Former Gladiators star Giant has responded after the BBC announced his replacement for the upcoming season. The TV personality and bodybuilder, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, has been a fan-favourite since joining the reboot of the classic reality game show in 2024. However, he shocked fans earlier this year after being axed from the show, claiming it was because his ex-girlfriend was an OnlyFans creator.
New Gladiator announced
With filming for the new series underway, the BBC announced World's Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman as Giant's replacement. The 6ft 4in athlete described the gig as a 'dream opportunity' and his 'next challenge'.
Jamie took the news in good spirit, telling 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. I wish him the very best of luck.' He also publicly shared his support on Tom's Instagram post, writing: 'Well done brother, made up for you, you'll kick some serious ass.'
Previous disappointment
In April, Jamie revealed his disappointment at the BBC's decision to drop him after his ex-girlfriend Taylor's OnlyFans account came to light. 'I wasn't expecting that reaction [from the BBC], to be honest. I was expecting more collaboration. Obviously, Taylor is entitled to her private life. We're doing nothing wrong,' he told Metro.
Many viewers expressed discontent, commenting that he was 'their favourite' and they were 'absolutely gutted'.
Future projects
Although Jamie will not return to Gladiators, in May he teased exciting future TV projects. He told The Sun: 'TV is something that I would very much like to continue. Having the flexibility and the ability to speak about more taboo subjects is something that moving forward, perhaps, can now happen.' He added: 'There's lot of things in the pipeline at the minute. It's actually a very, very exciting time and I'm definitely looking forward to the future.'
