Ant Middleton says he was dropped from Channel 4 after he claimed that SAS: Who Dares Wins had turned into a “reality show”.
It was announced on Monday that Channel 4 and Minnow Films had cut ties with Ant as their views and values “didn’t align”.
He’s since told The Sun that the show he’s worked on for six years is not the same compared to when started.
He told the publication: “When I started making the show and as I was involved from the beginning, it was very simple and at its core it was to show what Special Forces’ selection was.
“And I am sad to say that in recent years the producers of the show have drifted from this and it has become more of a reality show than I feel comfortable with.
Ant Middleton says he was dropped from Channel 4 after he claimed that SAS: Who Dares Wins had turned into a “reality show” (Image: Minnow Films/Production Company. Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way. This picture may be used solely for Channel 4 programme publicity purposes in connection with the current broadcast of the programme(s) featured in the national and local press and listings. Not to be reproduced or redistributed for any use or in any medium not set out above.)
“I have decided to walk away from it, it is clear Channel 4 and I have fallen out over it and that is regretful.
“I have butted heads with some of the team but ultimately it is out of a passion for what I wanted to do and that’s make the best show possible.”
A spokesperson for Channel 4 said on Monday: “Following a number of discussions Channel 4 and Minnow Films have had with him in relation to his personal conduct it has become clear that our views and values are not aligned and we will not be working with him again.”
Daily Star has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
Joey Essex, Nikki Sanderson and Helen Skelton appeared on the celebrity edition of the gruelling show (Image: Minnow Films)
The broadcaster’s decision to cut ties with Ant is less than a year after he said Black Lives Matter protesters were “absolute scum” – which was later met with severe backlash.
During the summer of 2020, when protests were taking place across the globe following the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, Ant tweeted: “The extreme left against the extreme right. When did two wrongs make a right?
“It was only a matter of time. BLM and EDL are not welcome on our streets, absolute scum. What a great example you are to your future generation. Bravo.”
The broadcasters decision to cut ties with Ant is less than a year after he said Black Lives Matter protesters were “absolute scum” (Image: Getty Images)
Shortly after coming under fire, the father of five released a video message to his social media followers and said: “I’d just like to clarify a tweet I’d put out at the weekend and deleted straight away once I’d re-read it and realised that it could cause offence.
“I put out a tweet or retweeted a video of the violence, the terror and chaos that was happening on the streets of London. ‘Within that tweet, I mentioned the BLM and EDL and the word ‘scum’.
“At no point was I calling the BLM scum and comparing the two organisations. I want to make that really, really clear.
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“The word scum was used to describe the people in the video that were violent, that were causing terror on the streets of London and setting a bad example for our future generations.”
Ant signed up for the armed forces aged just 17 before later enrolling with the Royal Marines.
He became a household name back in 2015 on SAS: Who Dares Wins, which saw people recreate the SAS training process.
There has since been celebrity editions of the gruelling show featuring the likes of Katie Price, Joey Essex and Wayne Bridge.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
