A fourth Gladiators star has reportedly been cut from the line-up. Lystus Ebosele, known as Cyclone, is said to have removed all references to the BBC programme from her personal Instagram account, though her Cyclone page remains active.
A source told The Sun: ‘Cyclone won’t be back and she’s not happy about it. She’s now cut all ties with the show – it’s a pity as fans absolutely loved her.’ The Irish powerlifting champion joined Gladiators in January 2025.
Fan reactions to Cyclone’s departure
Fans expressed disappointment on social media. On Reddit, Stereotonic wrote: ‘I’m gutted if this is true, she was one of my favourites.’ OkExcuse3011 commented: ‘Shame, she has good chat & was at least decent at all the events, utterly exceptional at one or two of them.’ TomatoLess229 added: ‘This is a joke, she was the best.’
Ebosele has not commented on the report. It has also been reported that she unfollowed Hungry Bear, the production company behind Gladiators, on Instagram.
Other Gladiators stars affected
Earlier this week, it was reported that Bionic and Athena (real name Karenjeet Kaur Bains) will not compete this year due to injuries. A source said: ‘They won’t film this year for the show but could be back for the tour, depending on how they recover from their injuries.’ In March, Athena shared a TikTok video detailing her ACL recovery, writing: ‘Six and a half months ago, the journey of recovery after surgery was uncertain.’
Meanwhile, Giant (Jamie Bigg) was replaced by World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman. Giant told Metro: ‘Tom’s a fantastic person and I know he’ll absolutely smash it on the show. He’s got a heart of gold and will be a brilliant addition to the line-up.’
Gladiators representatives declined to comment when contacted by Metro. Metro also contacted Cyclone for comment. Gladiators will return to the BBC later this year.
