981) | University Student | LEFT | Adam Spires | 20 (1981) | Needlecrafter | PASSED OUT | |
| James Willingham | 20 (1982) | University Student | PASSED OUT | Samuel Webb | 23 (1978) | Warehouse Technician | PASSED OUT |
David Gardner received the "Best Recruit" award, James Willingham was awarded the platoons "Most Improved Recruit". 2 Section won "Best Section".
During the series, Tom Woolfe was dishonourably discharged/back squadded from the camp. Paul Claydon, Lee Wooten, and Chris Hampson chose to leave voluntarily. Nicholas Sandford deserted the base and never returned to camp. Jamie Dodd and Aaron Larson were medically discharged from the camp. William Wood's exit is unknown as his exit never aired.
After William Wood and Paul Clayden left, William Bate and Paul Eagle were drafted in as replacement recruits.
Captain Richard Owen, Waterloo Platoon's CO, died after the filming of the series in 2014, at age 48. He is said to have died from cancer.[1]
The main filming location for series one was Browndown Training Camp at Lee-on-Solent.
Montgomery Platoon NCO's and Officers
| Rank/Name: | Role: | Experience: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPL Richard Nauyokas | 1 Section NCO | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | |
| CPL Joe Murray | 2 Section NCO | Parachute Regiment | |
| CPL Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| CPL Mark Sheridan | PTI | PTI | |
| CPL John Goodwin | PTI | PTI | |
| CPL Kevin Smith | Platoon Medic | Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| CPL Timothy Dean | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| CPL James Lance | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| CPL Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| SGT Jeff Edwards | Provost SGT | Royal Army Ordanance Corps | |
| SGT Alistair Rae | Platoon SGT | Royal Army Ordanance Corps,Training Instructor | |
| SGT Mark Sullivan | Drill SGT | Recruit Instructor | |
| WO2 Glen Thomas | Company SGT Major | Sandhurst Officer | |
| CAPT Henry Dodds | Platoon Commander | Royal Engineers | |
| Padre David Rindell | Padre | Royal Army Chaplain's Department |
| 1 Section CPL Richard Nauyokas | Ages | Occupation | Status | 2 Section CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tjobbe Andrews | 22 (1982) | Website Designer | PASSED OUT | Chris Andrew | 21 (1982) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| Marcus Birks | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Michael Blackham | 19 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| David Butler | 21 (1983) | Joiner | PASSED OUT | Alan Brown | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| Shaun Carr | 18 (1986) | Student | PASSED OUT | Luke Brown | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| Peter Cray | 23 (1980) | Actor | PASSED OUT | Chris Davis | 18 (1986) | Student | PASSED OUT | |
| Ashley Cummings | 18 (1986) | Student | LEFT | Damien Ellis | 23 (1980) | Graduate | PASSED OUT | |
| Matthew Gilks | 21 (1982) | Builder | PASSED OUT | Daniel Kett | 21 (1982) | Civil Engineer | LEFT | |
| Robert Grundy | 19 (1984) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Michael Lowes | 22 (1982) | Salesperson | PASSED OUT | |
| Chris Harkin | 18 (1986) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Alex Rennie | 24 (1979) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| John Kyprianou | 23 (1980) | Barman | PASSED OUT | Shingi Sekerama | 19 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | |
| Mark Lamont | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Robert Shutler | 22 (1983) | Student | PASSED OUT | |
| Ashley Morton | 21 (1983) | Landscape Gardener | LEFT | Scott Simpson | 18 (1986) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| Wil Moynihan | 20 (1983) | Barman | PASSED OUT | Wayne Spiller | 24 (1980) | Student | PASSED OUT | |
| Hassan Murtada | 24 (1979) | Scaffolder | PASSED OUT | Christopher Townsend | 20 (1983) | Barman/Student | LEFT | |
| Robert Pembrook | 19 (1984) | Unemployed | PASSED OUT | Richard Weaver | 20 (1984) | Cinema Team Leader | PASSED OUT | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Stilianos Xidakis | 18 (1985) | High School Student | PASSED OUT |
Tjobbe Andrews, Matthew Gilks and Robert Shutler were given Officer Recommendations. This would be the goal of the following series. John Kyprianou received the Platoon's Top Shot (the highest score in the shooting range). Marcus Birks received the Best Recruit award at the Pass Out Parade, with Robert Pembrook receiving the Most Improved award. 2 Section won Best Section. With 2 Section winning best section, CPL Murray was promoted to SGT at the Passing Out Parade.
