John Hudson is without question one of the leading figures in the world of survival, renowned for his expertise in how to navigate and overcome some of the world's harshest environments, including the Arctic, desert, rainforest and open water. With a foundation as a former RAF helicopter pilot and now serving as the Chief SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Extraction) Instructor for the UK military, John is at the heart of survival education.
John’s broadcast credits include being a key cast member on two series of Discovery US’s Dude, You’re Screwed (renamed as Survive That when it was broadcast in the UK) and alongside Ed Stafford in First Man Out, putting his own resilience to the test in the Himalayas. He was also the host presenter of the seven-part Silver Spitfire podcast series sponsored by IWC Schaffhausen.
As well as penning the survival manual utilised by the Armed Forces, John is also the author of How To Survive: Lessons For Everyday Life From The Extreme World, which earned critical acclaim and became an Amazon bestseller, as well as resulting in translation editions in Bulgaria, Romania and China. An updated version, featuring a chapter on navigating the challenges of Covid-19, swiftly followed. John further expanded his reach by tailoring his survival insights for the US audience with a revised edition, How To Survive: Self-Reliance In Extreme Circumstances, published by Countryman Press.
John is a popular public speaker, appearing at events such as Bear Grylls' Gone Wild festival, BBC Countryfile Live, Sunday Papers Live and the Lloyds Pharmacy annual conference. John has also worked with disaster response charity Shelterbox, and trained many civilians, from fighter pilots and paratroopers, investment bankers and A-listers, on how to handle life-threatening situations. He regularly advises the TV industry as a consultant on survival-related programmes and development projects.
John has collaborated with brands such as Filson and Savile Row Tailors Anderson & Sheppard, with whom he designed and created The Hudson Sweater. The partnership championed wool's natural performance in extreme conditions, whilst supporting the Campaign for Wool initiative of His Majesty King Charles III.
In recent months, John has also proven popular with gaming enthusiasts, following invitations by leading games producers Frontier Developments and entertainment platform IGN to review forthcoming survival video games. His review of ocean survival scenes in the movies has been watched over 4 million times on Insider’s YouTube channel.
