Colin Bryce

Colin Bryce (born 4 August 1974) is a British sports producer, television commentator, and former athlete known for his roles in strongman competitions and bobsleigh.^[1]^[2] Bryce co-founded Giants Live, the official arena tour for the World's Strongest Man, alongside Darren Sadler in 2009, launching the inaugural event at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, USA.^[1] As co-owner and tournament director of Giants Live, he has organized and promoted numerous strongman events worldwide, bringing the sport to prominent venues like Madison Square Garden in 2008.^[1] He also serves as a television commentator for World's Strongest Man broadcasts and has produced content for the series, including episodes dating back to its early iterations.^[2] Additionally, Bryce produced the 2015 documentary Eddie - Strongman, which chronicles the life of strongman legend Eddie Hall.^[2] Before transitioning to production and promotion, Bryce competed as a strongman athlete, finishing seventh in the 1999 Britain's Strongest Man final after tying for first in the heats.^[3] He was also the 1996 British Universities Powerlifting Champion and participated in Highland Games.^[1] In 2002, Bryce represented Great Britain as a brakeman in the two-man bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, marking his sole Olympic appearance.^[4]^[1] Raised in Perthshire, Scotland, after early years in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and Pennsylvania, USA, Bryce studied at the University of Glasgow before building a multifaceted career in sports entertainment.^[1]

Early life and education

Early life

Colin Bryce was born on August 4, 1974, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He spent only a short time there before his family relocated to Perthshire, Scotland, where he was raised in Craigie.^[5]^[1] Bryce came from an athletic family that instilled a strong appreciation for physical pursuits from an early age. His father, Laurie Bryce, was a prominent hammer thrower who competed in three Commonwealth Games (1966, 1970, and 1974), winning a fourth-place finish in Edinburgh and setting multiple Scottish records. Bryce has credited his father as the source of his initial exposure to strength athletics, stating, "My first taste of strength athletics was thanks to my father."^[6] These family influences fostered Bryce's early interest in sports emphasizing power and endurance. During his childhood, Bryce's family spent a period in Pennsylvania, United States, due to his father's work, where he engaged in American sports like gridiron football and wrestling, reaching the Pennsylvania state finals in the latter. Back in Scotland, he developed a passion for physical activities through local pursuits, including early involvement in Highland Games events, inspired by his father's legacy in throwing disciplines. This period solidified his affinity for strength-based sports, which would shape his later endeavors.^[1]

Education

Influenced by his father, Laurie Bryce, a former national hammer champion, young Colin developed an early interest in strength sports, which began to intersect with his formal education.^[6] He later pursued higher education at the University of Glasgow in the mid-1990s. This academic focus aligned closely with his athletic pursuits, as the curriculum provided a scientific foundation for understanding human performance and training methodologies. While at university, Bryce competed in the British Universities Powerlifting Championships at heavyweight, securing the title in 1996, and also claimed multiple Scottish University titles in hammer, discus, and shot put events—demonstrating how he integrated formal studies with competitive strength sports without any reported scholarships or awards for academics alone.^[1]

Athletic career

Strongman and Highland Games

Colin Bryce entered the strongman competition scene in the late 1990s, representing Scotland in open-weight events. His debut as a competitor came in 1999 at Britain's Strongest Man, where he tied for first in the heats alongside Glenn Ross before finishing seventh overall out of eight finalists in the open division held in Alton, England.^[3]^[1] During the event, he achieved a 74.35 m carry with the 165 kg Húsafell Stone, which sparked controversy over a potential world record.^[1] Earlier that decade, Bryce had served as a reserve for the 1997 World's Strongest Man, gaining exposure to elite international strongman without competing in the main event.^[1] Bryce's strongman career, though brief and primarily active in 1999, showcased his raw strength. He also participated as a reserve for the 1999 World's Strongest Man, further highlighting his involvement in the sport's qualifying circuit. These efforts marked his transition from amateur strength training to structured competitions, emphasizing events that tested overall power and endurance. In parallel, Bryce competed in Highland Games during the late 1990s and early 2000s, focusing on traditional Scottish throwing and lifting disciplines. At age 21, he became the youngest athlete to successfully lift all five McGlashen Stones—a demanding set of irregular boulders used in Highland Games—at the Callendar World Highland Games, demonstrating exceptional grip and core strength.^[1] He later won the Ashbourne English Highland Games championship in both 2002 and 2003, excelling in events like stone puts and weight throws that aligned with his strongman background.^[1] As a regular on the Highland Games circuit, Bryce's participation underscored his roots in Scottish athletic traditions before pivoting toward team-based winter sports.^[7]

