Ant Middleton's prospects on Australian television have been dealt a major blow after he and his brother Dan were removed from The Amazing Race Australia during filming following allegations of intimidation and offensive remarks, producers and contestants said.
Network Ten confirmed that a team had been disqualified for breaching the production's code of conduct after an incident that reportedly occurred while cast members were off duty. The decision was announced on air by host Beau Ryan, who told viewers that "due to a breach of the code of conduct, Ant and Dan have been removed from the Race." A Network Ten spokesperson said the broadcaster "takes the health, safety and well-being of all contestants seriously" and that the team was "swiftly sent home."
The disqualification followed accusations by social media personalities Luke and "Sassy" Scott O'Halloran, who told Sydney Confidential that Dan Middleton had approached them repeatedly at their hotel in Nepal and made remarks and gestures they described as "homophobic, offensive, intimidatory, and disturbing." The O'Hallorans said the encounters escalated and that former AFL player Brendan Fevola intervened, stepping between Dan Middleton and the pair and, according to their account, gave producers an ultimatum to remove the Middleton brothers or he and his daughter would leave the show. Reports of the incident first emerged in April.
Ant Middleton, a 44-year-old English-born former special forces instructor who rose to prominence as host of SAS: Who Dares Wins in the U.K., later described his removal as "bizarre" and said he was not present when the situation unfolded. In comments to Yahoo Lifestyle, Middleton said production had told him the team could not continue "due to a situation that unfolded with my brother" and that the incident was "completely out of my control."
Industry figures and television insiders reacted swiftly, telling the Daily Mail that the exit will likely end Middleton's chances of appearing on Australian free-to-air formats again. "Any talk of Ant returning for another season of SAS Australia or being considered for new formats on free-to-air has completely disappeared," an insider said, adding that networks were unwilling to take on what they viewed as "baggage." Another industry source said Middleton might turn his attention to the United States but cautioned that U.S. networks conduct thorough vetting and would be aware of controversies that have followed him.
Middleton's removal from The Amazing Race comes after a highly publicised fall-out with British television earlier in the decade. He was axed by Channel 4 amid an investigation into his "personal conduct," and in 2021 publicly criticised the broadcaster's handling of his departure from SAS: Who Dares Wins. At the time he denied making inappropriate comments to female crew members, saying complaints reflected cultural differences between the show's military-style environment and some viewers' expectations.
Television executives said the combination of the Nepal incident and Middleton's prior controversies had made him a less attractive prospect for casting on large-scale, advertiser-backed programmes. "The aura around Ant as a no-nonsense tough guy has worn thin," an industry insider told the Daily Mail. "You can't outrun a reputation forever. Ant has run out of fresh starts here."
Producers of reality formats and free-to-air networks have in recent years become more sensitive to cast behaviour and to how it plays out across social media, where footage and allegations can spread quickly and prompt advertiser and audience backlash. Network Ten's statement framed the decision to remove the team as an action taken in the interests of contestant welfare and production standards.
Middleton's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment beyond his statement to Yahoo Lifestyle. As the media industry evaluates the fallout, the episode underscores the challenges faced by high-profile personalities whose past controversies follow them into new markets and formats.