Luke Brown and Ashley Morton were dishonourably discharged. Morton was the only recruit to receive a dishonourable discharge for committing a criminal offence, namely an unprovoked assault on John Kyprianou, who decided not to press charges. Scott Simpson, Daniel Kett and Chris Townsend chose to leave voluntarily. Ashley Cummings and Alan Brown's status' are unknown, as how they were discharged was never specified. Alan Brown also did not turn up on the first day due to a scheduled court appearance; he received a conditional discharge in connection with a fight that he had previously been involved in, with the requirement that he complete National Service.
After Scott Simpson quit before even being issued a single item of kit or his uniform, Alex Rennie was drafted in as a replacement recruit. At the time of the series release, there was speculation that Tom Woolfe from the first series who was back squadded was set to return but never did for unknown reasons. This is heavily suspected, as there was no replacement for 1 Section after Ashley Cummings left and Woolfe was in 1 Section during the first series, however, to this date, nothing has been confirmed.
After the filming of the series, Michael Lowes suffered from clinical depression after facing indecent exposure charges, and was found dead in his home from an apparent suicide in 2010, at age 28.[2] SGT Alistair Rae, the platoon sergeant for Montgomery, Churchill and Pegasus Platoons, died in November 2020 due to complications from COVID-19,[3] as did contestant Marcus Birks in 2021, at the age of 40.[4]
The main filming location for series two was at New Zealand Farm Camp on Salisbury Plain.
Churchill Platoon NCO's and Officers
| Rank/Name: | Role: | Experience: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPL Glenn Thomas | 1 Section NCO | Sandhurst Officer | |
| CPL Joe Murray | 2 Section NCO | Parachute Regiment | |
| CPL Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| CPL Richard Nauyokas | Relief NCO | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | |
| CPL John Goodwin | PTI | PTI | |
| CPL Gary Nash | PTI | PTI | |
| CPL Joseph Hoodless | Platoon Admin | Royal Marines | |
| CPL Kevin Smith | Platoon Medic | Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| CPL Timothy Dean | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| CPL James Lance | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| SGT Timothy Weston | Provost SGT | Grenadier Guards | |
| SGT Alistair Rae | Platoon SGT | Training Instructor | |
| WO2 Julian Whatley | Company SGT Major | Regimental SGT Major | |
| CAPT Harry Lort Phillips | Platoon Commander | Officer | |
| MAJ Henry Dodds | Company Commander | Royal Engineers | |
| Padre David Rindell | Padre | Royal Army Chaplain's Department |
| 1 Section (Blue) NCO – CPL Glen Thomas | Ages | Occupation | Officer Potential | 2 Section (Red) NCO – CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | Officer Potential | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Bailey | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | Darren Adams | 19 (1986) | Student | NO | |
| Carl Bedford | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | NO | Ross Barrett | 20 (1984) | Unemployed Novelist/Barman | NO | |
| Chris Danns | 24 (1981) | Unemployed | NO | Steven Bedford | 20 (1984) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| Aaron Groom | 23 (1981) | Unemployed | NO | Ben Hains | 21 (1984) | Painter Decorator | NO | |
| Les Harvey | 18 (1987) | Royal Marine Dropout/Stock Taker | NO | Darren Hardman | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | YES | |
| Jack Kendall | 21 (1984) | Scaffolder | NO | Rifat Hassan | 22 (1982) | Security Guard | YES | |
