SAS Australia star Ant Middleton comes with a VERY chequered past involving prison and assault

Former British Special Forces agent Ant Middleton has promised to expose the ‘darkest secrets’ of the terrified celebrities being put through their paces on Channel Seven’s SAS Australia.

But the ex-Royal Marine-turned-reality TV star has his own chequered past involving scandals, shocking tweets and a four-month prison stint for assaulting a policewoman outside a nightclub in 2013.

Furthermore, the 39-year-old caused outrage earlier this year when he boasted that he was flouting social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

He was also stood down from his mentoring role as the Royal Navy’s Chief Cadet after calling Black Lives Matter protesters ‘absolute scum’ on Twitter.

Middleton’s string of controversies began in 2013, when he assaulted officer PC Katherine Alison outside an Essex nightclub.

He was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the attack, of which he served four months due to good behaviour.

In January this year, Middleton’s appointment as Chief Cadet of the Royal Marines’ Volunteer Cadet Corps was condemned by Alison. Her friends told Mail on Sunday she remains traumatised by the incident.

She reportedly suffered whiplash injuries as a result of the incident and was withdrawn from frontline duties. She was later transferred away from Essex Police.

In 2015, Middleton failed to declare he had been jailed while being vetted by TV producers for the hit UK reality show SAS: Who Dares Wins.

However, it appears that Middleton did declare his criminal record to Australian authorities, otherwise he would have been barred from entering the country. 

Meanwhile, in March, at the onset of the Covid pandemic, he boasted he was continuing with life as usual and was ignoring social distancing advice – and said fans should be ‘grateful’ if they caught it. 

He said in a video shared to Instagram: ‘Am I still out travelling the world? Yes. Am I still shaking hands? Yes. Am I still cuddling fans at the airport? Yes. Am I washing my hands and keeping my hygiene to a high standard as always? Yes.

‘Has my life changed? No. Am I going to let some disease, COVID-19, dictate my life? Absolutely not. Get out there, don’t change, f**k COVID-19!’

Captioning his clip, Middleton said fans should be grateful if they end up contracting the virus from him because it will ultimately make them stronger. 

He said: ‘I do love my fans who come up to me and want a cuddle or a handshake but feel really awkward, so I simply pull them in anyway.

‘Don’t worry if I give it to you, your immune system will be stronger after then you can come back and thank me with a kiss! Stay clean and keep doing your thing!

‘P.S. I haven’t got COVID-19 but probably have had it like the majority of you but Ssshhh!’

Middleton’s social media post was met with immediate backlash.

In April, the television star spoke to Men’s Health about battling negative comments, insisting he tackles criticism with ‘positivity’.

He told the publication: ‘When an unfavourable situation comes along, you can’t counter negativity with negativity. It’s a double negative. It’s simple science.

‘You have to tackle negativity with positivity, whether that’s a situation or a person. And if you can’t deal with it, you need to cut it out of your life. Because, otherwise, it’s just going to engulf you.’

On owning up to his mistakes, Middleton elaborated: ‘Mistakes happen, and we all make them. What’s important, though, is that you own your mistakes – acknowledge them, instead of running away from them.’

He was more apologetic about the situation in an interview with Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain in September.

Middleton revealed he ‘went from hero to zero’ once lockdown hit as his once-loyal followers turned on him because of his views on coronavirus.

He said: ‘Some of my controversial quotes on social media were in the moment. I was in New Zealand sheltered from the coronavirus.

‘When it comes to a global pandemic, which I didn’t know was going to happen, that came and bit me in my behind. Sometimes I get it wrong and put my hand and up said, “Look my information was wrong.”‘ 

In June, Middleton offered his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement and compared it to the far-right English Defence League.

He wrote on Twitter: ‘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.’

In August, Middleton quit as the Royal Navy’s Chief Cadet after just nine months following the controversial tweet.

The TV tough guy, who took on the role in November 2019, 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, an unarmed black man, in the U.S.

He later apologised for his actions, saying: ‘I am horrified to realise that my wording could be misconstrued. I did not mean to say that BLM are scum, or to imply that BLM and the EDL are equivalent.

‘I was trying to make a comment about violent protesters of any kind who I despise. I accept that my tweet was inappropriate and offensive and would like to apologise unconditionally. I am anti-racist, anti-hate and anti-violence.’

His tweet had a long-lasting effect as the Mail on Sunday claimed in August that Middleton had been given the boot by charity football match Soccer Aid 2020 amid fears that his involvement would offend ethnic minority players.

It was unclear whether organisers kicked out Middleton at the request of other players or to protect the image of the match, which attracts significant corporate sponsorship and support from the British government.

A spokesman for Middleton confirmed at the time that he would no longer be taking part in the Soccer Aid event.

Middleton joined the British Army aged 17 in 1997, and served in the Royal Marines from 2005 to 2012.

He was thrust into the spotlight after becoming the Chief Instructor on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. The military-style reality show has aired every year since, and was recently adapted by Channel Seven for Australian viewers.

On the personal front, the hardman shares children Shyla, 12, Gabriel, 11, Priseis, four and Bligh, three, with his wife of nearly 14 years, Emilie, and has an older son from a previous relationship.

SAS Australia will put stars through their paces as they attempt to pass the selection process to join the Australian Army’s elite Special Air Service.

A Seven representative confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Middleton and the rest of the Special Forces team – Mark Billingham, Jason Fox and Ollie Ollerton – were granted travel exemptions from the Australian Border Force to enter the country in July.

Workers in the film and television industry are eligible for an exemption because it is defined by the Home Affairs department as ‘critical to Australia’s economic recovery’ since it brings in so much cash.

Other industries in this category include financial technology, large scale manufacturing, and emerging technology.

All four non-Australian staff completed 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine in Sydney before production commenced in the NSW Blue Mountains.

A spokesman for the ADF told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Each case for an exemption is unique and is considered on its own merit based on the information provided in the application, and supporting evidence must be provided.’ 

Middleton would not have been barred due to his criminal record as long as he declared it. 

The ABF spokesman said: ‘In certain circumstances foreign citizens with criminal records may enter Australia so long as their convictions are declared on their visa applications and Incoming Passenger Cards (IPC).

‘All visa applicants must satisfy the requirements of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) and Migration Regulations 1994, including the character test at section 501 of the Act.’

Other celebrities such as British billionaire Lord Sugar and Hollywood actor Tom Hanks have also been granted travel exemptions to enter Australia for filming commitments.

The SAS Australia contestants include convicted Bali drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, 2018 Bachelorette Ali Oetjen, sporting great-turned-reality TV flop Nick Cummins and publicist Roxy Jacenko.

Alleged drug cheat swimmer Shayna Jack and glamour model Arabella Del Busso will also appear on the show.