The BBC and production company Hungry Bear have reportedly removed bodybuilder Jamie Bigg, known as "Giant," from the Gladiators reboot. This decision followed Bigg's disclosure of his romantic relationship with adult content creator Taylor Ryan.
Dan Baldwin's "child safeguarding" justification
Jamie Bigg, a bodybuilder performing as "Giant," was cut from the fourth series of the Gladiators reboot after disclosing his romantic ties to Taylor Ryan. According to the source report, producer Dan Baldwin allegedly characterized Ryan's work as an OnlyFans creator as a "child safeguarding risk," leading to Bigg's removal. The production company Hungry Bear and the BBC reportedly decided against including Bigg once he expressed his intent to go public with the relationship.
Bigg has consistently defended Taylor Ryan, emphasizing that honesty and professionalism should outweigh the nature of a partner's employment. However, the decision by Hungry Bear suggests that the production's risk assessment prioritized the perceived image of the show over the personal associations of its performers.
The Ace and Hunter precedents from the original series
Fellow cast members of the Gladiators reboot are now lobbying BBC executives to reinstate Jamie Bigg, arguing that the network's reaction is an unfair overreaction. These performers point to the original series' history, where stars like Ace and Hunter maintained high-profile relationships with figures such as Katie Price and Ulrika Jonsson without facing professional repercsusions. As the source reported, the current cast views the removal of Jamie Bigg as a concerning precdent that allows executives to over-scrutinize the private lives of the athletes.
The cast's pushback indicates a significant divide between the performers' sense of solidarity and the management's cautious approach to branding. While the athletes view the situation as a matter of loyalty, the BBC appears to be operating under a more restrictive set of modern standards for its public figures.
Taylor Ryan's claim that Jamie Bigg ended the romance
While Jamie Bigg has publicly defended Taylor Ryan's career, the adult content creator has offered a different account of their split. in an Instagram video, Taylor Ryan alleged that Jamie Bigg actually ended their relationship because of her job on OnlyFans, despite his outward expressions of support. The couple reportedly met late last year at a Gladiators Live event in Liverpool shortly after Bigg separated from his wife, but the romance ended in June, only weeks after his removal from the show.
This contradiction creates a confusing narrative: Bigg claims he was fired for standing by Ryan, while Ryan suggests he abandoned her for the very reasons the BBC cited. This discrepancy leaves the true motivation behind the breakup—and the subsequent fallout—unclear.
The BBC's struggle with family-friendly branding and OnlyFans
The conflict highlights a growing tension between the BBC's commitment to family-friendly programming and the evolving nature of digital careers. While the cast of Gladiators views the firing as a breach of privacy, the BBC and Hungry Bear have not publicly detailed the specific internal policies that led to the decision. This leaves several questions unanswered, most notably whether the BBC has a formal morality clause regarding the partners of its cast members or if this was a discretionary move by producer Dan Baldwin .
Furthermore, it remains unverified whether the BBC has considered the potential for similar conflicts with other cast members. As the Gladiators reboot seeks to capture a wide demographic,the network's sensitivity to associations with adult platforms like OnlyFans suggests a rigid adherence to traditional broadcasting standards in an era of creator-led economies.
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