The athlete and bodybuilder claimed he was dropped by the BBC after an ‘ultimatum’.
The star has left the BBC reboot(Image: BBC/Hungry Bear/Shutterstock/Getty)
Gladiators star Giant has hinted at “exciting” TV plans in the future after being axed by the BBC.
The athlete, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, claimed he was dropped from the programme because the BBC didn’t approve of his girlfriend’s job as an OnlyFans model.
The 40-year-old was one of the original stars on the BBC revival, which was rebooted in 2024.
He alleged that he was axed after saying he wanted to go public with his new relationship, including his partner’s career.
However, despite being dropped from Gladiators, Giant has insisted he still has hopes to work on TV.
He told The Sun : “TV is something that I would very much like to continue. And having the flexibility and the ability to speak about more taboo subjects is something that moving forward, perhaps, can now happen.”
Giant teased future projects, saying: “There’s lots 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.”
This comes after Giant set the record straight on his exit from Gladiators during an appearance on Good Morning Britain last week.
The bodybuilder from Derbyshire told Susanna Reid and Ed Balls: “I had a very positive season three chat. I think season three was the best season yet, and like you said, [I was] a fan favourite on the show.
“At that time, they [were] aware of my relationship with Taylor and said they needed to explore avenues and have conversations about that.
“At a later point, I was told that the season four contract wasn’t being renewed because of my relationship.”
He went on: “It wasn’t explained, I think you’ll have to ask them for a statement on that as well, because my dismissal’s been very unclear. That’s why I’m here today, because I think it’s very important that we get our side across.
“I think it’s very important that fans of the show understand that Giant is a character on the show, and Jamie is a person that has a private relationship. And I feel like there’s a big injustice here for fans of the show that haven’t been given a voice or a decision in this matter.”
He claimed it “wasn’t my choice” to leave, but that he was “faced with an ultimatum”.
“I class myself as a role model and one of those values, as a role model, is to stick by the people I love.
“So, I decided [to leave], and I imagine other people in my situation would find it very hard to walk away from an amazing opportunity like being a Gladiator.”
A BBC Gladiators spokesperson previously told the Mirror : “After three formidable series, Giant is leaving Gladiators. We’d like to thank him for everything he has contributed to the show and wish him well for the future.”
Gladiators is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.