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Ant Middleton
Born (1980-09-22) 22 September 1980 (age 44)
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Occupations
  • Television personality
  • adventurer
Years active2015–present
SpouseEmilie Middleton
Children5
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army (1998–2002)
Royal Marines (2005–2008)
Special Boat Service (2008–2012)
RankMarine
Service number255700
Unit9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers
40 Commando
Special Boat Service
Battles / warsOperation Banner
War in Afghanistan
Websiteantmiddleton.com

Anthony Middleton (born 22 September 1980) is a British adventurer, television personality and former UK Special Forces soldier, Royal Marines Commando, and Royal Engineer in the British Army.[1] He is best known as the former Chief Instructor on the Channel 4 television series SAS: Who Dares Wins, a role he held from 2015 until 2021. Middleton also appeared as the Captain in the adventure/reality-show Mutiny and the survival show Escape. In 2018, he climbed Mount Everest for the TV show Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton.[2]

Early life

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Middleton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and brought up in France.[3]

Career

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Military service

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Middleton joined the army in 1998[4][non-primary source needed] at the age of 17 where he served in 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers and served tours of duty in Northern Ireland in 1999 and Macedonia in 2001.[5] After leaving the army in 2002,[6] he later enlisted in the Royal Marines on 2 May 2005. He passed the 32 week commando course on 20 January 2006 with 898 troop, winning the King's Badge for best all-round recruit,[7] and was posted to D Company, 40 Commando. In 2007 he did his first tour in Afghanistan. In 2008 he joined the Special Boat Service, serving for 4 years.[8] After leaving the armed forces, Middleton worked as a security guard for VIPs, and later as a security expert in South Africa and for various West African governments.[9]

Television

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Middleton was the Chief Instructor on SAS: Who Dares Wins, a reality high-fitness training television programme produced by Minnow Films for Channel 4, which was first broadcast in 2015. The show featured a military-style training programme and propelled Middleton into the celebrity limelight. Mutiny, an adventure/reality crossover show, was screened on UK television in February 2017, with Middleton starring as boat captain alongside eight volunteer participants.[10] The show was a re-enactment of the Mutiny on the Bounty and Middleton described the experience as "mentally speaking, the hardest thing I've ever done".[11] In March 2021, Middleton was dropped by Channel 4 over their objections to his personal conduct.[12]

Middleton then repeated his SAS hosting position on the Australian version of the show for the Seven Network. Additionally, he was the host of the reality adventure show Million Dollar Island, also for Seven.[13]

Publications

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In 2017, Middleton co-authored his first book, SAS: Who Dares Wins: Leadership Secrets from the Special Forces, with his fellow TV presenters and Special Forces colleagues Jason Fox, Matthew "Ollie" Ollerton and Colin Maclachlan. Middleton's autobiography, First Man In: Leading from the Front, was published in 2018, becoming a Number 1 Sunday Times best-seller.[14] His second book, The Fear Bubble: Harness Fear and Live Without Limits, was published in 2019, and was also No.1 on The Sunday Times bestseller chart. His third book, Zero Negativity, was published in 2020. Middleton features in Coach Mike Chadwick's audiobook The Red On Revolution,[15] published in 2022.

Other

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On 14 May 2018, Middleton reached the summit of Mount Everest with Ed Wardle, completing the ascent over a five and a half week period. The pair almost perished when they were caught in a blizzard behind a group of ten climbers who hampered their progress during the descent.[16][17][18]

In November 2019, Middleton was appointed as Chief Cadet and Honorary Captain in the Royal Navy's Volunteer Cadet Corps.[19][20] He left the position nine months later amidst controversy surrounding a comment he made on Twitter, which appeared to compare Black Lives Matter protesters with the English Defence League as extremists and "scum", though he clarified that he was not equating the two groups.[21][22]

In 2023, Middleton climbed to the summit of K2.[23]

Personal life

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Middleton was convicted of the unlawful wounding of one police officer and common assault upon a second police officer in 2013 in a nightclub in Chelmsford, Essex. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, of which he served four months due to good behavior.[24][25]

In 2024, Middleton offered his support to Nigel Farage's Reform UK and he spoke at the party's conference in Birmingham.[26]

Filmography

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Film

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In 2023, it was announced he would star in Shelter directed by Scott Vickers.[27]

Television

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Year Television series Role Channel Notes Ref
2015–2021 SAS: Who Dares Wins Chief Instructor Channel 4 6 series [28]
2017 Mutiny Captain Bligh Channel 4 1 series [29]
Escape Himself Channel 4 1 series [30]
2018 Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton Himself Channel 4 1 Series [31]
2019–2021 Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins Chief Instructor Channel 4 3 series [32]
2019 Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking Presenter Sky One One episode [33]
2020–present SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins Chief Instructor Seven Network 4 series [34]
2021 Ant Middleton & Rebel Wilson: Straight Talking Presenter Sky One One episode [35]
2023–present Million Dollar Island Presenter Seven Network 1 series [36]
2024 Dancing with the Stars Australia Contestant Seven Network 1 series
Killer K2 Himself 7plus Documentary [37]

