Gladiator Giant allegedly ended his relationship with OnlyFans model Taylor Ryan by phone before returning to collect the one thing he apparently couldn’t leave behind: his Gladiators costume.
Ryan, 28, says she had been discussing marriage and children with the 6ft 5in TV star, real name Jamie Bigg, 40, during their ten-month relationship. Now she claims the man she once believed was standing up for her was simply “fake”.
The split comes after Bigg left the BBC’s revived Gladiators following a reported ultimatum over Ryan’s work as an online adult-content creator. At the time, Bigg publicly criticised the corporation, claiming he had been forced to choose between his relationship and his television career.
According to Ryan, the relationship eventually collapsed for precisely the reason Bigg had previously defended: her work.
“He wants to get back on the show now,” Ryan said. “He’s left loads of clothes at my house, but just taken his blue and red Gladiators costume and memorabilia.”
She added: “At the time, he was portrayed as a noble man who fights for what he believes in. But deep down, it was never what he believed in.
“It’s hard to talk about now because I see the full picture and I’m like, it was all just fake.”
In April, Bigg told The Sun on Sunday that BBC bosses had effectively made him choose between Ryan and Gladiators, claiming the corporation had interfered with his relationship because of the show’s family-friendly image.
Ryan now says jealousy over her work became a recurring issue. Even taking photographs of herself could apparently lead to questions about who they were intended for.
“It was my job. That’s what it came down to for him,” she said. “Me taking selfies would be a problem. He would be like, ‘Who’s that for? If it’s for work, I can compartmentalise that. But if it’s not for work, then who are you taking them for?’
“I was taking them for myself. I feel pretty.”
The former couple had also appeared together on Good Morning Britain, where Ryan says Bigg publicly supported her. She now feels that public display was at odds with what happened privately.
“To get us to appear on TV and be so proud of me publicly, then shame me behind closed doors, is something I don’t think I will be able to forgive,” she said.
Ryan first met Bigg at a Gladiators Live event in Sheffield. She had attended as a fan of the show, which returned to the BBC in 2024 after originally becoming a major television hit in the 1990s.
Dating one of the show’s most recognisable faces came with its own complications. Ryan says women regularly approached Bigg at events, in gyms and while they were out together.
“There were women hanging off him all the time,” she said.
She recalled one occasion when another woman was introduced to Bigg at an event but ignored Ryan completely until she reached across to introduce herself.
“That happened a couple of times,” she said.
By May, Ryan says the relationship was beginning to unravel. She claims Bigg had effectively moved into her home, with most of his clothes and belongings delivered there, while tensions over her personality and social media presence continued to build.
“I had to minimise myself quite a lot,” she said. “I’m big into comedy and my humour is quite crude and it always has been.
“If I told a story on Instagram that was kind of crude, he would tell me to delete it because it didn’t portray him well.”
Now, with the relationship over and Bigg reportedly eyeing a route back to television, Ryan says she is left questioning the man behind the Gladiator persona.
“He has a lot of demons he needs to fight in his own head before he ruins another woman’s peace,” she said.
Hot Chicks Influencers OnlyFans Television
Last modified: August 2, 2026
