Gladiators

Former champion of the World’s Strongest Man competition, Tom Stoltman, has announced he will be joining the fourth series of hit BBC show Gladiators, with filming due to begin next month.

The former World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman is becoming a Gladiator after it was announced he has joined the car of the hit BBC show.

While Stoltman’s Gladiator name is yet to be announced, the fourth series of the primetime show will begin filming in Sheffield next month before airing on BBC One in 2027. Speaking on joining the show, the 32-year-old said: “This is a dream opportunity and I’m incredibly proud to become a Gladiator.

“I’ve spent my life pushing myself to see what I can achieve and joining this incredible show is the next challenge.

“I’m excited to bring my strength, determination and personality to the arena but, most importantly, I want people watching to feel inspired to believe in themselves and take on their own challenges.”

Standing at 6ft 8in, Stoltman from Ivergordon in the Highlands was the first Scot to win the title when he was first crowned champion back in 2021.

He retained his World’s Strongest Man title through 2022 before winning the competition for a third time in 2024.

Officially, he is still Britain’s Strongest Man after winning the title for a fourth time in February this year, beating Adam Bishop and Paddy Haynes.

However, a hand injury stood in the way of his chances of being named strongest man in the world in 2026 before he was knocked out in the qualifying rounds.

In addition to returning in the classic format next year, there will also be an all-new Gladiators Celebrity Special with hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh at the helm.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: “With a brand-new series confirmed and another Celebrity Special on the way, audiences can look forward to even more colossal clashes, even more edge-of-your-seat excitement and plenty of opportunities to raise those foam fingers high one again.”

Stoltman’s addition to the show comes after controversy surrounding the departure of Gladiator Jamie ‘Giant’ Biggs. The TV personality took to Instagram to share a message telling fans he wouldn’t be back for series four, citing “this wasn’t a decision I made to step away” and that he “was faced with a choice that didn’t align with my values”.

He since told The Sun that the issue was his girlfriend Taylor Ryan’s OnlyFans career, claiming he was given an ultimatum to either end his relationship with Taylor or forfeit his role on Gladiators.

“I had to choose between dating Taylor and keeping my job,” he said. “I was shocked and very saddened about their choice to sack me.”

A Gladiators spokesperson said at the time of Jamie’s departure: “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.”

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TAYLOR Ryan has spoken out about going to therapy after her public break up from Gladiators star Giant.

The OnlyFans model took to Instagram to chat about how strange it has been going through a split in the public eye, and the wonders therapy has done for her so far.

In a video filmed inside her house, Taylor said: “Got a therapy session in ten minutes.

“She is working for her cash today. Sit down, got things to tell you. A woman’s intuition always knows.

“I’ve been going to therapy for a lot of years. Like this last month, the sessions are crucial.”

The clip then cuts to show a snippet of Taylor saying: “Yeah, I know now I wouldn’t do that again.

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“I wouldn’t shrink myself to make someone comfortable. I need help working through this betrayal.”

Taylor then got in her car after the therapy session and took her dog for a walk.

She then returned back home looking tearful as she debriefed to a friend who hugged her.

In the post’s caption, Taylor shared how hard a break-up can be in the public eye, saying: “Come to Dylan Gossett with me and a proper day in the life vlog.

“The experience of a public break up is so, SO weird. Because you’re trying to grieve the future you thought you were going to have and was promised, in real time; with every other persons 2 pence included.

“I’m very thankful for social media and what I’ve been able to achieve so far because of it (rehoming a lot of dogs in shelters, building my business, advocating topics I really care about), but experiencing the downsides is, well, savage.”

On June 29, Giant, real name Jamie, announced his split from Taylor.

He had previously been given an ultimatum to either stay with her or leave the show due to her being on OnlyFans.

However, he’s now done a U-turn and called time on their romance despite being axed by the BBC.

Jamie took to Instagram to address the speculation that his relationship had ended.

He said: “I’m not in a relationship anymore. I’m working on myself, the most important person right now to serve the people that I love is working on me.

“Working out who it is I want be, which direction I want to go in because the ego has been put in a box, I want to move forwards and I want people to know me for me.”

He claimed he doesn’t know what’s next for him but he knows he want to be a “better person.”

Jamie split from his ex wife in November and shortly after began dating Taylor.

GLADIATORS star Steel and his wife Samantha have welcomed a baby boy just over a year on from the tragic death of their son.

The couple’s second- born, Leo, died 14 months ago after being bornprematurelye at 23 weeks.

Steel — real name Zack George — said the arrival of their newborn will help heal them following the loss of Leo, who lived for just 13 days.

Writing on Instagram this evening, the 35-year-old said: “You will heal us more than you will ever know.

“We love you so much…Our baby boy.”

Friends and fans were over the moon for the pair.

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Kate Lawler said: “Congratulations to you both. You deserve so much happiness x.”

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, aka Gladiator Nitro, wrote: “Massive congratulations! Beautiful!”

Matty Campbell, better known as Bionic, posted: “Over the moon for you both.”

Zack and Samantha are also parents to Ivy, three.

The couple bravely shared late son Leo’s fight with followers last year.

He was initially placed on a ventilator, but after responding well he was taken off it and provided with CPAP, a non-invasive way of keeping airways open.

However, when he was retubed after six hours, it is believed accidental damage was done to his windpipe.

As well as suffering from brain bleeds, a hole in the heart and collapsing lungs, air pockets began to form around his lungs.

Zack told the Mirror: “Around the tenth day they started getting a bit bigger. They came to the conclusion that when they tubed him, either the first or the second time, they created a hole in his windpipe. It’s no one’s fault, a baby that young is really fragile; it’s just a risk.

“That was really hard, because if it hadn’t happened, he would probably still be here. A 23-week-old baby has so much to do. Overnight, he got quite bad, that’s when we went in and he passed away.”

The couple decided against giving Leo CPR having already witnessed him go through so much.

Zack announced Leo’s tragic death with a heartbreaking picture of he and Samantha holding him.

The athlete and bodybuilder claimed he was dropped by the BBC after an ‘ultimatum’.

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.