Tom Holland’s ex-bodyguard has spilled the beans on why he never allowed his high-profile clients to hit up a public gym. For many of us, visiting the gym is an essential part of our daily routine, even more so for celebrities who need to stay in tip-top shape for their roles. However, when traveling, they often have to swap their usual spots for something more accessible, but you’d never catch any of Craig Ainsworth’s clients pumping iron at a typical gym like Planet Fitness.
Ainsworth, who has protected stars like Tom Holland and power couple David and Victoria Beckham, revealed that avoiding public gyms wasn’t about getting special treatment but ensuring privacy. In a detailed YouTube video on the People Are Deep channel, he explained, “First and foremost, [a public gym] is something we would never, ever want to go to. If we’re staying in a hotel or it’s absolutely necessary that we use a certain gym for a certain reason, I would always try and get it booked out and have private time.”
This strategy, Ainsworth clarified, was not because his clients needed exclusive access to gym equipment but was a measure to safeguard their privacy. “This isn’t just because our client’s super special and needs all of the weights and the gym, it’s purely something we’d put in place to protect their privacy,” he stated.
Capturing any footage of celebrities can be a lucrative endeavor. “As you can imagine, getting any sort of footage of anyone from celebrities to dignitaries is highly sought after. It’s all about privacy and it’s just not worth the workout,” he added. Ainsworth emphasized that there are alternative ways to keep his clients in shape without the risks associated with public gyms.
Ainsworth also touched on the less glamorous aspects of his job, like having to deny fans photographs with his clients. “If somebody recognized the client, which happens all the time, typically what you’d find is that people get very excited – but also what you have to remember is people are very aware that we’re [the bodyguards] there,” he said.
He noted that children, in particular, are often fans of his clients, such as Spider-Man, and while they can still interact with the celebrities, he has to intervene to prevent photos. “If you walk into a restaurant, for example, you try and stop any photos from being taken. If you allow one photo, then you now have hundreds of people wanting a photo… As the bodyguard, you’ve got to play the bad guy and sort of just try and whisk them through as much as you can,” the marine veteran explained.