Ant Middleton, a former United Kingdom Special Forces soldier and the face of the reality TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins, has faced a significant legal setback. Middleton, who acted with his wife Emilie, has been disqualified from acting as a company director for four years. Sway and Starting was reported last month as having not paid over £1 million worth of tax, prompting this company’s swift ban.
The pair from Essex watched as their business went into liquidation in 2022. At the time of liquidation, Sway and Starting had £300,000 in VAT and £800,000 in corporation tax owed. On top of that, the firm produced a whopping profit of £4.5 million the past three years. It still wasn’t enough for the company to pay its tax liabilities. To make matters worse, Middleton had taken a £3 million directors’ loan out of the company.
The Insolvency Service uncovered significant financial mismanagement. Ant and Emilie Middleton were siphoning millions of pounds out of the company while refusing to pay their tax liabilities. Dave Magrath, a representative of the Insolvency Service, emphasized the repercussions of such actions, stating:
"If you do not pay your taxes while directing money elsewhere, you are at risk of being banned."
Originally, ex-Special Forces soldier Middleton had reached a settlement proposal with the liquidator. He agreed to repay the overdue directors’ loan, by virtue of paying £300,000. He was able to make the initial payment, but that’s where he ran out of steam. To get the money required to pay off the outstanding debt, he subsequently sold their house.
Middleton's journey on SAS: Who Dares Wins began as the chief instructor when the show launched in 2015. He stuck with this role all the way until 2021 when he and the program mutually agreed to move on. His exit from the program and follow-on challenges in business have characterized a rough spell for the former soldier.
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