18-stone Sam’s just a big softy

But the bodybuilder has proved he has a softer side with his latest venture – a children’s book

The interactive e-book, The Grizzly Grump and his Terrible Trump, tells the story of Simon and his bad-tempered toy, which he names the Grizzly Grump.

Simon is entranced by the tales the Grump has to tell and he learns that toys, like people, cannot be judged on first appearances.

The book has been a labour of love for Sam, who is well-known in Dewsbury’s gyms. He wrote the book for his son, who he no longer sees.

Sam, known as ‘Sam the Man’ in the bodybuilding world, said: “A desire to write stems from a father’s love for his child or a deep-seated emotion or desire or emotion to convey something to somebody else.”

A former World Fitness Federation Mr World, the 44-year-old said he hadn’t written any stories since he was a teenager.

“I’ve spent so much time working on my body, I thought it would be a good idea to work on my mind,” he said.

Sam, who went to Wheelwright College in his teens, wrote the entire book in rhyme and recorded the sound effects himself, with the help of family and friends. His dad Nick Cullingworth did the illustrations.

And the author, who is also a paraglider pilot and actor, said the story had a moral at its heart. “The story shows that grumpy people can also be very kind.

“Simon actually falls in love with his grumpy toy – we’re all