The upcoming series of Gladiators has reportedly been thrown into chaos behind the scenes as the stars unite to fight for Giant to return.
Giant, real name Jamie Bigg, was axed from the BBC programme in April, and the fallout was incredibly public, as he claimed bosses disapproved of his romance with an OnlyFans model.
Jamie, 40, was dating Taylor Ryan, 25, at the time, who has amassed a following on the adult subscription platform thanks to her revealing content and likeness to actress Megan Fox. It was previously said that she was earning £25,000 a month.
TV star Jamie defended his girlfriend, whom he began dating after a long-term relationship with Katie Christian, 42, telling Metro that they had ‘done nothing wrong’ and calling the Beeb’s reaction ‘archaic’.
Giant also believed he would’ve had the backing of fans had he been allowed to remain on the show, and now, it seems he has the support of his co-stars, too.
As reported by The Sun, with filming for series 4 just weeks away, the other participants are keen to campaign for bosses to give Jamie ‘a second chance’.
‘A number of the Gladiators cast are really unhappy about what’s happened to Jamie,’ a source began. ‘They feel like he was thrown to the wolves and made an example of when he was just following his heart.’
Last month, it was confirmed that Jamie and Taylor had parted ways, just weeks after her controversial side hustle cost him his job.
As Jamie now ‘works on himself’, the source said that his colleagues ‘strongly believe’ this should work in his favour.
‘A few of them have even privately discussed banding together and speaking to the show bosses about it en masse,’ the insider revealed.
‘Filming kicks off for the new series in a couple of weeks, and there have been text messages and DMs between those closest to Jamie in the cast about whether there is anything they can do.
‘They’re convinced it will probably fall on deaf ears, but they feel out of loyalty to Jamie, they need to back him.’
What’s more, the other Gladiators believe Jamie’s firing ‘sets a scary precedent’, putting the rest of them on edge in case ‘anything from their own private lives and relationships could be used against them in the workplace’.
Defending Jamie’s romance with Taylor, they argued that it’s ‘not like he was appearing on OnlyFans himself’.
‘Of course, they all appreciate that Gladiators is a family show, but they don’t think any of the kids who watch the show will even know anything about what happened in his personal life.
‘Besides, back in the day, lots of the original Gladiators stars had colourful love lives and didn’t get fired for it. Ace dated Katie Price, who was on Page Three at the time, while Hunter was in a relationship with the show’s former host, Ulrika Jonsson.
‘Many of the cast believe he has been treated unfairly, and it’s a big injustice. They don’t think Jamie has done anything to bring the show into disrepute and that instead it was all a bit of an overreaction by panicked execs.’
Jamie was part of the Gladiators cast for three seasons, during which time he became a fan favourite.
When he initially announced that he wouldn’t be returning for a fourth run, Jamie made it clear it was ‘not his decision’.
He later clarified that his romance with Taylor led to his unexpected exit from the show, telling the Daily Mail: ‘I made it clear that I was planning to go public with my relationship, including the fact my partner works as an OnlyFans creator, and shortly after that, I was told I wouldn’t be continuing on Gladiators.
‘It wasn’t something I expected, especially given the commitment I’ve shown to the role.
Do you think Giant should be brought back to Gladiators?
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Yes
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No
‘I’ve always taken being in the public eye seriously, and I believe being a role model is about honesty as well as professionalism.
‘For me, that means not hiding parts of who I am or the people I care about.’
Jamie was supported online by other Gladiators, with the likes of Diamond, Sabre, Steel, Viper, and Bionic praising him in Instagram comments.
Then, in June, Jamie shared that he and Taylor, whom he had called an ‘incredible person’, were no longer an item, although a source suggested they ‘haven’t ruled out getting back together in the future’.
Taking to social media, Jamie reflected on the ‘growth’ he had been doing in the wake of the breakup, writing that he wanted to become the ‘best version’ of himself.
As for Taylor, she’s been much quieter on the scandal and subsequent split, but recently posted a vlog in which she hinted at ‘betrayal’. She also said she’d been discussing her separation from Jamie in therapy.
It’s unknown whether Jamie would consider a Gladiators comeback as part of his ‘soul-searching’ era – although his replacement has already been announced.
Filling Jamie’s spot will be 37-year-old fitness instructor Ahmad Rabus, a dad-of-one and former Mr Universe.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
The new series of Gladiators will air next year.