Bobsleigh and Olympic participation

Following his background in strongman competitions and Highland Games, where his exceptional power and explosive strength were evident, Colin Bryce transitioned to bobsleigh around 2000, recognizing the sport's demands for raw athleticism in pushing sleds to high speeds.^[7] This shift allowed him to channel his physical prowess into a team-based winter discipline, training full-time after leaving a television production job to focus on the sport.^[7] Bryce's entry was influenced by family legacy, as his father, Laurie Bryce, a former Scottish hammer throw champion who competed in three Commonwealth Games, had missed selection for the 1968 Olympics due to preference given to English thrower Howard Payne.^[7] Bryce overcame a severe ankle injury in August 2001—a comminuted fracture requiring surgical pins—to qualify for Great Britain's 2002 Winter Olympics team through intense trials, including breaking the track record at the Bath push-start facility and outperforming sprinter Marcus Adam in a timed event.^[7] At the Salt Lake City Games, he competed as brakeman in the two-man bobsleigh event alongside pilot Neil Scarisbrick, representing Great Britain in a field of international competitors.^[5] The duo completed four runs, finishing 22nd overall with a combined time that placed them outside medal contention but marking Bryce's Olympic debut as a significant achievement in his athletic evolution.^[5]^[8] After the Olympics, Bryce continued competing internationally in bobsleigh from 2001 to 2004, including participation in both two-man and four-man events during training phases.^[1] His final competition was at the 2004 FIBT Bobsleigh World Championships in Königssee, Germany, after which he announced his retirement from the sport to pursue media and production opportunities.^[1]^[8] This period solidified his reputation as a versatile athlete who bridged strength sports with high-speed sliding disciplines.

Professional career

Television production and presenting

Colin Bryce began his career in television production in the early 2000s, specializing in strongman programming that highlighted athlete training and competition preparation. His debut major project was as producer and director of the 2004 documentary Viking Power: The Training of Svend Karlsen, which followed the eight-day training cycle of Svend Karlsen, the 2001 World's Strongest Man winner, blending gym sessions with event-specific drills to showcase the physical and mental demands of the sport.^[2]^[9] This film established Bryce's approach to authentic, immersive storytelling drawn from his background as a former strongman competitor. Expanding into broader series production, Bryce served as a producer for the long-running World's Strongest Man television series starting in the mid-2000s, contributing to episodes that documented qualifying events and finals through detailed behind-the-scenes coverage.^[10] In 2015, he produced the Netflix documentary Eddie - Strongman, which chronicled truck mechanic Eddie Hall's rigorous preparation and family sacrifices en route to competing at the elite level, emphasizing the personal toll of pursuing strength sports excellence.^[11] These works reflected Bryce's focus on pre-recorded content that humanized athletes beyond mere feats of strength. As a television presenter, Bryce has hosted strongman broadcasts since the early 2000s, delivering on-camera narration for qualifying tours and special programs.^[1] He currently hosts and commentates the World's Strongest Man TV specials on Channel 5, providing expert insights into event strategies and athlete performances during annual holiday airings.^[1] Bryce's production evolved through key collaborations, notably with former strongman Darren Sadler, with whom he co-founded Giants Live in 2009 to create arena-based strongman tours with dedicated TV production.^[1] This partnership shifted his style toward high-production-value series, such as the Giants Live events, which incorporated multi-camera setups and athlete interviews to appeal to global audiences, growing annual viewership from tens of millions to over 1.3 billion by 2021.^[12]

Event direction and commentary

Colin Bryce began his career in strongman event commentary in the mid-2000s, transitioning from athletic and refereeing roles to on-air broadcasting following his participation in the sport as a competitor and official.^[13] His debut as a co-commentator came during the 2005 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man (WSM), where he also served as head referee, leveraging his firsthand experience from competing as a reserve in the 1997 WSM finals.^[14] This marked the start of his longstanding involvement in directing and narrating the annual WSM competition, which he has overseen as contest director since 2018.^[1]^[15] As director and lead commentator for WSM and the Giants Live arena tour—launched in 2009 as a qualifying series for WSM—Bryce has helmed numerous high-profile events, including the 2017 WSM 40th anniversary edition in Africa and the 2021 WSM in Sacramento, where he managed real-time event flow and provided play-by-play analysis.^[6] His directorial responsibilities encompass event structuring, athlete coordination, and ensuring smooth live execution across global venues, from the Mohegan Sun Arena tour stops to international qualifiers.^[1] Bryce's broadcasting style is characterized by authoritative, insider-driven insights drawn from his background as a former strongman competitor and 2002 Olympic bobsleigh athlete, allowing him to explain techniques, strategies, and athlete mindsets with authenticity that resonates with audiences.^[13] This expertise has elevated the production quality of live strongman broadcasts, making complex feats accessible and engaging, as seen in his narration of pivotal moments like record-breaking deadlifts during Giants Live events.^[6] His production background further sharpens his ability to direct live coverage seamlessly under pressure.^[1] In recent years, Bryce has continued his commentary work through 2025, including directing and calling the 2024 USA Strongman Championships and World Deadlift Championships, where he anticipated new records in the deadlift event.^[16] He provided analysis for the 2025 WSM qualifiers via Giants Live tours, directed the main event held in May 2025 (won by Tom Stoltman), and appeared in promotional discussions, maintaining his role as the voice of elite strongman amid evolving formats and global expansion.^[17]^[18]

