# Gladiators (2024 British TV series)

Gladiators is a British television series which began airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 13 January 2024. It is the second revival of the original 1992 Gladiators series on ITV, after the 2008 series on Sky One. The series is produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK.
The series is presented by Bradley Walsh and his son, Barney. Each episode consists of four players, known as 'contenders' – two male and two female – competing in a series of physically challenging events against the show's resident 'Gladiators', a group of elite athletes – such as bodybuilders or track and field athletes – and eventually competing in one contenders-only final event, the Eliminator. The series has introduced a total of 18 new Gladiators: Sabre, Legend, Nitro, Diamond, Phantom, Athena, Bionic, Fire, Giant, Dynamite, Viper, Electro, Apollo, Comet, Steel, Fury, and as of the second series, Cyclone and Hammer. The series consists of the heats, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and a grand final, to determine the overall champions. It is refereed by Mark Clattenburg, assisted by Sonia Mkoloma and Lee Phillips, with voice-over commentary provided by Guy Mowbray.
Upon its release, the revived series of Gladiators became one of the most successful family entertainment launches for the BBC in seven years, attracting more than six million viewers during its premiere episode, and scoring nearly nine million during the whole first series. The BBC subsequently commissioned Gladiators: Epic Pranks, a spin-off children's prank series for CBBC. The fifteen-episode series, filmed behind the scenes of the main programme, and hosted by Gladiator Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey), started airing in 2025.
A "one-off" celebrity special, which was filmed alongside the second series, was aired on New Year's Day 2025 on BBC One; the episode featured Rob Beckett, Joel Dommett, Ellie Taylor and Louise Minchin as the contenders taking on the Gladiators.

## Production
### Background and development

The original LWT series of Gladiators aired between 1992 and 2000 on ITV and its first revival aired on Sky One in 2008 and 2009. In July 2022, it was reported that the BBC were in talks with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who hold the rights to the original format, to relaunch the show on BBC One. The BBC later announced that the revival, produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Television, would air in 2023.
The casting for the new contenders took place across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in April 2023. The following month it was announced that Bradley Walsh would co-host the revived series alongside his son Barney. Donna Walsh, Barney's mother and Bradley's wife, was head choreographer for the "G Force" troupe of cheerleaders on the 1992 series. Bradley also has previous connections to the show, having taken part in a "Celebrities vs Jockeys" special episode of the programme in 1997.

### Filming and release

Filming of the programme took place at the Sheffield Arena, which previously hosted the 1995 live shows for the original ITV series, in June 2023. Tickets to attend filming of the series were free. Applause Store, the company who oversaw ticket distribution, stated that there was an "unprecedented demand" for tickets and the venue reached its 3,000 capacity earlier than anticipated, which led to ticketholders being denied entry. In a statement, Applause Store said that entrance would be on a "first-come first-served" basis dependent on capacity, and that there was no guarantee of admission to the venue.
Gladiators Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal), Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey), Fury (Jodie Ounsley) and Fire (Montell Douglas) made an appearance during the Strictly Come Dancing finale in mid-December 2023, where Fire stated that the programme would premiere in early 2024.
The first official trailer of the show was released on 25 December 2023, showing both new and classic events. On 3 January 2024, the BBC announced that the series would premiere on 13 January at 5.50 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The revival of Gladiators attracted an audience of 6 million viewers, becoming the biggest entertainment launch for the BBC in seven years. Owing to the ratings success, BBC bosses announced that they have been planning for the next series, which was filmed in August 2024 at the Sheffield Arena, and airing in early 2025. According to a BBC boss, there would be some adjustments to the flow of the game, and some new events for the second series, but all of the Gladiators from the first series were set to return. The casting for the contenders of the second series closed in June 2024.

## Format

The format of Gladiators follows that of the previous series, where two men and two women compete against the Gladiators before taking on each other on the Eliminator obstacle course. The series follows a knock-out tournament format of preliminary heats leading to finals.

