# Ant Middleton
**Ant Middleton** (Anthony Middleton) is a British former [Special Boat Service](https://www.edgepedia.org/special-boat-service) operator and television personality, best known as the chief instructor on [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4)'s reality series *SAS: Who Dares Wins* from 2015 to 2021 and on the Australian version, *SAS Australia*.[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) • [2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-anthony-middleton) He is also a Sunday Times bestselling author and a speaker on leadership and resilience.[3](https://antmiddleton.com/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Military service | Joined the British Army in 1998; served in the Royal Marines, the 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, and the Special Boat Service (SBS)[4](https://antlive.co.uk/) • [3](https://antmiddleton.com/) |
| SBS role | Four years in the SBS as point man/lead scout, primary fires operator, and sniper[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-anthony-middleton) |
| Signature TV role | Chief Instructor on *SAS: Who Dares Wins* (Channel 4), 2015 to March 2021, when Channel 4 cut ties with him over his "views and values"[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) |
| Conviction | Found guilty in 2013 of unlawful wounding of a police officer and common assault outside a nightclub; sentenced to 14 months and served four[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) |
| Books | Five Sunday Times bestsellers: *First Man In* (2018), *The Fear Bubble* (2019), *Zero Negativity* (2020), *Mental Fitness* (2021), and *Cold Justice* (2022)[3](https://antmiddleton.com/) |
| Expeditions | Climbed Mount Everest for a Channel 4 documentary, caught in a storm near the summit; summited K2 for a later documentary[5](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-everest-documentary-ant-middleton-0) • [6](https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/ant-middleton-has-a-new-doco-k2-killer-mountain-coming-to-tv-and-hes-headed-west-for-telethon-this-weekend-c-16412063) |
## Military career
Middleton joined the [British Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-army) in 1998.[4](https://antlive.co.uk/) His service record spans three of the [British Armed Forces](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-armed-forces)' most demanding branches: the Royal Marines Commando, the 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers (an airborne combat engineer unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade), and the Special Boat Service, the naval special forces unit of [United Kingdom Special Forces](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-kingdom-special-forces).[3](https://antmiddleton.com/) In his own account given to Channel 4 before the first series of *SAS: Who Dares Wins*, he spent four years in the SBS as a point man and lead scout, the first person through the door, and also served as a primary fires operator and sniper.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-anthony-middleton) A biography catalog describes him as a point man who was "the first man through the door, the first man into the dark, and the first man in harm's way".[7](https://a.storyblok.com/f/150652/x/7e299f0027/november-22-biography-general-catalogue.pdf) After leaving the military he worked in the mining and security sector in Africa.[2](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-anthony-middleton)
## SAS: Who Dares Wins and television work
*SAS: Who Dares Wins* premiered on Channel 4 on 19 October 2015, putting 30 civilian men through a compressed version of the Special Forces selection process, with Middleton as Chief Instructor leading a team of ex-Special Forces directing staff.[8](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/sas-who-dares-wins) The format proved popular: the first series was called "the best show on television" by *The Sun*, and later series moved through the Welsh hills, the Ecuadorian jungle, the desert, and the Chilean Andes, mirroring the phases of real SAS selection.[9](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/welcome-jungle-sas-who-dares-wins-returns-channel-4) • [10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/sas-interview-chief-instructor-ant-middleton) Middleton said the show's real test was psychological rather than physical, and that he treated male and female recruits identically: "everyone's just a number to me".[10](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/sas-interview-chief-instructor-ant-middleton)
His other Channel 4 work included *Mutiny* (2017), in which he captained a crew of nine men recreating Captain William Bligh's 4,000-mile open-boat voyage after the mutiny on the Bounty, and *Escape*, an engineering and survival program.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/07/mutiny-review-like-bear-grylls-endurance-katherine-ryan-howd-you-get-so-rich) • [12](https://www.celebritytalent.net/sampletalent/32125/ant-middleton/) In 2018 Channel 4 commissioned the documentary *Everest*, following his first ascent of the mountain, during which he, his film director, and his sherpas were trapped in a sudden storm near the summit.[5](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-everest-documentary-ant-middleton-0)
After leaving Channel 4 he became chief instructor on Channel 7's *SAS Australia*, hosted *Million Dollar Island* in 2023, and competed on *Dancing with the Stars Australia* in 2024.[13](https://www.claxtonspeakers.com.au/speakers_profile/3087) • [14](https://10.com.au/the-amazing-race-australia/teams/season-6/ant-dan-middleton/pa250826fzoyd) • [6](https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/ant-middleton-has-a-new-doco-k2-killer-mountain-coming-to-tv-and-hes-headed-west-for-telethon-this-weekend-c-16412063) In 2024 he summited K2, the world's second-highest mountain, for the documentary *K2 Killer Mountain*.[6](https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/ant-middleton-has-a-new-doco-k2-killer-mountain-coming-to-tv-and-hes-headed-west-for-telethon-this-weekend-c-16412063) In 2025 he and his brother Dan were disqualified from *The Amazing Race Australia* after Dan breached the production's code of conduct in an off-camera altercation; Ant was not involved in the incident.[15](https://www.newidea.com.au/entertainment/ant-middleton-career-after-the-amazing-race-australia/)
