Game Show Host Exits After Investigation Into Alleged 'Problematic Behavior'

Back in September, we covered a situation with a YouTube game show host that was suspended for alleged "problematic behavior." What PopCulture.com readers might have missed is that there was a big update on the controversy not long after. The host in question, Adam Blampied, parted ways with Trident Digital Media in mid-September. Blampied was a regular fixture on Trident Digital Media brands like WrestleTalk, partsFUNknown and No Rolls Board.

The announcement came on Sept. 12, with both the company and the QuizzleMania host issuing statements. While the allegations and findings of the investigation into Blampied are unclear, the parties came to a mutual agreement to part ways. 

Trident Digital Media's Statement on Adam Blampied's Departure

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"We have mutually agreed with Adam Blampied that he will be leaving the company with immediate effect," the company statement read. "Adam will be making his own statement on his Instagram about his departure shortly and we respect his request to address this matter in more detail himself. We've made this a publicly available Patreon post on the continued advice of those we have worked with during this difficult process. We will continue to work with the external expert consultants mentioned in our previous update, so we can be certain we always have the strongest possible processes in place to support our team members and community. 

"The past few weeks have been very challenging for all of those involved, and we would like to thank everyone who follows our channels for their continued support of our amazing cast and crew. Your understanding throughout the recent month has been genuinely heartwarming for us all and is truly appreciated."

Adam Blampied's Statement on His Exit

The statement from Blampied — who is known for hosting YouTube shows like How Adam Would Book..., House Rules, NRB Play Blood On The Clocktower and No Holds Board — was shared via a series of Instagram posts on his personal Instagram account. "It is with deep sadness that I have made the decision to step away from YouTube for the foreseeable future," Blampied wrote (h/t to Shiro2809 on Reddit for the transcription). "This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but it is one that I believe to be in the best interests of the people and channels that I care so deeply about. The last month has been incredibly difficult, and has been equally so for those around me. The cumulative effect of this has become just too overwhelming for me in recent days. As such, for the sake of my own mental health and that of those close to me, stepping back feels like the healthiest thing to do."

"Certain language has been used to describe me that I categorically refute, and believe to be wholly inappropriate, yet at this point, I can't say much more about it than that. However, I want to make clear that my choice to leave is for the welfare of myself and the people around me, I have not been dismissed. I understand that some people will be disappointed with my inability to go into any further details right now. This is on the advice of legal professionals, so that I have the most solid footing possible ahead of some important next steps which lay before me. I am truly grateful to those of you for whom this explanation will be sufficient – at least until I am one day able to address anything of real substance further, should doing so be appropriate.

"I have been very honest and transparent about my shortcomings and mistakes in the past. However, this prior transparency has come at a cost, especially when it's used negatively in the court of social media opinion and to form assumptions about me in the present. The sheer amount of online speculation and harassment of NRB and its team has become too painful to bear. As such I am hoping that taking a step back will be best for everyone involved and feels like the most compassionate course of action.

"Please refrain from hounding or hassling anyone connected with this situation, I in no way condone that. Pushing people for answers that they cannot legally give doesn't make things any better for anyone, thank you again to those who continue to understand that."

Blampied ended his series of screenshotted statements with a plea to fans of his hosting and on-screen presence to keep supporting the brands under the Trident Media umbrella. He hoped him leaving the brands would make supporting their work "less complicated."

"I also want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone at NRB, PFK, and WT for an amazing few years," Blampied wrote. "They are fantastic people who truly deserve your support and I know they will flourish in my absence. Keep watching those channels, and hopefully my absence can help make that viewing experience a lot less complicated and a lot more joyful. For anyone who watched my content and supported me in doing so, I want to say thank you so very much, and I'm sorry for any distress that this past month has caused to those who just want to watch fun escapist hobby videos. I hope that like me, you will continue to view them with love for many more years to come."

The 2023 Allegations Against Adam Blampied Remain Unclear

Blampied had previously faced serious repercussions for his private behavior in 2017 when the public discovered he had "manipulated" women into sending him inappropriate images of themselves. In the years since, he had largely rehabilitated his image, going on the record about his regrets about the sexual harassment in an article for The Independent. He went on to join WrestleTalk in 2020 and was part of the team that launched No Rolls Barred (then called Phenoma-Nerds). 

However, Blampied's reputation caught up to him in August 2023. Carley Reinhard (a.k.a. Gnarly Carley Gaming on YouTube) responded to a YouTube commenter's inquiry about whether she'd return for more No Rolls Barred content after previously appearing on shows like Board Game Club and NRB Plays Blood On The Clocktower. Reinhard was against the idea and  accused Trident Digital Media of employing a "predatory" person who was currently on "temporary disciplinary leave." In a follow-up comment, she would name Blampied as the person in question, alluding to him committing similar acts to those he had previously confessed to in the wake of the 2017 scandal.

"While I do believe that most of the folks at NRB are decent humans, I will no longer work with them or support them personally or professionally so long as an individual that I know to be problematic and predatory still works there, and until they've fixed their systems that allowed for abuse in the first place," Reinhard wrote. "I am being told they are taking steps now to protect cast members and fans a like from this individual/ future similar situation, and believe in the heart of the folks doing so, but at the moment none of that change has manifested yet (save what I understand to be a temporary disciplinary leave). In no way will I return or support them while I believe their ethics don't align with mine. 

"At the moment [they] care more about 'the privacy' of a predator than safety of others and doing the right thing. They are a business, and I can understand this choice as a business, but it simply doesn't align with my values."

The original commenter replied hoping that the person in question had undergone "growth and change." Reinhard replied, confirming that Blampied was who she was referring to and alluding to more "problematic behavior." Reinhard did not make any exact allegations public and none have publicly surfaced in the months since her remarks.

"I, likewise, very much believe in the capacity for folks to change and grow," Reinhard wrote. "I am very glad to have had the space to grow and change from the person I was say a decade ago, and like to extend that grace of being able to grow to others in my world. I did at one point believe that words of change that were uttered to me. Unfortunately, if you're familiar with Adam's history, it is more or less and copy and paste of problematic behavior. NRB is fully aware of this, and has stated to me that they intend to pursue better systems for protecting folks and some element of discipline, but, I do not believe they will address it head on, publicly, or put safety and human decency ahead of protecting the face of their channel. 

"It is all incredibly sad, and makes me sick as seeing abuse within a community I adore is very very hard to stomach."

At the time of Reinhard's statements, Trident Digital Media stated they were investigating the situation and strived to maintain the privacy of all parties involved. The findings of that investigation have not been made public. Blampied stopped appearing in Trident Digital Media videos after an Aug. 6 upload and is no longer listed as an employee on Trident Digital Media's website.