| Simon Magil | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | YES | David Johnstone | 24 (1980) | Web Designer | NO | |
| Garry Miller | 20 (1985) | Office Junior | YES | Jonathan McDade | 18 (1987) | Student | YES | |
| Adam Oakley | 19 (1986) | Royal Mail Sorter | LEFT | Simon Pietkewitz | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | |
| Robert Page | 20 (1984) | Drivers Mate | YES | Benjamin Priestman | 22 (1982) | Unemployed | NO | |
| Simon Pinkney | 23 (1981) | Actor/Dancer | LEFT | Matthew Rawlings | 24 (1980) | Boxer | NO | |
| James Roberts | 20 (1984) | Tyre Fitter | YES | Haydn Russell | 21 (1984) | Sales Temp | NO | |
| Robert Schofield | 21 (1983) | Unemployed | NO | Rocco Scalercio | 20 (1985) | Unemployed | NO | |
| Dale Tate | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Taisen Coree-Smith | 24 (1981) | Unemployed | NO | |
| Matthew Tate | 24 (1980) | Unemployed | LEFT | Adrian Turton | 24 (1980) | Technician | LEFT | |
| Wesley Worrall | 21 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Kirk Woodend | 21 (1984) | Stripper/Porn Actor | LEFT |
The Passing Out Parade never stated who received "Best Recruit", or "Most Improved Recruit", as well as which Section were the winners overall. This is the only season that had no contestants born in the 1970s.
Wesley Worrall, Steven Bedford, and Matthew Tate were dishonourably discharged from the camp, Kirk Woodend chose to leave voluntarily and Adam Oakley was medically discharged. Dale Tate (Matthew Tate's brother) deserted the section and never returned to the Platoon; his brother deserted with him, but later returned. Matthew Tate was dishonorably discharged for hiding 8 shillings (the remainder of his wages from the second week), and wrongly accusing the platoon of stealing said money. Simon Pinkney and Adrian Turton left the camp, however their exits were never aired.
After Wesley Worrall and Steven Bedford were discharged, Chris Danns and Matthew Rawlings were drafted in, as replacement recruits.
Robert Page initially was selected for officer training but quit before training began and was forced to return to unit.
At the end of the final episode, the narrator stated that 11 of 24 who passed out had subsequently applied to join the regular British Army.
Robert Page died after the filming of the series in 2020 at age 36. His cause is unknown.
The main filming location for series three was again at Browndown Training Camp at Lee-on-Solent.
Pegasus Platoon NCO's and Officers
| Rank/Name: | Role: | Experience: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCPL Susan Tucker | Company Clerk | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | |
| LCPL JJ Adams | Assistant Medic | Royal Air Force | |
| CPL Richard Nauyokas | 1 Section NCO | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | |
| CPL Joe Murray | 2 Section NCO | Parachute Regiment | |
| SGT Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| CPL John Newton | PTI | Parachute Regiment | |
| CPL Jim Bush | PTI | Parachute Regiment | |
| CPL Alex Bohanna | Platoon Medic | Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| CPL Kevin Smith | Assistant Medic | Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| CPL Timothy Dean | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| CPL James Lance | Provost CPL | Military Police | |
| SGT Taff Gillingham | Q/M NCO | Logistics | |
| SGT Timothy Weston | Provost SGT | Grenadier Guards | |
| SGT Alistair Rae | Platoon SGT | Training Instructor | |
| WO2 Julian Whatley | Company SGT Major | Regimental SGT Major | |
| CAPT Henry Dodds | Platoon Commander | Royal Engineers |
| Blue Section NCO – CPL Richard Nauyokus | Ages | Occupation | Final Jump Selection | Red Section NCO – CPL Joe Murray | Ages | Occupation | Final Jump Selection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Brooks | 21 (1984) | NO | James Bourne | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | ||
