Damien Lewis - Who Dares Wins: The Secrets of the SAS

Sadly, or perhaps inevitably, I’ve been on a steep learning curve following the two bouts of sepsis I suffered in 2025. The last few months have been about trying to understand what I can realistically manage as I deal with the aftermath of illness. The UK Sepsis Trust has been hugely supportive throughout, helping me understand the long and often unpredictable recovery associated with ‘long sepsis’, alongside other longer-term medical complications.

Working with my literary agent, I’ve already reduced my writing commitments from two books a year to one. However, even with that reduced workload, I fear the 30-venue tour we originally planned before my illness is simply no longer tenable. This is the very last thing I wanted to say, and I never imagined I would find myself in this position.

For the foreseeable future, this kind of speaking tour isn’t something I feel able to undertake. Even thinking about it causes me considerable stress and concern. I sincerely apologise to everyone who was looking forward to seeing me speak in person, and I hope they understand this has been an incredibly difficult decision.

—Damien Lewis