Who is Gladiators star The Giant? All about Jamie Christian-Johal
A brand new BBC reboot of the iconic 90’s show Gladiators is heading to screens.
With the return of the programme comes a whole host of Gladiators who are ‘’ready for action’’ - one of which is Jamie ‘The Giant’ Christian-Johal.
Who is Jamie Christian-Johal?
Jamie Christian-Johal is a former firefighter-turned bodybuilder, who hails from Derbyshire.
He served for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service for seven years and has been competing as a bodybuilder since 2009.
Standing at over 6ft, he made history by becoming one of the all-time tallest bodybuilders - and as a result, earned the name The Giant.
Described as a "gentle giant from the Midlands", he has competed across the globe against some of the best in the field.
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The bodybuilder turned pro after winning the 2018 Amateur Olympia in San Marino, Italy.
He came in fourth at the 2020 British Grand Prix, and competed twice in 2021, finishing in ninth at the Puerto Rico Pro and eighth at the 2021 Arnold Classic UK.
In 2022, Jamie finished in fourth place at the 2022 Yamamoto Nutrition Pro, in sixth place at the 2022 Arnold Classic UK, and in fifth place at the 2022 Legion Sports Fest Pro.
The following year in 2023, the bodybuilder was unveiled as one of the new Gladiators - a show he is "honoured" to be part of.
As of January 2024, Jamie, aka The Giant, boasts an impressive 140,000 followers on the social media platform Instagram - where he regularly shares fitness snaps.
Aside from his career success, Jamie Christian-Johal is married to wife Katie.
What height is Jamie Christian-Johal?
Johal has been nicknamed "The Giant" as he stands at a staggering 6 feet 5 inches.
He is the tallest professional in open-class bodybuilding in the world.
On joining TV show Gladiators he said: "I’ll be bringing my GIANT stature and personality so contenders better come prepared!"
How many calories does Jamie Christian-Johal eat a day?
In 2020, during an interview with SunSport, the former fireman revealed exactly what his daily diet entails.
Johal told of how he consumes 6,400 calories per day - which is over three times the recommended amount for an adult male.
He sticks to a staple diet from day to day which includes oats, turkey, salmon, pasta and rice - and even manages to squeeze in a cheeky burger and oven chips of an evening.
However, some days he likes to treat himself to a protein-packed omelette with dark chocolate, ketchup and mustard on top.
He told SunSport: ‘’I call it the half and half because variety is the spice of life.
"This morning I had an omelette, but I couldn't decide what I wanted on top.
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"So on one half I had ketchup and mustard, but on the other half I had dark chocolate."
The Giant's food bill sets him back an eye-watering £300-per-week - and he pays his wife, Katie, £500-per-month to cook his meals for him.