The
British Army has seen a boom in interest from potential new recruits thanks to the hit TV show . Series two winner Harry Clark and fellow contestant Jonny Holloway are both army recruits and their skills during the TV show have clearly encouraged others to look into joining up. Army bosses have seen recruitment figures surge by a third. A source said: “Both Harry and Jonny have been told that people are joining up after seeing them on TV. You couldn’t get a better advert for the Army.” Harry won the hit show - hosted by - after double bluffing pal Mollie Pearce to take home the £95,000 prize money. Thanks to his immense acting skills, barely anyone suspected the 23-year-old for the show’s entire run, allowing him to outwit the Faithfuls. Lance Corporal Clarke, as he is better known in Army circles, is based in Wiltshire serving with 47 Regiment Royal Artillery (47 Regt RA) and credits the skills he learnt while serving. It was Harry’s grandad Dave who encouraged him to join up as he was in the Parachute Regiment. “He was my idol and I wanted to make him proud,” Harry said. “I wanted to do something different, I didn’t know much of the world beyond my home town of Slough and I wanted to break the mould. I loved the idea of the challenge.” Harry credits the Army for teaching him teamwork and how to get the
Job done, skills he took into the competition which served him well. He also says it taught him honesty and loyalty - not qualities that immediately spring to mind for such a successful Traitor – as well as strategy, which he has in spades. Jonny, 31, lost a leg and suffered other severe injuries when his 20-tonne Army vehicle was blown 14ft into the air in
Afghanistan in 2014. Jonny, who joined the Royal Lancers in the Royal Armoured Corps aged 17, was lucky to survive following the
Taliban attack in Helmand Province. The 180lb IED hit his vehicle with such force his leg was shattered and he was blinded in one eye. He also suffered a brain injury which affects his short-term memory and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Despite fighting for two years to try and keep his leg, he eventually realised it needed to be amputated below the knee in January 2016. Jonny, of Luton, Beds, said watching the Traitors brought back memories of serving in Afghanistan. He said: “When I was injured in Afghanistan and evacuated out of the area, my guys were still pinned down for another three hours under
fire. “Knowing my guys were still there fighting the fight... it was just so hard to not be there and carry on the journey. “I was so surprised that memory came back to me watching people around the round table getting upset after I left, I just found it so hard to watch.” .