Business ventures

Founding Giants Live

In the late 2000s, following a turbulent period for the strongman sport including a 2004 split in the World's Strongest Man (WSM) organization that led to the loss of key athletes and BBC broadcasting support, Colin Bryce co-founded Giants Live with Darren Sadler to revitalize the scene through arena-based touring events.^[1] Drawing on his background as a former strongman competitor and commentator, Bryce aimed to create a structured qualifying tour for WSM, replacing the discontinued Strongman Super Series and bringing high-stakes competitions to indoor venues for closer fan engagement.^[1] The partnership formalized Giants Live as a professional strongman series, emphasizing live arena spectacles with up to 14 athletes competing in five events per show, where the top three finishers earn WSM qualification spots.^[1] Launched in 2009, the inaugural Giants Live event was the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut, USA, drawing over 5,500 spectators and won by Derek Poundstone.^[1] This kicked off the tour's format innovations, including compact, high-intensity arena contests designed for television broadcast and global streaming, which contrasted with traditional outdoor strongman formats. Early events expanded internationally, with the season concluding at the Malbork Giants Live in Poland on August 1, 2009,^[19] and subsequent shows in prominent UK venues like London's Wembley Arena and Sheffield's Utilita Arena, establishing a mix of North American and European locations.^[20] These initial tours featured signature events such as log presses, deadlifts, and Atlas stones, prioritizing athlete safety and spectator accessibility through standardized rules and professional production.^[1] Launching Giants Live presented significant challenges, including financial risks from self-funding early productions amid the sport's instability and the need to secure sponsorships and venues without established precedents. Logistical hurdles involved coordinating international athlete travel and adapting events for diverse arena sizes, while competing for broadcasting rights in a niche market nearly led to the tour's early struggles. Key milestones included securing official WSM qualifying status for 2009–2011, which boosted credibility and athlete participation, and overcoming initial low attendance by leveraging Bryce's media contacts for BBC and ESPN coverage.^[1]^[20] By 2025, Giants Live had evolved into a thriving international entity, hosting multiple annual events across the UK (including London, Leeds, Birmingham, and Glasgow, such as the World Tour Finals in Glasgow in October 2025), the US (such as Las Vegas), Australia, and Iceland, attracting tens of thousands of fans per season and amassing over 6 million Facebook followers with YouTube videos exceeding 700 million views as of November 2025.^[21]^[22]^[23]^[24] The tour's growth into a profitable company with substantial assets is evidenced by its expansion to 7,000-seat arenas, sustained Channel 5 broadcasting in the UK, and flagship events like the Strongman Classic at Royal Albert Hall, solidifying its role as the premier strongman arena series.^[25]

Involvement with World's Strongest Man

Colin Bryce's involvement with the World's Strongest Man (WSM) competition began in the mid-1990s, initially as an athlete and behind-the-scenes contributor. Introduced to the event in 1996 by Dr. Douglas Edmunds, described as the "godfather of strongman," Bryce served as a tester, notably credited with the longest Husafell stone carry distance in 1997.^[14] He also acted as emcee for the 2004 WSM contest held in Paradise Island, Bahamas.^[14] As a competitor, Bryce participated as a reserve in the 1997 WSM finals in Las Vegas, stepping in to compete after an injury sidelined another athlete.^[1] Transitioning to officiating, Bryce was appointed head referee for the 2005 MET-Rx WSM, succeeding Edmunds in a role that demanded deep knowledge of strongman standards.^[14] He continued in this capacity at least through 2008, overseeing event fairness and evolution, such as refining tests of strength to eliminate debatable elements like pole-hanging challenges from earlier years.^[26] During this period, Bryce also produced the WSM Super Series from 2003 to 2008, contributing to the event's format revitalization in 2004 amid a promotional split in the strongman community.^[1] In production and broadcasting, Bryce has been credited as a producer for the WSM television series, which debuted in 1977 but saw his involvement in later iterations.^[2] He played a key role in expanding the event's global reach, including bringing strongman to Madison Square Garden in 2008.^[1] As Tournament Director and commentator, Bryce provides expert analysis during WSM broadcasts and related events, drawing on his athlete background to highlight athlete performances and potential records, such as deadlift achievements.^[16] His multifaceted contributions have helped maintain WSM's status as the premier strongman competition.^[1]