The cast of Gladiators want BBC bosses to reinstate Giant after he was axed over his relationship with OnlyFans model Taylor Ryan, according to reports.
The stars of the family show are said to have banded together and believe Giant, 40, whose real name is Jamie Bigg, should be given a second chance.
Giant split from Taylor late last month, mere weeks after he was removed from the show line-up.
Now some Gladiators think he should be back on screen as they feel he has ‘been treated unfairly’ and his removal in the first place was an ‘overreaction by panicked executives’.
‘A number of the Gladiators cast are really unhappy about what’s happened to Jamie, they feel like he was thrown to the wolves and made an example of, when he was just following his heart,’ a source told The Sun.
‘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.
The cast of Gladiators want BBC bosses to reinstate Giant after he was axed over his relationship with OnlyFans model Taylor Ryan, according to reports
‘They’re convinced it will probably fall on deaf ears, but they feel out of loyalty to Jamie, they need to back him. Also they believe his firing sets a scary precedent. It’s made them all feel nervous that anything from their own private lives and relationships could be used against them in the workplace.’
The insider said the stars appreciate it’s a family show but don’t think Giant has done anything to ‘bring the show into disrepute’.
They added the original Gladiators were known for their love lives with Ace having a relationship with Katie Price, while Hunter dated Ulrika Jonsson, who hosted the show.
The BBC declined to comment. The Daily Mail has contacted Giant’s representative for comment.
The bodybuilder and Taylor began dating late last year after meeting at a Gladiators Live event in Liverpool and just weeks after the TV star had split from his wife.
Jamie later claimed he was axed from Gladiators by the BBC and production company Hungry Bear after disclosing his relationship with Taylor.
He said he had told bosses he was planning to confirm his relationship with the adult content creator publicly – but was cut from the upcoming fourth series shortly after.
In a statement released in April, Jamie 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.
Giant split from Taylor late last month, mere weeks after he was removed from the show line-up
Now some Gladiators think he should be back on screen as they feel he has ‘been treated unfairly’ and is an ‘over reaction by panicked executives’
‘It wasn’t something I expected, especially given the commitment I’ve shown to the role.
‘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.
Jamie hit out at Gladiators producer and Hungry Bear boss Dan Baldwin, who is married to Holly Willoughby, claiming he branded Taylor’s racy career a ‘child safeguarding risk’.
But the ex bodybuilder has insisted parents with young children who are fans of the show have thrown their support behind him.
‘I’ve had a lot of messages from parents saying their children are so upset that I’m leaving the show, I feel as though the response from the parents has made it really clear that it was never going to be an issue’.
He went on: ‘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’.
Jamie 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. The most important person right now to serve the people that I love is working on me. What’s inside here [head], and inside here [heart]. Working out who it is I want to be, which direction I want to go in, the ego’s been put in a box. I want to move forward and for people to know me, for me.
‘People have been asking me what’s next? I don’t know what’s next, but I do know I want to be a better person. And I want to be very clear about my path forwards. Whether that’s speaking on ADHD, mental health, training or my own journey through all the madness, and how I’ve stayed mentally strong when really I’ve been stressed and I’ve not been okay.
Revealing that there are several people he plans to say sorry to, he said: ‘I’ve got a lot of people to apologise to. I’ve got a lot of things to be accountable for.’
The pair – who remain friends – split and Giant travelled to Spain for a period of reflection.
A source revealed to the Daily Mail: ‘They haven’t ruled out getting back together in the future but Jamie knows he needs to work on himself right now.’
Jamie split from his ex-wife Katie late last year and the couple, who share two children, have since divorced.
Katie said she was left ‘hurt and shocked’ after he moved on with Taylor months after their split.
Prior to being a Gladiator, Jamie was the tallest professional bodybuilder in the world at 6ft 5in and consumed up to 10,000 calories a day.
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