How Holly Willoughby’s TV mogul husband is raking in the dosh from lucrative BBC deal to make Gladiators as well as representing almost all of the show’s hottest new stars
The TV mogul, who is married to Holly Willoughby, has already benefited from a lucrative BBC deal to make the revamped Gladiators.
And now, producer Dan Baldwin has found a way to make even more money from the Saturday night hit – by setting up a talent agency that represents almost all of the show’s hottest new stars.
At least 12 of the 16 Gladiators have signed up with his company, Hungry Bear Talent, giving him a cut of future earnings as their fame explodes thanks to their BBC appearances.
His books include heartthrob Alex Gray, known as Apollo on the show, Crossfit champion Emily Steele, Dynamite, Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Nitro, and 6-foot-4 Jamie Christian Johal, aka Giant .
Holly Willoughby and her husband, producer Dan Baldwin, pictured on a night out in London in 2022
Baldwin, 48, launched the talent agency last year after signing the BBC deal for a remake of Gladiators, 24 years after the original series aired on ITV
With Gladiators attracting more than eight million viewers per episode, the stars are being inundated with offers for their services, such as endorsement deals and personal appearances.
A television insider told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Talk about a smart business decision. Dan rebooted his company, sold it to the BBC for big money and now he’s cleverly signed some of the hottest young stars. Whatever they earn now, he gets extra money through the management company. Some might think that’s a bit greedy. The BBC should not be a shop window for Dan to make money from.’
Also featured in the Hungry Bear Talent books are the athletes behind Athena, Diamond, Legend, Bionic, Fire, Sabre, Viper and Steel, while two of the remaining four Gladiators have Instagram pages directing inquiries to the company.
Baldwin, 48, launched the talent agency last year after signing the BBC deal for a remake of Gladiators, 24 years after the original series aired on ITV.
Alex Gray and Emily Steele – known as Apollo and Dynamite on Gladiators – are two of the 12 cast members signed to Dan Baldwin’s talent agency Hungry Bear Talent
The cast of the new Gladiators reboot, produced by Dan Baldwin, pictured with Bradley and Barney Walsh
He founded Hungry Bear Media in 2014, and it has grown into one of Britain’s most successful production companies
He founded Hungry Bear Media in 2014, and it has grown into one of Britain’s most successful production companies, with programs including Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – which follows Gladiators on BBC1’s Saturday evening program – and Breaking Dad, starring Gladiators hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh. .
Other projects include The Wheel and Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof, which Ms Willoughby presented.
Baldwin is close to Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer. In November 2022 she took him and Mrs Willoughby, 43, to the Variety Club showbiz awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Baldwin is one of Britain’s most sought-after television producers. He started his career in the early 2000s ITV children’s program Ministry Of Mayhem, which Mrs Willoughby co-presented.
The couple married in a stunning ceremony at Amberley Castle in West Sussex in 2007 and now have three children together.