Ant Middleton breaks silence after Channel 4 cuts ties with SAS: Who Dares Wins host

Former soldier claims it was his decision to quit

Ant Middleton has broken his silence after it was announced he had been dropped from SAS: Who Dares Wins.

It was reported on Monday (1 March) that Channel 4 had officially cut ties with the former soldier, who has hosted the series since 2015,

A spokesperson for the channel released a statement reading: “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.”

However, Middleton has claimed it was his decision to step away from the series in a post he shared on Twitter and Instagram on Monday (1 March).

Ant Middleton has been a part of ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’ since 2015 (Getty Images)

“After five incredible years, I’ve decided it’s time to move on from SAS: Who Dares Wins UK,” he wrote. “Big respect to my fellow DS – it’s been a journey I’ll never forget.

“Thanks to everyone that took part and made the show what it is. Really excited about the future and what’s coming this year.”

Following the news, the TV personality told his fans to “stay positive”.

The news comes after Middleton was forced to apologise for calling Black Lives Matter protesters “scum” and comparing them to the English Defence League (EDL) in June 2020.

In since deleted tweets shared as far-right groups violently clashed with anti-racism protesters and police in London, the TV personality branded both “extreme groups” as “thugs”.

READ MORE: SAS: Who Dares Wins host Ant Middleton responds to backlash over coronavirus remarks

Middleton responded: “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. 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.

“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. I was angry and put that tweet out to say that that was unacceptable.”

In April, Middleton faced backlash for saying that he was still “travelling the world” and “shaking hands” amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Independent has contacted Middleton’s representatives for additional comment.