Gladiators star Hunter, whose real name is James Crossley, has revealed he was 'forced to sign on the dole' after spending all the money he earned from the show. The bodybuilder, now 52, was just 19 when he landed the role on the hit ITV series, which ran from 1993 to 2000.
After filming the first series, Crossley treated himself to a luxury holiday to Los Angeles. However, upon returning to the UK, he realised he had spent everything before the show had even aired. Speaking on the 'Remember Me?' podcast, he said: 'When I came back, I basically had no money left, and I couldn't work because I was doing [Gladiators]. So I remember signing on the dole when I'd finished the filming. I signed on for about five or six months, and then I started getting the appearances.'
Following his television heyday, Crossley, who famously dated Gladiators presenter Ulrika Jonsson, went on to appear in theatre tours, release a fitness DVD, and now works as a musician and in soundbathing. In 2024, he opened the London Handpan Academy, where students learn to play the handpan. He also returned to screens in 2021 as a contestant on The Circle, competing as fictional NHS nurse 'Gemma', but was eliminated.
Ulrika Jonsson, 58, previously spoke about their on-set romance, describing Crossley as 'the sweetest, sweetest man'. She said: 'Obviously I dated Hunter for about a year and a half and away from the show he was amazing.'
