Ant Middleton has some harsh words for the UK version of SAS, called SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The SAS Australia star, 41, says he only accepted the role on the local sister show because it was less produced.
‘The UK version fell out of my grasp and was taken out of my grip, so I was worried about this version being the same,’ he told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.
Tough talk: Ant Middleton (pictured) has some harsh words for the UK version of SAS. He said that he only accepted the role on the local adaptation because it was less produced
‘It wasn’t until I sat down with the heads of Channel 7 and they said, “we want you to run it and do what you do best”, I knew it would be different.’
Ant added that he is more than happy to cut ties with the UK version of the show.
‘The last UK episode finishes on Sunday and then I am going to wipe my hands of them and move forward. Hopefully they leave me alone.
‘There’s a lot of witch hunting going on, there’s no doubt about that,’ he said.
‘The UK version fell out of my grasp and was taken out of my grip, so I was worried about this version being the same,’ he told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday
Ant was dropped by Channel 4 due to his ‘personal conduct’, with the station claiming they will not work with him again.
His departure came months after Ant sparked controversy by referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as ‘absolute scum’, and urging people to ‘carry on as normal’ and not change their habits amid the global Covid pandemic.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told MailOnline: ‘Ant Middleton will not be taking part in future series of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Ant added that he is more than happy to cut ties with the UK version of the show: ‘The last UK episode finishes on Sunday and then I am going to wipe my hands of them and move forward. Hopefully they leave me alone’ he said
‘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.’
Following the statement, the adventurer, who found fame as the host of SAS: Who Dares Wins, took to social media and vowed to ‘stay positive’.
Ant’s axing by Channel 4 comes after he sparked controversy by referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as ‘absolute scum’ last June.
Ant took to social media and confirmed he would no longer be hosting SAS: Who Dares Wins, but said he was excited about the future.
‘There’s a lot of witch hunting going on, there’s no doubt about that,’ he added
He wrote: ‘Hi guys, I’ve got some news which is that after 5 incredible years I’ve decided it’s time to move on from SAS Who Dares Wins UK.
‘Big respect to my fellow DS – its 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. Stay positive.’
The TV tough guy, who took on the role in November, was said to have left his bosses furious after posting the since-deleted tweet, amid protests over racial injustice after the death of George Floyd in the US.
On June 14, 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.’
Dropped: Ant was dropped by Channel 4 due to his ‘personal conduct’, with the station claiming they will not work with him again
Ant subsequently apologised, releasing a video message where he 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.
‘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.’
Comments: His departure came months after Ant sparked controversy by referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as ‘absolute scum’, and urging people to ‘carry on as normal’ and not change their habits amid the global Covid pandemic