Gladiators star Giant breaks his silence over past steroid use as BBC insist they have ‘robust no drugs policy’ on show
Gladiator star Giant has spoken out about using steroids during his bodybuilding career, saying he does not ‘advocate’ their use.
Giant, 37, whose real name is Jamie Christian-Johal, reportedly admitted to taking steroids, resurfaced YouTube videos after joining the lineup of the recently rebooted game show.
The budding TV star is said to have boasted of his ‘phenomenal gains’ in online videos, one of which was entitled ‘Take this and you’ll be big’.
However, in a statement to MailOnline, Jamie said he has not taken performance-enhancing drugs for more than a year.
He said: ‘I have always been open and transparent about my steroid use when I was a professional bodybuilder.
Gladiators star Giant has spoken out about his use of steroids during his bodybuilding career, saying he does not ‘advocate’ their use
Giant, 37, whose real name is Jamie Christian-Johal, has reportedly admitted to using steroids in resurfaced YouTube videos after joining the line-up of the recently rebooted game show
‘At that time, I spoke openly about the legal use of performance enhancements as a competitive bodybuilder and how to use them safely.
‘I stopped competing as a bodybuilder in October 2022 and stopped taking steroids responsibly.
‘I am no longer a professional bodybuilder, no longer use steroids and do not advocate their use.’
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.”
Anabolic steroids are classified as class C drugs, meaning they are available only by prescription, but they are easily available illegally online or through social media.
An insider claimed the situation was 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.’
In a YouTube video, Jamie reportedly stated that he “didn’t start using steroids until he was 24.”
The aspiring TV star reportedly boasted about his ‘phenomenal gains’ in online videos, one of which was titled ‘Take this and you’ll be big’
However, in a statement to MailOnline, Jamie said he has not taken performance-enhancing drugs for more than a year (pictured on This Morning in May 2023)
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.
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.
And people flocked to watch the BBC’s reboot, with the debut episode attracting a whopping 6.4 million viewers.
At 6 feet tall, Jamie made history by becoming one of the tallest bodybuilders of all time.
He currently weighs 20st and eats about 4,500 calories a day to maintain his physique.
He told MailOnline of his transformation: ‘Because I was so tall when I was 14 years old and weighed 13 stone, it’s a completely different look. I was a tall, skinny, lanky teenager. At school I even had the nickname Lamppost.
‘Now I’m 6 feet tall and 15 pounds… To maintain my physique, I currently eat about 4,500 calories a day, but when I was trying to get as big as possible I was eating up to 10,000 calories a day. ..70,000 calories a week is not a cheap food bill.
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
‘I would eat a maximum of seven meals a day and if you imagined the biggest Sunday dinner you could have at your parents’ house, that would be every meal.
“Each meal would be a 1,000-1,500 calorie meal… it’s a lot of eating and digesting, plus some sleep because eating all that makes you sleepy. I ate oats, chicken, steak, all good food.”
The father-of-two says that in addition to his high-impact diet, he completes 10 hours of strength training every week, targeting a different muscle group each session.