Channel 4 star has reportedly been forced to quit his role as the Royal Navy’s Chief Cadet after just nine months, after his controversial ‘scum’ tweet about Black Lives Matter protesters.
The TV tough guy, who took on the role in November, is said to have left his bosses furious after posting the since-deleted tweet, amid protests over racial injustice after the death of George Floyd in the US.
Navy chiefs were also said to be furious about the star’s online rant about Government advice to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in March. Middleton later apologised for his comments.
The 39-year-old was given the option to quit or be sacked by admiralty bosses exasperated with his controversial behaviour.
A source told The Sun: ‘He never thought he’d be given such a difficult choice. But he has decided to take matters into his own hands and step down. He’s gutted.’
Quit: Channel 4 star Ant Middleton has quit as the Royal Navy’s Chief Cadet after just nine months, after his controversial ‘scum’ tweet about Black Lives Matter protesters
In November last year, the TV star and author announced he was honoured to take up the Chief Cadet role to help mentor cadets and raise the profile of the Volunteer Cadet Corps (VCC).
Middleton has since joined cadets on challenging military exercises, such as leading Plymouth Royal Marines cadets for a three mile trek in Cornwall in January.
Posting on Twitter at the time, he said: ‘Strange to be officially back in uniform but ‘right’ to give back to an organisation that has shaped me.’
It became clear to forces chiefs that his social media outbursts mean he is not the right person to lead the organisation’s 650 boys and girls.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman told MailOnline: ‘The Ministry of Defence is not prepared to comment as this is a private matter.’
Amid the nationwide protests, some of which were usurped by rioters, Middleton took to Twitter in June, opining: ‘The extreme left against the extreme right.
‘When did two wrongs make a right. It was only a matter of time. BLM and EDL are not welcome on our streets, absolute scum. What a great example you are to your future generation. Bravo.’
Backlash: Following backlash over his tweet, he said, ‘I did not mean to say that BLM are scum, or to imply that BLM and the EDL are equivalent’