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 ever since he joined the reboot of the classic reality game show in 2024.
However, he shocked fans earlier this year after getting axed from the show, with the star claiming it was because his girlfriend (who he has since broken up with) was an OnlyFans creator.
With filming for the new series underway, the BBC has announced the new fitness fiend stepping into Giant’s shoes as World’s Strongest Man champion, Tom Stoltman.
While we wait to see what his Gladiator name and costume will be, the 6ft 4in athlete has said the gig is a ‘dream opportunity’ and his ‘next challenge’.
His predecessor Jamie has taken 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 underneath Tom’s celebratory Instagram post, writing: ‘Well done brother, made up for you, you’ll kick some serious ass,’ alongside a punching emoji.
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.
‘And as a big character on the show, I felt like I would have had the backing of the fans and the trusted relationships that I made along the way with the team,’ he told Metro.
At the time, many viewers also expressed their deep discontent, commenting that he was ‘their favourite’ and they were ‘absolutely gutted’.
Although Jamie won’t be returning to Gladiators, in May he teased some exciting future TV projects were in the pipeline.
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.’
Before teasing: ‘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. I can’t divulge any information on particular shows or events, situations just yet.’