West Midlands

Inside Out sent Mark Hoban from TV's Last Man Standing for tough lessons at a private bodyguard school to see if he's got what it takes.

Mark Hoban Q & A

Bodyguards on parade.

What did you think about bodyguards before you went on this course?

Man mountains, legs the size of tree trunks, bulging biceps, brains the size of a pea and grunted speech...

OK, massive stereotypes, but this was certainly my perception of bodyguards before I started this training.

It turns out I couldn't have been more wrong.

How did you find the course? Did it compare to anything you've done before?

It was hard work, but also a lot of fun - and there was certainly a lot of variety.

I've had experience of the unarmed combat and fitness elements from my days of kickboxing and, of course, Last Man Standing, but the surveillance was something I'd not experienced before.

The group exercise - getting the principal in and out of a car and escorting them to safety - was also interesting. I was really hoping for a guest appearance from Whitney Houston at this point, but very quickly had my bubble burst!

Boxing clever - Mark Hoban in the gym.

What surprised you the most?

I was surprised by the amount of focus and attention to detail body guards need, rather than just relying on muscle and intimidation.

It's about intelligence, awareness of surroundings, and having extensive people skills; building relationships with each other, the principal and the general public.

What did you find the most challenging?

Having to build very fast working relationships with people you've only just met. Working in the public eye in the surveillance exercise also proved quite difficult.

It's incredible how hard it is not to draw attention to yourself. No matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to look suspicious!

It's serious stuff. But were there any funny moments?

Yes, bodyguarding is a serious business but sometimes you can't help yourself.

Suited and booted - Mark Hoban.

In the group exercise when we were escorting the principal to and from a car, we were all given numbers which indicated the job we had to do.

Simple? Well, there was one guy who struggled with this for quite a while.

Our frustration very quickly turned to amusement at his mishaps.

What were the highlights?

All in all, I found the three days a huge eye opener and an amazing experience. I love learning and trying out new things.

Throwing myself in at the deep end is the only way I know.

I look back and can't really pinpoint a favourite moment as the days were packed and flew by, but having a go at surveillance and learning about group protection was certainly fun.

So, would you consider this as a career?

I'm working at the moment, so it could be one for the future - but only if I'm single and have no one else to think about.

Yes, it would be an exciting job at times, but I always tend to take a step back and look at the risks to my own safety.

If I had a family to consider then I'm more than certain, it wouldn't be the job for me.