OHMYGOSSIP — Ant Middleton has blasted Channel 4 as “reckless and desperate” after he was dropped from ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’.
The channel axed the former Special Forces soldier from the series due to his “personal conduct”, but he has now alleged Channel 4 knew he was leaving, claiming he vowed to depart the series because it had “become a half-scripted reality show”, and that they “got in there before [him]” to “protect their brand”.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, Ant – who has hosted the quasi-military training TV programme since 2015 – said: “Channel 4 and Minnow Films’ statement is very reckless and desperate. That’s the word – it’s desperate.
“Especially backed by excuses like the BLM tweet. The BLM tweet I did just under a year ago, settled that three or four months later and filmed two more series of ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’.”
Earlier this week, a Channel 4 spokesperson said in a statement: “Ant Middleton will not be taking part in future series of ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’.
“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.”
Ant has insisted the series – which sees ex-Special Forces soldiers put people through their paces as they recreate the SAS’s secret selection process – has become a “half-scripted reality show”.
He said: “From the last episode, it became a half-scripted reality show.
“Full control was taken from me, from health and safety to production. After that show I said, ‘I’m not going to film anymore. I’m done with ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’.’
“I wanted to part in a healthy way and in a positive way. They knew I was going, and all of a sudden they drop this bomb about Black Lives Matter and I’ve been axed.
“Ultimately, what they’re doing is protecting their brand. They knew I was going, they got in there before me.
“Everything else is smoke and mirrors, all these excuses that are coming out, like inappropriate comments. You’re on ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’. We say inappropriate things, we do inappropriate things. If you get offended by them then so be it.”
When it was suggested he previously used an “offensive word” to describe “BLM and EDL protesters”, he said: “It was the way it was worded. I didn’t word it correctly, and I acknowledged that. We put that under the carpet, and a couple of months later I filmed two more series.
“It’s all smoke and mirrors.”
Asked if he has ever been “inappropriate to female crew members”, he said: “No, never direct. There was a new protocol that came in with the health and safety that if they feel offended and they want to complain then they can anonymously.
“So it’s obviously something they’ve seen. They’ve seen a bit of military banter, or military humour. Or seen us talk about a recruit, or maybe a production member, or something like that. It’s not direct, it’s something indirect that they’ve complained about that they’ve seen and felt offended by.”
Ant admitted he had “a great relationship” with Channel 4 and Minnow Films when he started out on the show, but he claims the programme has become “so controlled and so managed, so unauthentic” that he wanted to walk away from the series.
He said: “Over the years, the PC patrol have kicked in, and the woke patrol have kicked in.
“To the point where we can’t say anything. We can’t be ourselves. We can’t even act on the ground without health and safety jumping in going, ‘You can’t put them in at shoulder level in the water, you’ve got to put them in at waist height.’
“It’s been so controlled and so managed, so unauthentic that I’ve decided to walk away from it.”
Asked if he has had any warnings about his “personal conduct” from Channel 4 or the producers, in reference to their statement, he said: “No. The first time I heard about it was last night from my management to say there is going to be an article about you tomorrow morning.
“I know what it’ll be. It’ll be someone who is offended for what we said about a recruit or what we’ve done on set.”
Ant insisted he has been “butting heads” with the channel and the producers for the “last two to three series”, and admitted he hasn’t always been “easy to work with”.
When asked about the article – a Daily Mirror newspaper piece, which alleges complaints were made by female crew over “inappropriate comments” – by ‘GMB’ co-host Susanna Reid, Ant said: “I’ve been butting heads with production, with health and safety, I’ve been butting heads with the channels for the last two/ three series since they’ve taken more and more control away from me.
“I’ve said I’m going to walk off set, this is horrendous. This is BS. I’ve butted heads with a lot of people over the last two series … and you can take that as inappropriately as you want. You can interpret that as you want.
“Yeah, I probably haven’t been easy to work with.
“That’s only because the course isn’t what it was, what I created.
“I will butt heads with people on set and off set, whatever it may be, to make sure I get the best work done to keep the authenticity of the show.”
Quizzed by ‘GMB’ co-host Piers Morgan about what Channel 4 told him “when they said they were not renewing the contract”, Ant replied: “When they dropped the news article that was the first I heard about it … two days ago.”
Ant believes the programme has turned into “a reality show” and he doesn’t think it “belongs at Channel 4” anymore.
He said: “If you’re sensitive you do not belong on the set of ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’. This isn’t a ‘Dancing on Ice’, this isn’t a ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, even though it’s turned into that. This is ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’.
“You’re going to see things that are uncomfortable, you’re going to hear things that are uncomfortable.
“It’s not for the light-hearted this show.
“But now it’s turned into this PC, woke, sort of everyone in their safety bubble if you hear anything that offends you then make sure you complain. That’s the show gone.
“It’s a reality show now. The PC patrol have taken over, you can’t be yourself, you can’t give an authentic experience and course because it is too brutal and too raw. I think it doesn’t belong at Channel 4.”
In reference to Channel 4’s statement about his “personal conduct”, Ant admitted the channel have had conversations with him about the way he “deals with the crew”.
He said: “They’ve [Channel 4] have had personal talks with me about the way I deal with the crew when they’re trying to take control. I’m always arguing with health and safety, always pushing the boundaries. Trying to keep it authentic.
“It’s the same with production, I was like, ‘Don’t get involved in my course. Leave me with my playground, do not get involved in my bubble. Do not break that authenticity.’
“So yeah, I’ve been butting heads with them for a while.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online
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