Press release

Television personality Ant Middleton banned as company director over unpaid taxes

His company owed more than 拢1 million in corporation tax and VAT when it went into liquidation

From:
The Insolvency Service
Published
24 March 2025

  • Television personality and adventurer Ant Middleton has been banned as a director after his Sway and Starting Limited company failed to pay more than 拢1 million in tax聽

  • In the same period, more than 拢4.5 million was paid into the company바카라 사이트檚 accounts, indicating it had enough income to pay the tax it owed in full聽

  • His wife, Emilie Middleton, has also been disqualified as a company director for four years following investigations by the Insolvency Service聽

  • The pair ended up owing their company almost 拢3 million at the time of liquidation due to an overdrawn director바카라 사이트檚 loan account聽

Television personality Ant Middleton has been banned as a director after his company failed to pay more than 拢1 million in tax.聽

The former SAS: Who Dares Wins chief instructor was the director of Sway and Starting Limited along with his wife, Emilie Middleton. The company, which was described as offering media representation services, was set up to manage income from his television and media work.聽

But both the directors failed to ensure the company paid more than 拢300,000 in VAT and over 拢800,000 in corporation tax between 2019 and 2022.聽

This was despite more than 拢4.5 million being paid into the company바카라 사이트檚 accounts from 2020 to 2022.聽

The pair had also taken out almost 拢3 million from the company in the form of a director바카라 사이트檚 loan account by the time the company went into liquidation in December 2022.聽聽

Ant Middleton later agreed to repay 拢300,000 of the director바카라 사이트檚 loan as a full and final settlement with the liquidator.聽

The Middletons, both 44 and with correspondence addresses in Chelmsford, Essex, have been banned as company directors for four years.聽

Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, said:聽

Companies not paying the tax they should deprives the government of the money it needs to pay for the country바카라 사이트檚 defence services, our NHS, schools and universities, and transport systems.聽

Ant and Emilie Middleton had legal and financial duties as directors to ensure their company paid the corporation tax and VAT it owed. Instead, they were taking millions of pounds out of the company at that time.聽

This disqualification should serve as a deterrent to other directors that if you do not pay your taxes while directing money elsewhere, you are at risk of being banned.

Ant Middleton formed Sway and Starting in September 2014, with his wife becoming a director of the company in May 2019.聽

The company, previously known as Middleton Global Limited, failed to pay any of the 拢869,351 in corporation tax it owed between September 2019 and March 2021.聽

Sway and Starting also only paid 拢267,443 in VAT out of a total of 拢651,961 it owed between March 2020 and September 2022, leaving 拢384,518 unpaid.聽

Insolvency Service analysis of the company바카라 사이트檚 bank accounts showed that 拢4,592,200 was paid into the company between April 2020 and November 2022.聽

By the time of the company바카라 사이트檚 liquidation, the pair also owed Sway and Starting at least 拢2,961,745 through their director바카라 사이트檚 loan account.聽

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from Ant and Emilie Middleton, and their bans started on Monday 24 March and Wednesday 19 March respectively.聽

It prevents them from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.聽

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Published 24 March 2025