| Samuel Bruce Angland | 21 (1984) | Security Guard | NO | Chris Coad | 22 (1984) | Unemployed | NO | |
| Keith Burke | 19 (1987) | Unemployed | LEFT | Aiden Chaffe | 18 (1988) | Unemployed | NO | |
| Colin Elliot | 23 (1983) | Unemployed | LEFT | Andrew Findlay | 24 (1981) | Teaching Assistant | NO | |
| Mark Grimes | 26 (1979) | Unemployed | NO | Luke Howard | 18 (1987) | LEFT | ||
| Sebastian Judd | 21 (1985) | YES | Kyle Jensen | 22 (1983) | Roofer | YES | ||
| Raymond Impey | 21 (1985) | Unemployed | LEFT | Andrew Jimson | 25 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT | |
| Phillip Lee-Hodgeson | 20 (1985) | NO | Darren McDonald | 26 (1980) | Fitness Instructor | LEFT | ||
| Adam Mercer | 25 (1981) | Unemployed | LEFT | Sean Morris | 24 (1981) | YES | ||
| Luke Moyes | 19 (1986) | LEFT | Shaz Nawaz | 23 (1982) | Security Guard | YES | ||
| Joe Peto | 18 (1988) | YES | Jerry Reilly | 25 (1980) | NO | |||
| Matthew Reed | 18 (1988) | University Student/Riot Leader | LEFT | Joe Renwick | 19 (1986) | NO | ||
| Giles Walker | 25 (1980) | LEFT | Leon Thompson | 20 (1986) | LEFT | |||
| Steven Walker | 22 (1983) | YES | Jamie Smeadly | 21 (1984) | Plasterer | NO | ||
| Gavin Woodhouse | 21 (1985) | Unemployed | YES | Robin Woodfourth | 22 (1983) | Unemployed | YES | |
| Joel Whittaker | 24 (1982) | LEFT | Tyrone Walsh | 26 (1979) | NO |
The Passing Out Parade never stated who received "Best Recruit", or "Most Improved Recruit". Blue Section was the winning section.
Colin Elliot was Dishonourably Discharged from the camp. Keith Burke, Adam Mercer, Joel Whittaker, and Andrew Jimson were dismissed on Bin Day, just before the interrogation phase. Giles Walker, Leon Thompson, Luke Howard, Matthew Reed, Raymond Impey, Darren McDonald, and Luke Moyes were all dismissed from the camp but their exits never aired. This series features a high amount of unusual dismissals, with 12 exits total.
After Colin Elliot and Giles Walker were discharged, Joe Peto and Steven Walker were drafted in, as replacement recruits. This was the first time that both replacement recruits went into the same section.
Aiden Chaffe died on 22 October 2018 at the age of 31 following a skydiving accident.[5]
Series four was filmed at the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, in Dorset. However, for the series, it was named 'Sandford Army Camp'.
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 June 2002 | 5 July 2002 | 10 | |
| 2 | 8 July 2004 | 26 August 2004 | 8 | |
| 3 | 28 July 2005 | 8 September 2005 | 7 | |
| 4 | 11 July 2006 | 29 August 2006 | 7 |
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[6]
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | 6.14 | 15 | ||
| 3 | 6.27 | 14 | ||
| 4 | 5.47 | 18 | ||
| 5 | 5.28 | 23 | ||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | 5.98 | 14 | ||
| 8 | 5.19 | 16 | ||
| 9 | 4.93 | 18 | ||
| 10 | 5.42 | 18 |
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.48 | 15 | ||
| 2 | 6.58 | 13 | ||
| 3 | 6.23 | 15 | ||
| 4 | 5.45 | 17 | ||
| 5 | 5.64 | 16 | ||
| 6 | 5.41 | 17 | ||
| 7 | 5.44 | 16 | ||
| 8 | 4.72 | 16 |
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.13 | 15 | ||
| 2 | 5.24 | 15 | ||
| 3 | 5.23 | 15 | ||
| 4 | 4.67 | 18 | ||
| 5 | 5.05 | 15 | ||
| 6 | 5.09 | 15 | ||
| 7 | 5.40 | 18 |
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | ITV weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.87 | 19 | ||
| 2 | 3.31 | 21 | ||
| 3 | 3.14 | 21 | ||
| 4 | 3.31 | 25 | ||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 |
The format has been exported to Italy and first aired in 2021.