"You can’t just go, ‘Right, we need to do it every year’, because it’s about getting things right, it’s about keeping it authentic and keeping it real and keeping it raw. We need the right cast, we need the right location, and we need the right production company on board."
Ant Middleton is facing a major setback as SAS Australia will not return for a fifth season in 2024.
Despite Channel Seven’s initial plans to continue the popular reality series, the anticipated season has not been greenlit yet, according to Daily Mail Australia.
Insiders from Screentime, the production company behind SAS Australia, revealed that discussions about casting had already begun. However, talks between Channel Seven and the production company reportedly broke down, halting the show’s progress.
With the year nearly over and no filming having taken place, it’s now clear that the show will not make it to screens in 2024. The show’s absence from Channel Seven's upfronts announcements further confirms that the series is off the cards for next year.
The 2023 finale of the show attracted impressive ratings, drawing in 1.85 million viewers across Australia. Although the reality series will be taking a break this year, Ant Middleton remains optimistic about its eventual return.
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In August he told Yahoo Lifestyle: "Of course we’re coming back, SAS Australia’s gone nowhere. You’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth.
"We just need to make sure we’ve got the right cast, that we’ve got the right location, and with SAS Australia you can’t rush it.
Ant previously opened up about season 5, revealing that he has a list of potential celebrity contestants in mind, including some familiar faces from his time on Dancing with the Stars. He’s been actively scouting talent, especially when it comes to stars who he believes could thrive in the intense challenges of SAS Australia.
“I’ve already got a few names in mind,” Ant shares. “James Stewart, Samantha Jade – she’s like a little pocket rocket. I can just picture her going full throttle.”
He jokes about how he’s always on the lookout for fresh faces, adding, “I’m always recruiting, everywhere I go. Especially at the Logies!”
Ant goes on to explain his approach to getting people on board: “It’s great because I’ll go to the CEO or the head commissioner of SAS and say, ‘What about this person? What about that person?’ And before you know it, they’re standing in front of me, shaking in their boots, and I’m like, ‘Right, I’ve got you now.’”
