Beau Ryan has spoken publicly for the first time about the recent disqualification of Ant and Dan Middleton from The Amazing Race Australia, saying production acted quickly after an alleged breach of the show’s code of conduct.
On Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat and Woodsy, Ryan said the incident left cast and crew "rattled" but praised Network Ten, Paramount and Eureka for their response. "It was a curveball for everyone involved, but it was handled very quickly," he said, adding that he was not present when the altercation occurred and therefore could not comment on all details.
Ryan said he has since spoken to Ant and Dan and expressed sympathy for Ant, who he said was disappointed not only by the incident but because his time on the race was over. Ryan also said the incident served as a reminder to remaining competitors that they must look after one another and that the show is a competition in which contestants represent themselves, their families and their charities.
The Middleton brothers were disqualified after footage aired in which producers announced a team had been removed for breaching the production's code of conduct. Network Ten confirmed the decision in a statement, saying, "Network 10 takes the health, safety and wellbeing of all contestants seriously. Following a breach of the production's code of conduct by one contestant, on a day off during production, a team from The Amazing Race Australia was disqualified and swiftly sent home."
The circumstances prompting the removal were outlined by fellow contestants Luke and "Sassy" Scott O'Halloran, who told Sydney Confidential the trouble began at their hotel in Nepal on a day off. They alleged that Dan Middleton approached them multiple times, making remarks and gestures they described as "homophobic, offensive, intimidatory, and disturbing." The pair said each encounter felt increasingly aggressive and at one point Dan was "right up in our faces," surrounded by other cast members who they said appeared uncomfortable.
The O'Hallorans said AFL star Brendan Fevola intervened during the confrontation, physically stepping between the social media stars and Dan. According to reports, Fevola later told producers he and his daughter Leni would leave the show if the Middleton brothers remained, after which Ant and Dan were removed and subsequently cut from the series.
Ryan said the incident occurred early in the race, within the first few nights after contestants had met one another. He reiterated that, while he could not provide a full account, the primary concern for producers was the wellbeing of Luke and Scott.
Reports of the incident first emerged in April. Network Ten's statement did not name the contestants involved but confirmed the disqualification followed a breach of the code of conduct that took place on a day off during production.
Producers have not released further details about the specific disciplinary process or any internal investigations, and Ryan declined to expand on the incident beyond his public remarks and the network's statement. The show's remaining contestants resumed the competition after the departures.