EP21: ‘I should be in a box’, Meet TV presenter and Royal Marines veteran JJ Chalmers

JJ Chalmers admits he should be dead. 

Having joined the Royal Marines aged just 17, he suffered life-changing injuries in a 2011 bomb blast while serving in Afghanistan. 

Ahead of Remembrance Day, JJ recalls the fateful moment an IED blew his body to bits in the Helmand Provence – and tragically claimed the lives of his brothers in arms. 

Incredibly he lived to tell the tale and has since become a TV presenter, father – and a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. 

However, in this highly emotional episode of PRsonal, he describes in graphic detail the shocking moment his life changed forever – but also how it led to the Paralympics, the Invictus Games and a ‘bromance’ with Prince Harry. 
 
 
Key moments

00:00:07 | Introduction and podcast rules 
00:00:40 | Does JJ feel lucky or unlucky after being bombed in Afghanistan?’ 
00:02:25 | ‘I should be in a box in the ground’ 
00:04:14 | ‘It was just another Friday in a bomb factory’: Recalling the blast
00:05:44 | The “graphic” recount of what he looked like after the explosion 
00:06:36 | The last thing he remembered before going into a coma 
00:09:09 | ‘My arm was sewn into my stomach’ 
00:18:04 | His one frustration – and how luck kept him here today 
00:19:09 | Moving on from the point where he couldn’t use his hands  
00:24:32 | ‘People are afraid of being cancelled if they say the wrong thing’ 
00:27:14 | The aspects of life as a Royal Marine ‘people would pay thousands to try’  
00:35:12 | The first question he would ask his kids if they wanted to join the military 
00:37:45 | ‘Daddy has three fingers’: What his kids ask about his disabilities 
00:41:38 | Striking up a friendship with Prince Harry by the side of a swimming pool 
00:43:15 | Prince Harry's vision for Invictus Games – and what is like being friends with royalty 
00:53:13 | ‘I’ve been to royal weddings, the Queen’s funeral and I’m mates with Chris Hoy – how does that happen?!’ 
00:56:55 | How he’s marked Remembrance Day – including spending it in hospital 
01:00:15 | How he treasures the ‘small time’ he got to spend with his comrades 
01:02:59 | Even soldiers don’t want a world filled with war – and how Ukraine has reminded people about human suffering 
01:11:46 | How good does JJ think he is at sex? 
01:12:33 | How Harvey & Hugo can help your business unlock the power of podcasting

JJ’s socials: 
Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/jj.chalmers/ 
LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-chalmers-89b843a5?originalSubdomain=uk 
Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/jjchalmersrm 
 
 
Sponsor: 
B Daily – https://bdaily.co.uk 
 
  
PRsonal socials: 
Twitter – https://twitter.com/PRsonal_podcast 
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/prsonal-podcast 
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PRsonalPodcast 
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/prsonal_podcast 
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@prsonal_podcast 
 
  
Harvey & Hugo’s socials: 
Twitter – https://twitter.com/harveyandhugo 
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvey-&-hugo 
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HarveyandHugo 
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/harveyandhugopr 
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@harve

PRsonal socials:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PRsonal_podcast

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/prsonal-podcast

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PRsonalPodcast

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/prsonal_podcast


Harvey & Hugo’s socials:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/harveyandhugo

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvey-&-hugo

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HarveyandHugo

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/harveyandhugopr

TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@harveyandhugo