## Departure from Channel 4 and controversies
Channel 4 cut ties with Middleton in March 2021, citing his "views and values".[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) The summer before, he was forced to apologize for calling [Black Lives Matter](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-lives-matter) protesters "scum" and comparing them to the [English Defence League](https://www.edgepedia.org/english-defence-league).[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) He blamed what he called a "PC patrol" for his departure from the show.[16](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/ant-middleton) [The Prince](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-prince)'s Trust removed him from its website after his exit from the show.[16](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/ant-middleton)
In March 2022, appearing on *This Morning*, he described his 2013 conviction and prison sentence as his "biggest failure" and "biggest learning curve", saying the experience taught him self-reflection and accountability.[1](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html) A 2025 report indicated significant financial strain, including an unpaid £1 million tax bill and a ban as a company director, though that reporting has not been independently corroborated by multiple sources.[17](https://publicwire.uk/world/ant-middleton-biography-facts-2025/) • [16](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/ant-middleton)
## Books and speaking
Middleton's *First Man In: Leading From the Front* peaked at number one on The Sunday Times Best Seller List.[12](https://www.celebritytalent.net/sampletalent/32125/ant-middleton/) His five Sunday Times bestsellers are *First Man In* (2018), *The Fear Bubble* (2019), *Zero Negativity* (2020), *Mental Fitness* (2021), and *Cold Justice* (2022), the last his first work of fiction, a thriller about an ex-elite soldier.[3](https://antmiddleton.com/) • [18](https://thoughteconomics.com/ant-middleton/) *The Wall*, on strategies for dealing with fear, followed in 2022.[18](https://thoughteconomics.com/ant-middleton/) He tours internationally with live shows such as "An Evening with Ant Middleton" and hosts the *Head Game* podcast, featuring stories of survival and people who beat the odds.[4](https://antlive.co.uk/) • [3](https://antmiddleton.com/) Media coverage in 2025 and 2026 has also reported on a potential London mayoral candidacy, and his own website says he continues to monitor UK and London politics.[4](https://antlive.co.uk/) • [3](https://antmiddleton.com/)
## References
1. [SAS: Who Dares Wins' Ant Middleton says going to prison for attacking police officer is his 'biggest failure', The Independent (14 March 2022)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/ant-middleton-assault-police-prison-b2035578.html)
2. [Interview with Anthony Middleton, Channel 4 Press (7 October 2015)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/interview-anthony-middleton)
3. [Ant Middleton official website](https://antmiddleton.com/)
4. [Ant Middleton: Live & Unscripted tour site](https://antlive.co.uk/)
5. [Channel 4 commissions Everest documentary with Ant Middleton, Channel 4 Press (29 May 2018)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-everest-documentary-ant-middleton-0)
6. [Ant Middleton has a new doco, K2 Killer Mountain, coming to TV, PerthNow (17 October 2024)](https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/ant-middleton-has-a-new-doco-k2-killer-mountain-coming-to-tv-and-hes-headed-west-for-telethon-this-weekend-c-16412063)
7. [Biography catalogue, November 2022 (publisher PDF)](https://a.storyblok.com/f/150652/x/7e299f0027/november-22-biography-general-catalogue.pdf)
8. [SAS: Who Dares Wins, Channel 4 Press (2015)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/sas-who-dares-wins)
9. [Welcome to the Jungle: SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4, Channel 4 Press (4 October 2016)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/welcome-jungle-sas-who-dares-wins-returns-channel-4)
10. [SAS Interview with Chief Instructor - Ant Middleton, Channel 4 Press (3 January 2019)](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/sas-interview-chief-instructor-ant-middleton)
11. [Mutiny review, The Guardian (7 March 2017)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/07/mutiny-review-like-bear-grylls-endurance-katherine-ryan-howd-you-get-so-rich)
12. [Ant Middleton booking agency profile, Celebrity Talent](https://www.celebritytalent.net/sampletalent/32125/ant-middleton/)
13. [Speaker profile, Claxton Speakers](https://www.claxtonspeakers.com.au/speakers_profile/3087)
14. [Ant & Dan Middleton, The Amazing Race Australia, Network Ten](https://10.com.au/the-amazing-race-australia/teams/season-6/ant-dan-middleton/pa250826fzoyd)
15. [Ant Middleton's Aussie TV career at risk after The Amazing Race controversy, New Idea (16 September 2025)](https://www.newidea.com.au/entertainment/ant-middleton-career-after-the-amazing-race-australia/)
16. [Ant Middleton topic page, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/ant-middleton)
17. [Ant Middleton: Biography, Facts, and London Mayor Campaign, Publicwire (2025)](https://publicwire.uk/world/ant-middleton-biography-facts-2025/)
18. [Interview with Ant Middleton, Thought Economics (2021)](https://thoughteconomics.com/ant-middleton/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Conflict and security › Military and security biographies › Marines and naval infantry personnel*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license