Ant Middleton makes brutal dig at Rudy Reyes as 'Celebrity SAS' returns

The Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins recruits might have spent the series debut getting beastings from Rudy Reyes, but the former US Marine was in for a brutal time too with Ant Middleton slamming his skills and looks.

Ex British Special Forces soldier Middleton was the Channel 4 show's star and the director in charge of a team of tough staff putting celebrities through the gruelling process from 2019 to 2021, also hosting the non-celeb show from 2015 to 2021.

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However, he left under a cloud after a series of offensive tweets during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Middleton, 41, claimed that he had been sacked as he wanted to quit the show over "woke" censorship and is still refusing to bury the hatchet - this time laying into his replacement.

Reyes, 50, was brought in earlier in the year for the main series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, but began his first celebrity series on Sunday night.

Middleton tweeted about his American successor: "If a US Marine tried to run a Delta Force selection process he would be laughed at and get a good old fashion kick in #stolenvalour #disrespectful #shameless"

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However, when one viewer replied to ask him about his former co-stars ex-Royal Marine Jason "Foxy" Fox and former SAS mountain troop specialist Mark "Billy" Billingham who still appear in the show alongside Reyes and US Navy Seal Remi Adeleke, things got a little heated.

Middleton said of Foxy and Billy: "I wish them both well and understand why they’ve stayed on a that’s all they have! Gotta pay their bills right?!?"

But those commenting were unimpressed, as one person wrote: "That is very degrading comments on your fellow friends @antmiddleton. That’s “all they have “ and “gotta pay the bills” ? Thought of you as a bigger man …"

Someone else added: "That's all they have?? What a disrespectful and bitter little man you are."

Middleton also tweeted: "What people don’t realise is that it comes under ‘comedy’ now where before it was factual entertainment."

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His fans agreed, with one person replying: "Not been the same since you left it. You were brilliant."

Someone else wrote: "I won’t watch without you in it shame coz I like foxy and billy but all you originals made that show and now it’s ruined became a game show."

Middleton also took a swipe at Reyes' credentials when one person asked whether Reyes had been part of Special Forces and he replied: "Not tier 1! I think tier 3 special forces, equivalent to being in a Royal Marines reconnaissance troop and then running a UKSF selection process! A big no no…"

Another fan tweeted: "They tried to make the other guy look like you with a wig on and extra long hair can’t take his accent seriously," to which Middleton replied: "And uglier."

Later, he retweeted a post from a fan who had shared a picture of Reyes captioned: "When you order @antmiddleton from Wish #SASWhoDaresWins."

Middleton wrote: "This one always makes me chuckle…#sotrue."

Watch: Ant Middleton discusses four-month stint in prison for assault