Gladiators star Hunter looks completely unrecoginsable – 21 years since he was last on TV.
The show has recently had a reboot on BBC One, with hosts Bradley Walsh and his son Bradley presiding over the arena. Viewers have been ’emotional’ as they ‘relive their youth’.
Bodybuilder Hunter, whose real name is James Crossley, starred on the original show back in the 1990s and was known for his big muscles and curly blonde hair. He also had a brief public romance with the show’s then-host, Ulrika Jonsson.
James, who’s now 50 years old, was even awarded the title of ‘Ultimate Gladiator’ in 1999, after battling his fellow competitors.
But these days, James has swapped his tight spandex outfits for a more relaxed lifestyle as a yoga teacher. He’s left behind the world of showbiz to lead a healthier life and also works as a gong bath practitioner.
Hunter’s famous curls are gone, and he’s also ditched his clean-shaven look. Now, James sports a bald head and a salt-and-pepper beard.
Gladiators star Hunter looks completely unrecoginsable – 21 years since he was last on TV
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
James starred as Hunter in the popular show
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Hunter had a brief public romance with the show’s then-host, Ulrika Jonsson
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
James often pops up on social media where he leads yoga classes and demonstrates his gong bath techniques. According to his bio at the studio where he works, the strongman decided to change careers after suffering several injuries.
He discovered his love for healing and alternative medicine during a yoga retreat in Bali.
But James hasn’t lost his impressive muscles. He still keeps fit by bodybuilding and occasionally appears with his Gladiator co-stars. And he once dated Dr Zoe Williams from This Morning.
Hunter now sports a bald head and a salt-and-pepper beard
(Image: Instagram)
James has swapped his tight spandex outfits for a more relaxed lifestyle as a yoga teacher
(Image: Instagram/mrjamescrossley)
The strongman decided to change careers after suffering several injuries
(Image: @mrjamescrossley/instagram)
Ulrika, a mum-of-four, has spoken about her brief romance with James, saying: “Obviously I dated Hunter for about a year and a half and away from the show he was amazing and the sweetest, sweetest man,” adding: “He was only 22 when I think when I got together with him. Poor boy.”
James returned to our screens in 2021 on reality TV show, The Circle, where he pretended to be an NHS nurse named ‘Gemma’. Unfortunately, his attempt to trick his housemates didn’t work out and he was sent home.
Ulrika showed her support for him during his time on The Circle by sharing some adorable posts on social media. She wrote: “It’s too late at night for me to watch but he can be cute,” alongside a picture of James on the show.
Ulrika co-hosted Gladiators with former footballer John Fashanu when it first aired in the UK in 1992. The show saw four contestants compete against the Gladiators in a series of physical challenges, with the aim of making it to the grand final.
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI engine, which speeds up OK!’s editorial research and applies it to article templates created by journalists in our newsrooms. An OK! editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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