Live Tours

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Year Title Notes Shows
2018 An Evening with Ant Middleton 44 shows
2019 Mind Over Muscle — 31 UK shows
2021 Zero Negativity 27 UK shows
2020–2021 Mind Over Muscle - Aus/ Nz Tour — 7 shows
2025 The Emotions of Man postponed from 2024 UK

Workings

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Non-fiction

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  • SAS: Who Dares Wins: Leadership Secrets from the Special Forces (Headline, 2016) ISBN 978-1472240736
  • Leader et soldat d'élite: Leçons des forces spéciales (Talent Editions, 2019) ISBN 978-2378150587
  • Mental Fitness: 15 Rules to Strengthen Your Body and Mind (HarperCollins, 2021) ISBN 978-0008472276
  • Mission: Total Resilence (Red Shed, 2022) ISBN 9780755503810
  • The Wall (HarperCollins, 2022) ISBN 978-0008472351
  • Mission: Total Confidence (Red Shed, 2023) ISBN 9780755503803
  • Military Mindset: Lessons from the Battlefield (Hodder and Stoughton/Hachette, October 2024) ISBN 9781399737005

The Mindset Trilogy

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Fiction

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Medals

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Ribbon Description Notes
General Service Medal With "NORTHERN IRELAND" Clasp
NATO Medal for Macedonia
Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan With "AFGHANISTAN" Clasp
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012; UK version of this medal

References

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  1. ^ Middleton, Ant (2018). First Man In. London: Harper Collins. p. about the author. ISBN 9780008245719.
  2. ^ "Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Ant Middleton | Biography". antmiddleton.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  4. ^ "twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  5. ^ Middleton, Ant (2018). First Man In. London: Harper Collins. p. 40-78. ISBN 9780008245719.
  6. ^ Middleton, Ant (2018). First Man In. London: Harper Collins. p. 100. ISBN 9780008245719.
  7. ^ "Kings Squad". Royal Navy. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ^ "SAS Who Dares Wins 2020 – everything you need to know". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Ant Middleton". speakerscorner.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  10. ^ Ling, Thomas (27 February 2017). "The crew on Mutiny, C4's Bounty documentary, lost almost 4 stone during their voyage". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Meet the men recreating the Mutiny on the Bounty for Channel 4". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  12. ^ Jefferies, Mark; Gibbons, Lottie (1 March 2021). "Ant Middleton dropped by Channel 4 over his 'personal conduct'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Ant Middleton to host Million Dollar Island | TV Tonight". 16 June 2022.
  14. ^ "First Man In: No.1 Sunday Times Best Seller". Ant Middleton. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  15. ^ Coach Mike Chadwick (12 April 2022). "The Red On Revolution". audible.com.
  16. ^ "Ant Middleton: 'My wife called me an idiot when she found out how close I'd come to death on Everest ... to be fair, I agreed with her!'". The Belfast Telegraph. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  17. ^ Fogle, Ben (2018). Up: My life journey to the top of Everest. William Collins. p. 81. ISBN 978-0008319182.
  18. ^ "Ant Middleton On Accepting Death During Mount Everest Adventure". ladbible.com. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  19. ^ "VCC Appoints Chief Cadet". volunteercadetcorps.org. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  20. ^ "SAS: Who Dares Wins Star Ant Middleton Surprises Royal Marines Cadets". forces.net. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  21. ^ Adejobi, Alicia (10 August 2020). "Ant Middleton 'quits' Royal Navy role after Black Lives Matter tweet". Metro. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  22. ^ Adejobi, Alicia (10 August 2020). "Ant Middleton apologises for calling Black Lives Matter protesters 'scum' but insists: 'I am anti-racist'". Metro. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Big Fish with Spencer Matthews: S1 E1: Ant Middleton: The extreme adventurer who has no limits on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  24. ^ Methven, Nicola (21 October 2015). "TV SAS star was jailed for violent assault on police". mirror. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  25. ^ "Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton is a Rangers fan". The Evening Times. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  26. ^ Wheeler, Richard (20 September 2024). "Ant Middleton says need to strengthen British culture amid 'civil unrest' fear". The Independent. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  27. ^ Brazier, Tori (19 May 2023). "Ant Middleton says UK audiences 'gagging' to have him back as he talks film role". Metro.
  28. ^ "SAS: Who Dares Wins". channel4.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Mutiny". channel4.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Escape". channel4.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton". channel4.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins". channel4.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking". sky.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  34. ^ "SAS Australia show: Meet the celebrities who will test their limits". 7news.com.au. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Ant Middleton & Rebel Wilson: Straight Talking". sky.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Airdate: Million Dollar Island | TV Tonight". 4 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Ant Middleton has a new doco, K2 Killer Mountain, coming to TV —and he's headed West for Telethon this weekend". perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
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