大象传媒

Bodyguards are an essential part of the entourage of any top politician, high net-worth business person, celebrity or royal. The industry is booming and could be worth $240 billion by 2020.

Political instability in certain parts of the world and an upsurge in super-wealthy individuals in the UAE, China, and other parts of Asia, are all factors contributing to the boom.

And more women are now signing up to be bodyguards, many of them returning from active duty in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Vivienne Nunis speak to one of them, Jacquie Davis, about her experience as a close protection officer, including the time she rescued a woman held hostage in Pakistan.

We also hear from Paul Ellis, who worked as a close protection officer for British cabinet ministers and Lisa Baldwin, a more recent recruit to the profession.

(Image: Close-up of a bodyguard. Credit: Getty Images.)