Gladiators Star Hunter Forced to Sign on Dole After Spending All Show Earnings
James Crossley, famously known as Hunter from the hit television series Gladiators, has disclosed that he was compelled to sign on the dole after exhausting all the money he earned from the show during the 1990s. The bodybuilder, now 52 years old, gained widespread recognition for his role on the sports entertainment program, which originally aired from 1993 until 2000, long before its recent revival on the BBC featuring hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh.
Luxury Holiday Leads to Financial Struggles
At just 19 years of age, Crossley secured his position on Gladiators and decided to reward himself with an extravagant holiday to Los Angeles immediately after filming concluded. However, upon returning to the United Kingdom, he realised he had depleted his entire earnings before the series even premiered on television. In a candid interview on the Remember Me? podcast, he recounted this challenging period, stating, "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."
Post-Gladiators Career and Personal Life
Following his peak fame on Gladiators, Crossley diversified his career by participating in various theatre tours, releasing a fitness DVD, and establishing himself as a musician with a focus on soundbathing. In 2024, he founded the London Handpan Academy, where he instructs students in playing the handpan instrument. His personal life also garnered attention, particularly his romantic involvement with Ulrika Jonsson, the presenter of Gladiators, during the mid-1990s. Jonsson, now 58, reflected on their relationship, describing Crossley as "the sweetest, sweetest man" and noting he was only 22 years old at the time.
Television Comeback and Recent Endeavours
Crossley made a return to television in 2021 by appearing on the reality TV show The Circle on Channel 4, where he adopted the persona of a fictional NHS nurse named 'Gemma' in an attempt to win the cash prize. Unfortunately, his strategy to deceive fellow contestants was unsuccessful, leading to his elimination from the series. Jonsson publicly acknowledged his comeback on social media, sharing supportive posts about her former co-star. The original Gladiators format, launched in the UK in 1992 and co-hosted by Jonsson and former footballer John Fashanu, featured contestants competing in physical challenges against the show's Gladiators to advance to a grand final.
