Gladiators star Giant ‘admits to taking steroids in resurfaced YouTube video’… as he insists he ‘responsibly’ came off them more than a year ago

Gladiators star Giant has reportedly admitted to using steroids in resurfaced YouTube videos after joining the line-up of the recently rebooted game show.

Giant, whose real name is Jamie Christian-Johal, is said to have discussed using the ‘muscle-enhancing’ Class C drugs in YouTube videos, which resurfaced after his debut on the show.

The ex-professional bodybuilder – who said he no longer uses steroids after quitting them more than a year ago – reportedly bragged about his “phenomenal gains” in online videos, one of which is said to be titled: “Take this and you will grow up’ .

An insider has claimed the situation is a ‘nightmare’ for the BBC after the hugely successful reboot attracted a whopping 6.4 million viewers.

A source said The sun: ‘This is a nightmare for the BBC, it’s a family show and somehow they haven’t been able to uncover this material from its biggest star.’

Giant, whose real name is Jamie Christian-Johal, is said to have discussed using the ‘muscle-enhancing’ Class C drugs in YouTube videos, which resurfaced after his debut on the show.

In a YouTube video, Giant, 37, stated that he “didn’t start using steroids until he was 24.”

However, the former firefighter said he no longer takes steroids after coming off them “responsibly” at the end of 2022 – when he stopped competing as a bodybuilder – and insisted he is not in favor of their use.

Giant said: “(When I was a professional bodybuilder) I talked openly about the legal use of performance enhancements as a competitive bodybuilder and how to administer them safely.

‘I stopped competing as a bodybuilder in October 2022 and stopped taking steroids in a responsible manner.’

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The Gladiators production team were robust with their ‘no drugs’ policy and drug testing was part of the process that all Gladiators agreed to and adhered to. The results showed that they were not taking performance-enhancing drugs.”

It was previously reported that the BBC bosses overseeing the reboot are determined to keep the newly rebooted series ‘clean as a whistle’.

After the original Gladiators show became mired in scandals and drug abuse, it has been claimed that the new stars will have to undergo regular tests.

Some stars from the original 1990s ITV game show were involved in a number of steroid controversies.

The ex-professional bodybuilder reportedly boasted about his ‘phenomenal gains’ in online videos, one of which was captioned: ‘Take this and you’ll get big’

Giant has insisted he no longer takes steroids after ‘responsibly’ coming off them at the end of 2022 – when he stopped competing as a bodybuilder – and said he does not support their use

Former star Warren Furman, better known as Ace, previously admitted he had dabbled in banned steroids in a bid to bulk up and was warned by bosses he would be fired if he didn’t stop.

Born in London, Shadow became addicted to crack cocaine in his teens. Jefferson King, 62, joined the Gladiators in 1992 and was fired in 1995 after a drug test.

Hawk, whose real name is Aleks Georgijev, also admitted to using the drug, while Cobra (Michael Wilson) admitted he was often drunk when fighting on the show.

Gladiators returned to British screens last week, 24 years after the last series of the popular 1990s series.

The popular game show, which originally aired on ITV from 1992 to 2000, pits contestants against highly trained athletes called ‘gladiators’ in grueling physical challenges.

Gladiators returned to British screens last week, 24 years after the final series of the hit 1990s show and its debut episode attracted a whopping 6.4 million viewers

And people flocked to watch the BBC’s reboot, with the debut episode attracting a whopping 6.4 million viewers.

According to BBC ratings, an average audience of 6 million people, with a peak of 6.4 million, tuned in to see how the contenders fared against the new superhuman gladiators: Fury, Apollo, Fire, Legend, Dynamite, Giant , Sabre, Steel, Electro, Phantom, Athena, Nitro, Diamond and Viper.

The opening show saw contenders Finley, Myles, Kerry and Tascha take on the fearsome Gladiators in classic events such as Duel and Hang Tough, as well as new events The Ring and Collision.