SAS: Who Dares Wins fans were left seeing double as the hit Channel 4 series returned with a host of new instructors, after the departure of Ant Middleton from the programme.
Former chief instructor Ant had slammed the show for its health and safety policy and for being too “scripted” after being axed for misconduct.
Newcomers former US Special Forces staff Rudy Reyes and Remi Adeleke have brought new energy to the Channel 4 series, but some fans noticed the striking resemblance between Ant and his replacement Rudy.
Taking to Twitter, one wrote: “Replacing Ant with his American twin,” as another chimed: “So we’ve ‘sacked’ Ant Middleton and replaced him with…..an American lookalike.”
Another social media user posted: “Crikey Ant's replacement is like a Hollywood actor playing Ant,” while another savage fan wrote: “This guy is really trying to be a wannabe Ant Middleton.”
Another wrote: “So they have replaced the annoying Ant Middleton with a clone,” as fellow fans mourned the loss of Ant on the programme, writing: “I have to be honest I’m missing Ant Middleton the show is not the same without him.”
Another posted: “For goodness sake someone ring Ant Middleton and give him his job back.”
A fellow Channel 4 viewer wrote: “5 minutes into the new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins and I'm already not feeling it.
“One of my favourite series but Channel 4 have gone the wrong way after losing Ant Middleton - too American-ised.”
Instructors Jason 'Foxy' Fox and Mark “Billy” Billingham have said they have not heard from Middleton, but Billingham said he feels sure their ex-colleague will be watching the show.
“Ant probably feels, ‘it can’t go on without me’. But it can. The show gets harder,” Foxy said.
“What you get is raw, real, it’s worked in the past. Don’t f***ing fix it if it ain’t broke. Anyone who steps on that course gets treated like an equal.
“We don’t look at gender, colour, race, it’s a flat platform you chose to come on to.”
Foxy added: “Maybe those comments were a knee-jerk reaction. We’ve increased the intensity because of where we filmed it.”
Foxy and Billy said the seventh run is more intense, as the intense challenges were filmed in the Jordanian desert, rather than Scotland.
SAS: Who Dares Wins returns to Channel 4 and All 4 Sundays at 9pm.
