Harry Clark, the reality television star who triumphed in the second series of BBC’s The Traitors, has voiced his support for reintroducing national service for British youth.
The former British Army engineer made his comments during an appearance on Channel 5’s Storm & Alexis programme on Wednesday.
Speaking to presenters, Mr Clark drew on his six years of military experience to make his case.
“I was in the military for six years, I don’t see any negative with bringing back the National Service,” he said. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Harry Clark has backed calls for the return of national service in Britain
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Mr Clark, who served as an aeronautical engineer working on helicopters, dismissed common fears about military service.
“The army doesn’t mean we’re going to take our kids, send them away to war, and they’re going to shoot guns and be shot at and maybe die, that’s not the case at all,” he explained.
The Traitors winner argued that a lack of direction is driving young Londoners towards criminal activity.
“I think what we have today, especially in London, is young teenagers getting into crime because they feel like they have no purpose, and the military can give them that purpose,” Mr Clark stated.
The Traitor’s star argued national service could give young people purpose and discipline
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He emphasised that national service need not be limited to armed forces roles, suggesting a broader approach could prove equally beneficial.
“On the wider aspects of things, National Service can be so much broader.
“It doesn’t mean just going to the military, it could be community service, because what you’re doing is installing discipline into these young kids, and they can take that on for their life forever,” he told the programme.”
The reality star continued: “When I was in the military, the main thing I realised was that people were lost, or they had no one else outside the military.
The reality star said military life helped many people find a sense of belonging
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“The military then became their family,” he said.
The TV star predicted that even a short stint in uniform would transform young people’s prospects, expressing confidence that a significant proportion would opt to continue serving.
“If these kids go to the military and just spend a year there, and they learn how to make their bed, firstly, they’re going to be better off as young adults when they’re coming out,” Mr Clark said, adding that he believed between 50 and 60 per cent would choose to remain and pursue further training, citing opportunities to acquire multiple trades and travel globally.
Mr Clark’s endorsement comes amid growing political discussion about national service in Britain.
In April, former Nato chief Lord Robertson told the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the National Security Strategy a Swedish-style system “should certainly be on the agenda” given current threats facing the country.
Under Sweden’s model, all residents aged 16 to 70 have a legally defined role in civil resilience, encompassing military conscription, civil duties such as rescue services, or general tasks assigned by authorities.
Mr Clark drew on his six years of Army experience during the debate
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Britain’s original national service, introduced in January 1949, required physically fit men between 17 and 21 to serve 18 months in the armed forces before being abolished in 1960.
Several European nations have since moved towards conscription, with Finland maintaining military service and Germany’s parliament voting in December to introduce voluntary military service following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.