Prior to his comments, Ant had told people to ignore safety measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, vowing not to let the virus “dictate my life” and describing people who followed government guidelines as “sheep”.
He later said that he was “sheltered” from the situation in the UK, as he had been in New Zealand at the time.
Following the comments and claims of inappropriate comments during filming, Channel 4 said it had “become clear that our views and values are not aligned”, before Ant was axed from the show.
Addressing his departure on the James Smith podcast, Middleton addressed the show’s new format, saying: “I am Mr SAS, whether you try and replace me, whether you try and put someone in my position, it’s not going to work.”
source: express.co.uk