Gladiators has found a replacement for axed star Giant, with fitness instructor Ahmad Rabus, 37, set to appear on the BBC show as The Emperor. The move comes after Giant, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, was dropped from the line-up and claimed the corporation had not approved of his relationship with his now ex-girlfriend, OnlyFans model Taylor Ryan.
A source told The Sun that Giant had been one of the most popular Gladiators, so bosses needed a big personality to take his place. The source said producers "absolutely love" Ahmad and think his show name, The Emperor, is iconic and will make a big impression with viewers, adding that he is strong minded and brilliant at getting into character. Filming is reported to have already taken place at Utilita Arena Sheffield.
Who is Ahmad Rabus
Ahmad is married with one child and lives in London. He holds dozens of fitness competition titles, including Mr Universe 2015 in Italy. On his gym profile he writes: "My passion with fitness started at a young age. I started training at the age of 17 and have undergone my own transformation and dedicated myself to training for 17 years."
Taylor Ryan's claims about the break-up
Bigg, 40, previously claimed he was sacked because the BBC didn't approve of his relationship with Taylor. Taylor has since claimed he broke up with her in a bid to get back on the show after being axed over their romance. Cast members are also reported to have pushed BBC bosses to reinstate him on the reboot.
Taylor told The Sun: "He's just a fake. He wants to get back on the show now. He's left loads of clothes at my house, but just taken his blue and red Gladiators costume and memorabilia. At the time, he was portrayed as a noble man who fights for what he believes in. But deep down, it was never what he believed in."
She added: "It's hard to talk about now because I see the full picture and I'm like, it was all just fake. He has a lot of demons he needs to fight in his own head before he ruins another woman's peace." Taylor claimed he ended things over the phone after they had discussed getting engaged and having children, and had tried on rings together. She said that while no dates were set, he "made me believe it was going to happen this year." A representative for Giant has been contacted by the Daily Mail for comment.
Instagram "confessions"
Last month Taylor said in an Instagram video: "Trauma dump anyone? If you don't bl**dy laugh about it, you'll cry. Luckily, I do both." Wearing a black corset top under a shirt and jeans, she shared a series of "confessions," including: "Even though I was s**t scared to start again I decided to get divorced at 28 to start giving myself the opportunity to be loved how I know is possible."
She continued: "Healing while fun dating, then accidentally clicking with someone two months later whose also going through a divorce, realising that this might be exactly what life intended for you. There was nothing to be scared of, you're safe now." Taylor said Giant had been sacked over her OnlyFans links but that he and others had made a stand about her job, which made her feel "so chosen," before adding in a later slide: "He broke up with me because of my job anyway," alongside a shocked-face emoji.
Cast rallies behind Giant
A source told The Sun that a number of the Gladiators cast are unhappy about what happened to Bigg, feeling he was "thrown to the wolves" and made an example of for following his heart. Filming for the new series was said to be starting within a couple of weeks, with text messages and DMs exchanged among those closest to him about what could be done.
The source said the cast are convinced their efforts will "probably fall on deaf ears" but feel they need to back him out of loyalty, and believe his firing sets a "scary precedent" that has made them nervous their own private lives could be used against them at work. The insider added that the cast understand it is a family show but don't believe Giant did anything to bring it into disrepute, noting original Gladiators were known for high-profile relationships, including Ace dating Katie Price and Hunter dating Ulrika Jonsson, who hosted the programme.
How the relationship began
Bigg and Taylor began dating late last year after meeting at a Gladiators Live event in Liverpool, just weeks after his split from his wife. He later said he had told bosses at the BBC and production company Hungry Bear he planned to go public about the relationship, including Taylor's OnlyFans work, and was told shortly after that he would not continue on the fourth series.
In an April statement, Bigg said: "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." He added: "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. My partner is an incredible person, and I have huge respect for everything she does, I'm proud to stand by her."
Bigg criticised Gladiators producer and Hungry Bear boss Dan Baldwin, who is married to Holly Willoughby, claiming Baldwin had branded Taylor's career a "child safeguarding risk." He said he had received many messages from parents saying their children were upset he was leaving, adding: "I feel as though the response from the parents has made it really clear that it was never going to be an issue." He also said: "There's nothing in our contracts about who you're allowed to be with, who you're allowed to love or what relationships you're allowed to have away from the show."
The split and what's next
Bigg announced his split from Taylor in June. In an Instagram video he said: "I'm not in a relationship anymore, I'm working on myself... I want to move forward and for people to know me, for me." He said he did not know what was next but wanted to be a better person, and revealed there were several people he planned to apologise to.
Bigg split from his ex-wife Katie late last year; the couple, who share two children, have since divorced. Katie has said she was left "hurt and shocked" after he moved on with Taylor months later. Before joining Gladiators, Bigg was the tallest professional bodybuilder in the world at 6ft 5in and consumed up to 10,000 calories a day.
