I’m a celeb bodyguard – Princess Diana called me ‘Rambo’ & cried on my shoulder but one A-lister was beyond rude
HE’S looked after royalty and Hollywood stars – but elite bodyguard Lee Sansum admits he’d rather work in a war zone than work with a celebrity any day.
Lee, 61, who was called ‘Rambo’ by Princess Diana, tells the Sun: “It’s more what I prefer to do.”
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He adds with a laugh: “It’s crazy, isn’t it?!”
His candid admission comes after we revealed Meghan Markle hired Kim Kardashian’s former bodyguard.
It might seem like having a smart bodyguard is the latest accessory for many celebs – but former Royal Military Police sergeant and martial arts champion Lee says some choose one to fit their image, rather than the best man for the job.
He said: “I’m not saying this about Meghan, but quite a few A-listers choose a bodyguard based on their image. It’s like a top-of-the-range Rolex watch.
“The kind of person you want is there to look after you, it’s not about how they look.
“I see it creeping into the industry more and more, which is worrying.
“It’s getting easier for people to get bodyguard licenses.”
The elite bodyguard adds: “There is evidence that some are not fit for purpose.”
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The close protection expert says he does not recognize Meghan’s new bodyguard, whose identity has not yet been released, but says he is likely to have good credentials.
He added: “I’m sure with Prince Harry, he’s used to being looked after by bodyguards, he’ll have a good understanding of what a bodyguard should be, especially if he’s been in the military.”
Diana’s ‘Rambo’
Lee was assigned to look after Mohamed Al-Fayed’s son Dodi and Princess Diana in July 1997, a month before his death, while they were holidaying on the Harrods boss’ superyacht in St Tropez.
He says Diana was an “incredible woman”, adding: “She cared a lot. She never said a bad word about anyone.”
He reveals the princess cried on his shoulder after her close friend, Fashion designer Gianni Versace, was killed, fearing she was next.
Lee says he also became close to Princes William and Harry – even teaching the “naughty” Harry how to drive a jet ski close to photographers so they get soaked.
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Lee says the boys will “come and sit with the bodyguards” at any opportunity, desperate to hear stories of their military days.
He says: “Everyone was in the military, from special forces, medical corps, to the paramilitaries.
“We used to sit and tell them stories from when we were in the army. Their knowledge of the army was very good.
William was very caring and measured everything he said, while Harry was a naughty boy. He was such a wonderful child
Lee Sansum
“They were so much fun. William was very caring and measured everything he said, while Harry was a naughty boy. He was such a great kid.”
Harry even dared Lee to jump off a ship for £200, with Diana asking Mohammed Al-Fayed if she could borrow the money.
A-lister ‘beyond rude’
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Lee grew up in Salford, Greater Manchester and served as a military police officer in Northern Ireland during The Troubles.
He says: “I looked after people in witness protection. I learned my trade in Northern Ireland.”
After leaving the military, he began working as a civilian bodyguard, known in the industry as The Circuit. The client is known as the Principal.
A friend recommended him to billionaire businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, who was so impressed by Lee, the bodyguard says he “became like family”.
As well as Diana, he worked with then-married Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman – who he said were “lovely” – when they were in London promoting Mission: Impossible 2.
But it was a different story with Belgian film star Jean-Claude Van Damme, whom Lee looked after when he was in the UK filming a fly-on-the-wall documentary.
He says the star was “so rude” and “has a massive ego” – and claims one of his team came close to killing him.
He laughs: “I said, ‘Listen, Rock, if you go in there and kill him, we’re not going to get paid.’ I talked him out of it.”
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Lee, what a book called The bodyguard last year about his experiences, adding: “That’s the stress it can cause people.”
He also saved legendary footballer Pelé from being crushed during a visit to Harrods – despite not even being hired to look after him.
After accompanying his boss Mohamed Al-Fayed to his car, he remembers that Pele’s team was no match because “they were too chic, too smart”.
He says: “One of the skills of an elite bodyguard is how to read people’s faces. The bodyguards’ adrenaline was running. Their peripheral vision wasn’t working, so they had tunnel vision.
“They couldn’t see what was going to happen because they were looking at the principal, not all around them, like a bodyguard should.”
After fans mobbed the star, he and his team quickly brought Pele to safety.
Lee also looked after Rocky star Sylvester Stallone in Paris.
He remembers: “He was small. He was really a strange character. He was nice enough.”
Lee adds: “I think some of these celebs forget how they got to where they are. The fans are the reason they are where they are. If you see that they are not that grateful, it doesn’t sit well.”
Bulletproof bag
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Lee was once offered a job looking after another princess, who he won’t name.
He says: “Not a British one. I asked how many bodyguards she had. They told me she had five or six and confident she liked bodyguards.”
He says he immediately politely turned down the job.
The father-of-six says hitting it off with a celeb is a small part of being a bodyguard.
He says: “You have to plan months in advance. You have to do recognition and endless risk assessments.
“The life of a celebrity is crazy. There are a lot of last minute appointments. They often fall asleep.
“But if they get up at 2 p.m., you have to get up two or three hours before them. The lack of sleep can be difficult.
Celebs are demanding because they have demanding lives. They have big egos. They have to, to get on stage or whatever it is they’re doing
Lee Sansum
“Celebs are demanding because they have demanding lives. They have big egos. They have to, to get on stage or whatever they’re doing.”
He says one of the biggest threats to looking after a star can be “stalkers” and “crazy people”.
The job also involves a lot of babysitting, making sure stars aren’t caught doing anything they shouldn’t “to protect their image”.
He says: “I teach bodyguards all over the world and I say, ‘Think about going out with your kid. If you can do that, it’s not far from looking at an A-lister.’ “
Lee’s risk assessments are so detailed that they even include checking the weather forecast.
Attention to detail
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Lee recalls, “I was in a private box with a female celebrity at a soccer game. As part of my risk assessment, I checked the weather.
“It was cloudy all week, but I knew the sun was going to come out and we faced it. Once that happened, I reached into my goodie bag and pulled out a pair of sunglasses for me and her.
“She looked at me and smiled as if to say, ‘Wow, this guy is turned on.
“There were other celebrities there with bodyguards and nobody thought to do that. They all watched.”
Dad-of-six Lee said his “bulletproof bag” can hold medical equipment, medication, anything that might be needed.
He claims celebrities often make demands on their bodyguards – including asking them to carry illegal drugs.
He says: “I’ve never been asked. Some of my friends have and they immediately stopped working for that person.”
After Diana’s death, Lee, who also cared for former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, admitted that he had admitted and decided to do private security in Somalia and Libya for a few years.
He now prefers a quieter life in Moray, in the Scottish Highlands, where he lives with his second wife Kate, 54, who runs online fitness classes.
The family runs a martial arts business and Lee travels the world as a motivational speaker and trains other bodyguards.
He says: “I like to pass on my knowledge to the next generation.”
The Bodyguard by Lee Sansum and Howard Linskey is published by Seven Dials and available in Paperback, eBook and Audio £9.99.
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I’m a celeb bodyguard – Princess Diana called me ‘Rambo’ & cried on my shoulder but one A-lister was beyond rude
