Richard Carlton Nauyokas (born 9 December 1962) is a British television personality, who between 2002 and 2006 appeared as a military instructor in several United Kingdom
reality television series which re-created British
National Service military training from the 1950s. A former professional soldier with the British Army, he now runs a motivational training consultancy.
Early life & military career
Nauyokas was born and brought up in
Grantham, in the county of
Lincolnshire. His father was a
United States Air Force airman based at
RAF Alconbury, and his mother was English from Grantham. After his father had returned to the United States. He received his early formal education at Spitalgate (Church of England) Primary School, and
The Boys' Central School in Grantham, where his attendance was poor. Growing up in Grantham with his mother, who was afflicted with
alcoholism, Nauyokas left the family home at the age of 15, living for some time on an
Irish Travellers' caravan site, and in
Nottingham, where he became involved in petty crime.
After a number of attempts to enlist with the
British Army, which were obstructed by adverse reports from his school years and Police reports, he enlisted with the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps at the age of 18 as Private in 1980. He found a social stability and structure in military life that his childhood and youth had lacked. After 22 years of military service during which time he undertook duty as a driver, radio operator,
Physical Training Instructor and
Military Training Instructor, serving in
Kosovo,
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
and Germany, he retired from the British Army in 2001 with the senior non-commissioned rank of
Warrant Officer Class 2 (
Squadron Sergeant Major).
Nauyokas subsequently served as a
Royal Air Force reservist non-commissioned officer, including a period on the staff at
RAF College Cranwell in 2012.
Television career
After retiring from the Army he attempted to commence a career as an
actor. After repeated auditions for parts with little success he unsuccessfully applied for the role of Sergeant-Major in the 2002 in a new
ITV historical military reality television series ''
Lads Army
''Lads' Army'' (known in later series as ''Bad Lads' Army'', ''Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class'' and ''Bad Lads' Army: Extreme'') is a reality game show that constitutes a historically derived social experiment. Shown on ITV, the series is based ...
'', but was given instead the role of one of the
corporals in charge of one of the two
sections in the programme,
after himself receiving training as a 1950s British Army non-commissioned officer.
He joined the show as corporal in charge of 1 Section, a role he continued to play during the subsequent ''
Bad Lads Army'' series in 2004, 2005 and 2006 alongside
Joe Murray.
Nauyokas has also appeared on television as a fitness instructor in the
reality television show "
There's Something About Miriam" (2004) and as an interviewee in "Greatest Ever 80s Movies" (2008).
Film career
In 2021 Nauyokas appeared in the
World War I film ''
The War Below'' The film is an historical drama, set in 1917, about a group of miners who are tasked with tunnelling beneath
no man's land
No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
, to set explosives below the German front line in an effort to break the stalemate of the
Battle of Messines. (1917). Nauyokas appears alongside
Tom Goodman-Hill and
Andrew Scarborough. Scarborough plays
Colonel Fielding who is determine to ensure the miners abide by the rules of Military Discipline and Nauyokas is the Sergeant he uses to instil that discipline.
Business career
In 2005 Nauyokas set up 'Not All Bad, Ltd.', a company based in
Bourne, Lincolnshire, providing motivational and
Team building physical training courses for a variety of clientele, ranging from private individuals to corporate entities, and working with
H.M. Prison Service in the rehabilitation of young offenders and prison inmates.
[Nauyokas directing the 'Snickers Walnut Challenge Physical Endurance trial' video (2010), uploaded on to Youtube 23 March 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSQUacNwGAU]
References
External links
*
''Not All Bad'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nauyokas, Richard
1962 births
Living people
British people of American descent
English male television actors
People from Grantham
Royal Logistic Corps soldiers
People from Billingborough