### Events

The first revived series of Gladiators saw the return of the following events: Hang Tough, The Wall, Powerball, Duel, and Gauntlet.
New events in the first revived series include Collision, in which contenders try to cross a bridge while avoiding the Gladiators who swing across on trapezes; The Edge, in which contenders and Gladiators undertake a cat and mouse chase on an elevated grid; and The Ring, in which contenders try to hit a sensor in the centre of a large court without being tackled by a Gladiator.
The second series, airing in 2025, saw Atlaspheres from the 1990s version reintroduced to the roster of events, and its new "sister-event", named Crash Course, alongside a brand-new event called Unleash; a game of tag around the arena floor. Some reworking of already played events such as Gauntlet were seen.

## Cast and crew
### Presenters

The revamped series of Gladiators is being hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh.

### Gladiators

Throughout May 2023, the 16-strong roster of Gladiators were announced on Morning Live and The One Show, among other media outlets. Profiles were also released on the BBC Media Centre website.
In January 2025, the BBC announced the addition of 2 new Gladiators ahead of its second series. Lystus Ebosele and Tom Wilson portray Cyclone and Hammer respectively.
Male Gladiators :
| Alias | Name | Tenure | Age | Height | Background |
| Apollo | Alex Gray | 1– | 33 | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | Former rugby union and NFL player |
| Bionic | Matty Campbell | 1– | 29 | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | Bodybuilder and former sprinter and footballer |
| Giant | Jamie Christian-Johal | 1– | 39 | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Bodybuilder and former firefighter |
| Hammer | Tom Wilson | 2– | 33 | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | World rowing champion |
| Legend | Matt Morsia | 1– | 39 | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | Bodybuilder, powerlifter, and former long and triple jumper |
| Nitro | Harry Aikines-Aryeetey | 1– | 36 | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | World and Commonwealth sprinting champion |
| Phantom | Toby Olubi | 1– | 37 | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Bobsledder and sprinter |
| Steel | Zack George | 1– | 34 | 6 ft (1.8 m) | CrossFit athlete |
| Viper | Quang Luong | 1– | 36 | 6 ft (1.8 m) | Bodybuilder and boxer |
| Female Gladiators ||||||
| Alias | Name | Tenure | Age | Height | Background |
| Athena | Karenjeet Kaur Bains | 1– | 28 | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | Three-time Commonwealth powerlifting champion |
| Comet | Ella-Mae Rayner | 1– | 29 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Former gymnast, diver, and cheerleader |
| Cyclone | Lystus Ebosele | 2– | 24 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Irish powerlifter |
| Diamond | Livi Sheldon | 1– | 30 | 6 ft (1.8 m) | Bodybuilder and former footballer |
| Dynamite | Emily Steel | 1– | 22 | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | CrossFit athlete, weightlifter, and former swimmer |
| Electro | Jade Packer | 1– | 26 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Hybrid-athlete, and former bodybuilder and sprinter |
| Fire | Montell Douglas | 1– | 39 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Commonwealth sprint relay champion and former bobsledder |
| Fury | Jodie Ounsley | 1– | 24 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | Former rugby union player |
| Sabre | Sheli McCoy | 1– | 36 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | National weightlifting and CrossFit champion |

### Other cast members

Referees :
| Name | Tenure | Background |
| Mark Clattenburg | 1– | Clattenburg adjudicated the 2012 Men's Olympic football final, and the 2016 Champions League and European Championship finals. |
| Sonia Mkoloma | 1– | Mkoloma is a former English international netball player. She competed at five Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games. Mkoloma made 123 international test appearances. |
| Lee Phillips | 1– | Phillips is a fitness professional, firefighter, and athlete. He competed in the World Police and Firefighter Games, winning the Ultimate Firefighter and CrossFit competitions. |
| Commentator |||
| Name | Tenure | Background |
| Guy Mowbray | 1– | Mowbray is a football commentator. He has provided voiceovers for the Africa Cup of Nations, the European Championships, the FA Cup, and the Premier League. |

## Injuries

Two of the female Gladiators were injured during the filming of the first series. Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner) sustained several bone fractures in her legs in several places – including the talus – as well as sustaining a Lisfranc injury, three ruptured ligaments, and a dislocated bone, when competing in her speciality event Hang Tough in Heat 4. Sabre (Sheli McCoy) also mildly injured her hamstring as a result of her attempt to push contender Bronte off The Edge in Semi-Final 1. Owing to these incidents both of the Gladiators had to go on hiatus for the remainder of the series.
During the training sessions for the second series, Gladiator Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) picked up an knee injury, and was, therefore, forced to step out of competing in the events for the series. He will still be seen in the programme, "hyping up" his fellow Gladiators and bringing the "Nitro energy" to the arena. During filming of the series, Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal) also suffered a severe injury, as he tore his biceps during Powerball in Heat 5. Due to this, he was also sidelined for the rest of the series, but still appears on the locker room segment from the Celebrity Special onwards.

