star has admitted to taking steroids in the past, throwing the BBC into a ‘nightmare’, insiders say.
The contender, real name Jamie Christian, has joined the likes of , and on the revival series, hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh.
The original competition, which ran from 1992 to 2000, was allegedly rocked by drugs Scan**ls, with Shadow, real name for seven months before being axed, according to his co-star Cobra.
Gladiators for the new series were, but Giant has now admitting to using them in the past.
He said, in a statement sent to Metro.co.uk: ‘I have always been open and transparent about my use of steroids whilst I was a professional bodybuilder.
‘During that time, I spoke openly about the legal use of performance enhancements as a competitive bodybuilder and how to safely administer them.
‘I stopped competing as a bodybuilder in October 2022 and responsibly came off steroids.
‘I am no longer a professional bodybuilder and am no longer taking steroids and do not advocate the use of them.’
An insider has has also told : ‘This is a nightmare for the BBC.’
‘It’s a family show and they’ve somehow not spotted this material from its biggest star,’ the source added, referencing alleged videos in which Giant speaks about building muscle.
Anabolic steroids, class C drugs, can only be issued by pharmacists with a prescription, according to the NHS, and can cause serious side effects and addiction.
The physical effects in men of regularly taking anabolic steroids can include reduced sperm count, hair loss, erectile dysfunction, increased risk of prostate cancer and stomach pain, it’s warned.
People who take anabolic steroids can develop medical conditions including blood cots, liver or kidney problems or even failure, and a heart attack or stroke.
Ahead of the reboot airing, it was as the BBC were keen to keep the reboot ‘clean as a whistle’.
It was reported that application forms for Gladiators hopefuls asked: ‘Have you ever used performance-enhancing drugs?’ and specified: ‘All Gladiators/contenders will be subject to routine drug testing.’
Giant, who scored his Gladiators name thanks to his incredible 6’5” build, and weighs 287lbs, said, when he was announced as part of the new line-up: ‘I feel like everything in life has lead me here.
‘I’m honoured to be part of this iconic show that I watched as a child.
‘I’ll be bringing my Giant stature and personality so contenders better come prepared!’
In a statement shared with Metro.co.uk, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘The Gladiators production team were robust with their no drugs policy and drug testing was part of the process which all Gladiators agreed to and complied with. The results showed that they were not taking performance enhancing drugs.’
Gladiators airs Saturdays at 5.50pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
