Who is Ant Middleton and why did he get sent to prison?
Who is Ant Middleton and why did he get sent to prison? This Morning viewers have been wondering after the TV star spoke candidly about his time in jail.
This Morning fans were left wondering what had previously happened to the SAS Who Dares Wins star after he started talking about his past life to hosts Phillip Schofield and Josie Gibson, who was standing in for Holly Willoughby today.
British adventurer was promoting his new children's book while speaking on the show—but who is Ant Middleton and why did he go to jail?
Who is Ant Middleton?
Ant Middleton is a former soldier and marine born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and after his father died he moved and was brought up in France. He has become a well-known television personality and writer thanks to his adventurous side - 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.
The reality quasi-military training television programme helped him find fame as a celebrity and following on from this success, Ant became the Captain in the adventure/reality-show Mutiny (2017) - 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". He also worked on the survival show Escape. In 2018 he climbed Mount Everest for the TV show Extreme Everest with Ant Middleton.
The TV star, 41, has released a series of books but he is set to release his first children's book called Mission: Total Resilience which is available to pre-order ahead of its release on 17th March
Why did Ant Middleton get sent to prison?
Ant Middleton got sent to prison after he was convicted of the unlawful wounding of one police officer and of common assault upon a second outside a nightclub in 2013, for which he was sentenced to 14 months in prison. He has previously spoken candidly about the "alcohol-fuelled mistake" that led to him spending four months behind bars and described it as his "biggest learning curve" in his life, during his appearance on the ITV show.
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
He explained, "My biggest failure was going to prison, but boy oh boy, was that my biggest learning curve. Why was I there? Talk about self-reflection, talk about holding yourself accountable."
Ant emphasised that ultimately, he understood it was about not trying to "pass the blame" or make an excuse for his behaviour.
"Holding yourself accountable, being honest with yourself. Honestly, it will free you as an individual. But it’s really hard to do,’ he stated.
"So when I went into prison, it was like alright, this is no doubt my biggest failure, but the biggest lesson I’ve learnt from it is understanding who I am, what I need to do differently and attacking life differently and it’s changed me as an individual and it’s changed my life."
Following his own experience of being in jail, Ant outlined how he used his past to offer advice to others, urging them ‘not to be afraid of failure’.
"Because you will get your most valuable lessons from failure," he added.
You can watch the interview below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imo7ciLuKrg
What special forces was Ant Middleton in?
Ant Middleton was a sniper and point man in the Special Boat Service in 2008 where he served four years - in this time he completed a further two tours in Afghanistan and reached the rank of corporal.
After leaving the military he worked as a security guard for VIPs and later as a security expert in South Africa and for various West African governments.
His first taste of military life came in 1998 when he joined the army at the age of 17 and served in the 9 Parachute Squadron RE and served tours of duty in Northern Ireland in 1999 and Macedonia in 2001.
Upon leaving the army he enlisted in the Royal Marines in 2005. He passed out of his commando course in January 2006 and won the King's Badge for best all round recruit and was subsequently posted to B Company 40 Commando.
He completed his first tour in Afghanistan in 2007.
Is Ant Middleton in a relationship?
Ant Middleton is happily married to his wife Emilie Middleton. The couple met in 2004 at the Essex bar that Emilie was working in at the time and the then 24-year-old Emilie admitted, “It was love at first sight.”
The couple went on to have five children, including sons, Oakley, 18, Gabriel, 11, and Bligh, three, and daughters Shyla, 12, and Priseis, four.
Speaking about he taught resilience in his kids, Ant told a podcast, "I was on holiday and the swimming pool was absolutely freezing. My 10-year-old son and three-year-old daughter ran past and I grabbed hold of their legs.
"They knew the pool was really, really cold and my three-year-old daughter started crying. She didn’t want to go in. So I grabbed her, put her in the water and held her there."
While the other parents were left in shock, Ant insisted his daughter ended up loving the pool.
He recalled, "You should have seen some of the parents’ faces. As soon as they saw my daughter crying, they were like, "Surely he is going to let her go?"
"But I grab her and put her in the water. She kicks off and goes mad and then all of a sudden she calms down and jumps on her brother’s back. I then slipped off out the pool and they were playing in there for hours."
Ant reckons his style of parenting will prevent his children from being 'terrified' of the world, saying other parents are not teaching their children to be resilient.
He said, "That’s just a prime example of how people are now not teaching mental resilience or any type of resilience to their children."
Ant Middleton's new book Mission: Total Resilience is available to pre-order on Amazon £4.99 (rrp £9.99)
Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)
-
What to say to your kids instead of 'good girl' and 'good boy'
Although praising our children with words such as 'good boy' and 'good girl' come naturally to parents, research suggests this is outdated and needs to be reworded.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Burger King ad featuring new mums divides the internet - what do you think about it?
The Burger King 'Bundles of Joy' ad has to be one of the most divisive advertising campaigns of recent times - the negative reactions also send a very clear message to new mums.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Balamory is back after two decades - why we can’t wait for the reboot of the iconic BBC series
What's the story in Balamory? Now you can find out, as the BBC announces the return of the beloved children's series nearly 20 years after the final episode aired.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Is Francesca in Bridgerton gay? With more great representation in the show, this expert shares how to start the conversation around sexuality with your teen if they’re watching
Is Francesca in Bridgerton gay? It's a question many have asked, and you might need to have conversations around sexuality with your teen if they’re watching.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Is Eric a true story? Benedict Cumberbatch lives every parent’s worst nightmare in new Netflix show
Is Eric a true story? Every parent’s worst nightmare plays out in Netflix's latest show, against a backdrop of 80s New York grappling with AIDS and racism.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Normal People season 2 rumours are circulating, and we have our own Marianne and Connell 'first love' stories to share
Normal People season 2 rumours are flying around, and we have our own Marianne and Connell moments to share - because everyone remembers their first heartbreak.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Channel 4 drama The Gathering explores 'toxic teenagers and their even more toxic parents' in an online world dominated by social media
New Channel 4 drama explores the challenges of impossible standards set by social media, and how parents themselves become toxic in their need to protect their kids.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Is Brandy pregnant? Bluey fans think the Heelers could be about to welcome a new cousin following the season 3 finale
Eagle-eyed Bluey viewers are wondering if Aunt Brandy is pregnant, following a touching moment in the season three finale.
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
Is Bluey ending? What we know about the rumours around the kids' cartoon, as the Heelers put their house up for sale
Bluey's producer has shared an update on the show's future
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
CoComelon has been accused of being 'overstimulating' - the experts explain why it's ok to let your kid watch the popular cartoon
CoComelon is adored by kids around the world, but some experts have shared reasons they don't think children should be watching - we look at both sides of the argument.
By Lucy Wigley Published