EX-Special Forces sergeant and TV star Jason Fox is stopping off in Dunfermline in January as part of his UK tour.

Best known to viewers as one of the tough-talking trainers on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, Jason experienced gun fights, hostage rescues, daring escapes and heroic endeavours during 20 years of military service.

But the battles weren’t over when he returned home – they just became more personal as he was diagnosed with PTSD.

He will take to the Alhambra Theatre stage on January 28 where he will share his stories of countless near misses and the moment he was pushed to the edge.

Just under 10 years ago, Jason was parked in a cliff-top car park, on the brink of ending his own life.

“I was having a nightmare of a day – couldn’t see the purpose of anything, work wasn’t good, I’d had a massive argument, and just felt, ‘What’s the point?’,” he recalls.

“I’d been in the military for 20 years. I used to be awesome at something, and without that I felt maybe my usefulness on the planet was over.”

During that 20-year career in the Marines and Special Forces, Jason experienced high-intensity warfare and saw colleagues killed and injured on a regular basis.

But he’d lost his ‘military mojo’ and after countless therapy sessions, he came to accept that a diagnosis of PTSD and medical discharge was the ‘least worst’ option.

Thrust back into civilian life at the age of 36, for the first time since leaving school, the mundanity of everyday living – booking dentist appointments, filing tax returns, living full-time with a partner – was a bigger challenge than the life he’d known.

Without the brotherhood and support network provided by the military, Jason struggled to find a new identity and that struggle led him to that cliff-top.

“Looking back, I don’t know what stopped me,” he said. “But I guess I just wasn’t quite ready to give up.

“I had a word with myself, realised things had to change and that moment of honesty was a real defining moment.”

From there, Jason "got rid of negativity" in his life, and "went on a journey to find the right people’" to help him move forwards.

Fighting back from the brink, he found a new purpose and drive – partly through founding his mental health charity and partly through his TV career after being approached as one of the experts for SAS: Who Dares Wins, a show he’s been with since it launched in 2015.

“Initially, SAS: Who Dares Wins was a bit of an experiment – no-one knew if or how it would work, or how people taking part would respond to it,” he said.

“It’s been phenomenal to see how both civilians and celebrities have thrown themselves into the show over the years. I am surprised at how big it’s become, and very proud of it too.

“What’s also been surprising is what I’ve learned from the experience – not to judge people, to give people another chance.

“And it does help to fill the ‘gap’ left from military life. When we’re out filming, there’s a team of people all working together to get a job done under some tough conditions.

“It’s nothing like as tough as I was used to in the Special Forces but we are still working 24-hour days in extreme environments, pulling together, challenging ourselves.”

After joining the armed forces straight from school, Jason rose to the rank of sergeant where he was respected and well regarded as being generally indestructible, making his PTSD diagnosis and medical discharge all the more surprising to those around him.

But, in fairly typical style, once he found some answers through therapy, Jason turned those experiences to his advantage in supporting others – and his openness in speaking about mental health issues in the Forces and after.

That candid approach has helped forge his popularity and he brings those experiences to Life At The Limit.

“Touring Life At The Limit earlier this year was something completely alien to me and I absolutely loved it so I can’t wait to get back on the road,” added Jason.

“I’ve had some incredible experiences – some good, some bad – and I genuinely feel honoured that people want to hear about them.

“From behind-the-scenes anecdotes of filming, some hilarious, others brutal; and what it's really like when you come face-to-face with notorious killers, drug cartels, Mexican warlords and hitmen, this is a no-holds-barred account of my life to date.

“Life At The Limit is a very honest account of what has been a long and difficult journey but it is also inspiring, entertaining, funny and moving in equal measure.”

For more information on Jason's shows, visit www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/jason-fox.