## Controversies

In January 2024, the BBC discovered the use of steroid by Gladiator Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal) from a 2022 YouTube video. The video has since been deleted, and the Gladiator himself stated that he has not been in contact with any kind of "performance enhancing drug" since his professional career ended. The BBC also stated that upon the casting for the Gladiators and contenders, they had to complete multiple tests in case of any prohibited steroid-use; the tests were negative for all of the Gladiators. Consequently, it was reported that Giant would return for the second series of the show.

## Episodes
### Series overview

Series overview :
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released | Series Champions | Runners-Up | Average viewers (millions) |
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Series Champions | Runners-Up | Average viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | 13 January 2024 (2024-01-13) | 30 March 2024 (2024-03-30) | Marie-Louise Nicholson & Finlay Anderson | Bronte Jones & Wesley Male | 6.02 |
| 2 | 12 | 12 | 1 January 2025 (2025-01-01) | 2025 (2025) | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Epic Pranks | 15 | 15 | 15 February 2025 (2025-02-15) | 13 March 2025 (2025-03-13) | — | — | — |

### Series 1 (2024)

The first series premiered on 13 January 2024, and ran through the first quarter of the year. It featured eleven 60-minute long episodes.
The series became a ratings success on the BBC network, with the series averaging 6.02 million viewers, and constantly ranking in the Top 10 weekly most viewed shows on the channel.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | BBC One airdate | UK viewers (millions) | Weekly Rank (BBC1) |
| 1 | 1 | "Heat 1" | 13 January 2024 (2024-01-13) | 8.36 | 1 |
| The series begins, with four contenders taking on the new Gladiators. The contenders are Finley Burkitt, a 22-year-old railway trackman from Doncaster; Myles Harris, a 32-year-old DJ and IT engineer from Leeds; Tasha Lawrence, a 41-year-old nurse and personal trainer from Ipswich; and Kerry Wilson, a 34-year-old dogwalker from Dunfermline. ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Heat 2" | 20 January 2024 (2024-01-20) | 7.01 | 4 |
| The second of the heats, in which four new contenders take on the Gladiators. The contenders are John Darwen, a 31-year-old occupational therapy student from Preston; Jake Spence, a 23-year-old steelworker from Sheffield; Zoe McIntosh, a paramedic in the West Midlands; and Marie-Louise Nicholson, a 28-year-old fitness coach from Dublin. ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Heat 3" | 27 January 2024 (2024-01-27) | 6.48 | 5 |
| The third heat, with contenders are Bronte Jones, a 23-year-old firefighter from Sheffield; Alex McKnight, 29-year-old civil servant; Finlay Anderson, a 34-year-old army officer from Edinburgh; and Ashley Harwood, a 28-year-old salesman from London. ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Heat 4" | 3 February 2024 (2024-02-03) | 6.58 | 3 |
| Contenders for the fourth heat are Matt Jones, a 41-year-old civil servant from Cardiff; Chung Leung, a 33-year-old software engineer from London; Sharan Riyat, a 33-year-old dentist from Buckinghamshire; and Nia Rutter, a 37-year-old stay at home mum from Blackpool. ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Heat 5" | 10 February 2024 (2024-02-10) | 5.83 | 8 |
| The last of the heats. Contenders for the fifth heat are Tuathlaith Murtagh, a 29-year old activity manager from Belfast; Betti Worth, a 31-year old gym fitness trainer from Bolton; Dev Pankhania, a 30-year old HGV mechanic from Essex;, Paul Campbell, a 57-year old salesman from Sheffield. ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Quarter Final 1" | 17 February 2024 (2024-02-17) | 5.89 | 7 |
| The quarter final rounds begin. ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Quarter Final 2" | 24 February 2024 (2024-02-24) | 5.48 | 6 |
| The second of the quarter finals. ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Quarter Final 3" | 2 March 2024 (2024-03-02) | 5.41 | 5 |
| The last of the quarter finals. ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Semi Final 1" | 9 March 2024 (2024-03-09) | 4.55 | 6 |
| The first of the semi finals. ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Semi Final 2" | 23 March 2024 (2024-03-23) | 5.27 | 4 |
| In the second semi final, battling for the final places for the Grand Final are four more contenders. ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Final" | 30 March 2024 (2024-03-30) | 5.39 | 3 |
| The Series Champions are crowned here. An ex-Gladiator Saracen (Michael Lewis) made an cameo appearance in the crowd for the final with his wife. At the end of the show, it was announced that the casting for the contenders of series 2 was open. ||||||

### Series 2 (2025)

The second, 11-part series was commissioned by the BBC, following the ratings success of the first series. The series was filmed in August 2024 at the Sheffield Arena, and began airing in January 2025. The series started with a "one-off" celebrity special, which was aired on New Year's Day 2025.
Two new Gladiators – Hammer (Tom Wilson) and Cyclone (Lystus Ebosele) – joined the cast for the second series, making the roster of Gladiators grow to 18. Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) was forced to step out from the events owing to an injury.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | BBC One airdate | UK viewers (millions) | Weekly Rank (BBC1) |
| — | — | "Celebrity Special" | 1 January 2025 (2025-01-01) | 5.15 | 8 |
| Competing in the New Year's "one-off" Celebrity Special edition are TV presenter Louise Minchin and comedians Rob Beckett, Joel Dommett and Ellie Taylor. ||||||
| 12 | 1 | "Heat 1" | 18 January 2025 (2025-01-18) | 4.76 | 8 |
| The heats of the main series begin. A new cast of brave contenders face the returning Gladiators in both established events and some new ones, including the return of the classic Atlaspheres. ||||||
| 13 | 2 | "Heat 2" | 25 January 2025 (2025-01-25) | 4.27 | 12 |
| Second of the heats. New female Gladiator, Cyclone, debuts. ||||||
| 14 | 3 | "Heat 3" | 1 February 2025 (2025-02-01) | 4.48 | 8 |
| Third heat kicks off another new event to the series. ||||||
| 15 | 4 | "Heat 4" | 15 February 2025 (2025-02-15) | 4.42 | 4 |
| Records are smashed, and the Gladiators hunt down the Contenders on the Unleash track. ||||||
| 16 | 5 | "Heat 5" | 22 February 2025 (2025-02-22) | 4.23 | 10 |
| In the last round of the heats, four more brave Contenders fight for the remaining spots in the quarter-finals. The daughter of a British boxing icon faces the Gladiators. ||||||
| 17 | 6 | "Quarter Final 1" | 1 March 2025 (2025-03-01) | 4.31 | 5 |
| New male Gladiator, Hammer, debuts. Four Contenders battle Gladiators for a place in the semis. An unexpected series of events during Hang Tough shocks the arena. ||||||
| 18 | 7 | "Quarter Final 2" | 8 March 2025 (2025-03-08) | TBD | TBA |
| Gladiators ready! Bradley and Barney Walsh host the second of the quarter-finals as four determined Contenders take on the superhuman Gladiators in five brutal events before going head-to-head in the gruelling Eliminator. A punishing new event sees Contenders pitted against each other in an exhilarating caged race. ||||||
| 19 | 8 | "Quarter Final 3" | 15 March 2025 (2025-03-15) | TBD | TBA |
| 20 | 9 | "Semi Final 1" | 2025 (2025) | TBD | TBA |
| 21 | 10 | "Semi Final 2" | 2025 (2025) | TBD | TBA |
| 22 | 11 | "The Final" | 2025 (2025) | TBD | TBA |

### Gladiators: Epic Pranks (2025)

The BBC has commissioned a 15-episode spin-off series, aimed at children, on the CBBC channel, which is to be aired in 2025.
The series will feature the "Secret Prankster" – Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) – with his fellow Gladiators competing against each other in a set of games and competitions, as well as a look behind the scenes to their locker rooms and rest of the arena.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | CBBC airdate |
| 1 | 1 | "Dynamite!" | 15 February 2025 (2025-02-15) |
| The spin-off series, hosted by Gladiator Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey), begins. Nitro and Apollo prank Dynamite turning her into a singing banana. ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Fire!" | 18 February 2025 (2025-02-18) |
| For the second episode, Gladiators Nitro and Phantom prank Fire at a kids' birthday party. ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Giant!" | 17 February 2025 (2025-02-17) |
| Giant is pranked by Nitro when he appears as a guest of honour at a fake school award ceremony. ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Apollo!" | 18 February 2025 (2025-02-18) |
| Nitro pranks Apollo with fake influencer Aubry Devonne Keep, causing a big splash! The letters in his name when rearranged spell out “You’ve been pranked”. ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Steel!" | 19 February 2025 (2025-02-19) |
| Nitro and Sabre prank Steel at a fake Halloween photoshoot with a huge spider costume, bats and a surprising ghost. ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Cyclone!" | 24 February 2025 (2025-02-24) |
| Nitro and Fury prank Cyclone, who thinks she is filming an animal-themed exercise video dressed as a turtle. ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Diamond!" | 25 February 2025 (2025-02-25) |
| Nitro pranks Diamond when the guest on a live TV show cannot stop pumping! ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Apollo Again!" | 26 February 2025 (2025-02-26) |
| Nitro pranks Apollo again - this time he thinks he is filming for a Gladiator video game set in ancient Greece. ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Viper!" | 3 March 2025 (2025-03-03) |
| Nitro pranks Viper with a fake interview that ends with an unexpected splashdown, but he does not find it funny! ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Hammer!" | 4 March 2025 (2025-03-04) |
| Nitro pranks Hammer with a hysterical, historical Gladiator mix-up in a magazine interview. ||||
| 11 | 11 | "Bionic!" | 5 March 2025 (2025-03-05) |
| Bionic ends up dressed as a rabbit when Nitro pranks him at a fake photoshoot. ||||
| 12 | 12 | "Electro!" | 10 March 2025 (2025-3-10) |
| Nitro pranks Electro at a fake fashion photoshoot when her fabulous, precious dress is ruined. ||||
| 13 | 13 | "Comet!" | 11 March 2025 (2025-3-11) |
| Nitro and Diamond prank Comet at a fake Christmas calendar photoshoot. ||||
| 14 | 14 | "Athena!" | 12 March 2025 (2025-3-12) |
| Nitro and Bionic prank Athena as a massive broccoli at a fake healthy eating film shoot. ||||
| 15 | 15 | "Phantom!" | 13 March 2025 (2025-3-13) |
| Phantom is pranked by Nitro and Steel when he believes he is in a new Gladiators video game. ||||

## Reception
### Critical reception

The series received positive reviews, with The Guardian describing it as a "phenomenal reboot" of its original show. In a highly positive thinkpiece, The Independent praised the show's updated sensibilities, writing: "The entire show is a testament to the fact that we can still enjoy those things from our youth, and that 'updating them for a modern audience' doesn't mean ripping out the heart of what made them appealing in the first place." On his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman praised the casting and described the series debut as a "smash hit".
Ulrika Jonsson, who presented the original programme, said the reboot had done a "good job" overall, but criticised the absence of cheerleaders that had been used in previous iterations of the show, stating that the cheerleaders brought "another level" to the production.
The show's official Instagram account, which covers exclusive and behind the scenes footage, has gathered more than 74,000 followers to date.

### Awards and nominations

| Year | Group | Award | Nominated | Result |
| 2024 | National Television Awards | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | Gladiators, Series 1 | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Rose d'Or | Studio Entertainment | Gladiators | Won |
| 2025 | Broadcast Awards | Best Entertainment Programme | Gladiators | Nominated |

## Merchandise
### Gladiators: Ready!, The Official Companion Book

Bloomsbury Publishing released an official companion book for the series in hardback on 7 November 2024. It includes an extended number of behind-the-scenes details of the show, including training - and eating/dieting routines of the Gladiators themselves – with one chapter dedicated for each of the sixteen current Gladiators – and more deep-in details about the show itself, including stats, etc.