Gladiators
GenreGame show
Created byDan Carr
John Ferraro
Presented byBradley Walsh
Barney Walsh
Starring
Narrated byGuy Mowbray
(voiceover)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes1
Production
Executive producers
  • Dan Baldwin
  • Lou Brown
  • Dom Bird
ProducerReshmi Bajnath
Production locationSheffield Arena
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release13 January 2024 (2024-01-13)[1] –
present
Related
Gladiators (1992–2000)
Gladiators (2008–2009)

Gladiators is a British television series which began airing on BBC One on 13 January 2024. It is the second revival of the original 1992 Gladiators series, the first revival being the 2008 series. The 11-part series is being made by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, is hosted by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney.[2]

The programme's format sees four contestants, two male and two female, compete in a series of physically challenging events against the show's resident 'Gladiators', eventually competing in one final event. The contestants aim to secure a place in the grand final, and ultimately be crowned champion for their respective series.

Production

Development

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.[3] The reports were later confirmed by the BBC, who announced that the format would return to British television in 2023 and would be produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Television, thus making it the third British incarnation of the show, following the original series which aired between 1992 and 2000 on ITV and a prior revival which aired between 2008 and 2009 on Sky One.[4][5] The series, in which contenders compete against a group of elite athletes and bodybuilders known as the "Gladiators" in a series of athletic and physical tasks, was announced by the BBC as "the ultimate test of speed and strength".[6][7] The series was filmed at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield over the two first weeks of June 2023.[8]

Arena set design

The arena's design and layout is reminiscent of the original ITV version, with a rectangular arena surrounded on three sides by the audience, mainly black with highlights of red and blue. Unlike the 2008 series, there is no water element. The set features some modern electronic display technology, with the series logo being projected at "The Wall" when that event is not played.[9]

Release

During the Strictly Come Dancing finale of 2023, the Gladiators Giant (Jamie Christian Johal), Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey), Fury (Jodie Ounsley) and Fire (Montell Douglas) made an appearance. During their appearance, Fire revealed that the premiere would be at the "beginning of the new year" of 2024.[10]

The first official trailer of the show was released on 25 December 2023, with a sneak peek of some of the new and classic events.[11]

On 3 January 2024, the release date was revealed by BBC to be 13 January at 5.50 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.[1]

Format

The format of Gladiators is tournament-based with separate male and female competitions. In each episode, four contenders – two female and two male – compete firstly against the "Gladiators", a group of elite athletes and bodybuilders, across five speed- and strength-based events to accumulate points. This is followed by a final "Eliminator" event, which is a one-on-one obstacle course competition between the contenders themselves; in each pair, the person who won fewer points during the course of the episode starts the Eliminator with a time handicap. The winners of the Eliminators proceed to the series quarter-finals, which are followed by semi-finals and grand finals.

At the end of the series, only one female and one male contender can win the competition, and be crowned as a Gladiators champion.

Events

During an appearance on BBC Breakfast in May 2023, Gladiators Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Livi Sheldon, also known by the stage names "Nitro" and "Diamond", stated that there would be a "great host of new games" and that the series would see the return of some old games including Hang Tough, The Wall, Powerball, and Duel.[12] In addition, during an appearance in This Morning the same month, Gladiators Jamie Christian Johal, aka "Giant", Matt Morsia, aka "Legend", and Montell Douglas, aka "Fire", confirmed about the return of the event Gauntlet.[13]

Three new events will appear in Series 1; Collision, a variation of original event Hit & Run or the American Gladiators game Sideswipe in which the gladiators themselves swing across a bridge in an effort to knock off a contender running across to score points; The Edge, an elevated game where a contender must make it from one side of an elevated grid without being pushed down and off 'the Edge' by a gladiator; and The Ring, in which contenders have to hit a sensor in the centre of a large ring without being tackled by a Gladiator.[11] A fourth new event, "Battle Bridge", was planned, roadtested and even featured in the Official Programme but was ultimately not featured in the series. In this event - a modification of the original event “Suspension Bridge” - both contender and Gladiator hold on to opposite ends of a large rod with the aim of pushing their opponent off. It is unknown why this event was axed from the first series, or whether it will appear in any later series.

Changes to the original format

Whilst having the same format as the original 90s' show, this revival has some notable changes to the format as listed below:

  • Each event starts with the male contenders' runs instead of the female contenders' – unlike in the original version.
  • Both male and female contenders always wear either red or blue costumes.
  • Exclusive sneak peeks are regularly made to the Gladiators' "locker room", where the viewer can learn more about the Gladiators themselves.
  • During replays, a shake effect is used to emphasise impacts.
  • A newly composed soundtrack is used when each event is played, replacing the original music by Muff Murfin. The only remaining trace of the original music is the theme tune, itself updated by Murfin for this revival.

Cast and crew

Presenters

In May 2023, 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; he took part in a "Celebrities vs Jockeys" special episode of the programme in 1997.[2]

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.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

Male Gladiators
Alias Name Tenure Stats Information Entry theme
Apollo Alex Gray 1– 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[20]
  • Former Rugby union and NFL player
  • Specialist event: The Ring
 "Are You Gonna Go My Way" — Lenny Kravitz
Bionic Matty Campbell 1– 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[21]
  • Bodybuilder, former sprinter and footballer
 "Galvanize" — The Chemical Brothers
Giant Jamie Christian Johal 1– 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[22]
  • Professional bodybuilder and former firefighter and policeman
  • One of the all-time tallest British bodybuilders
  • Eats seven meals a day, a total of 6400 calories.
 "Giant" — Calvin Harris and Rag'n'Bone Man
Legend Matt Morsia 1– 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[23] "The Best" — Tina Turner
Nitro Harry Aikines-Aryeetey 1– 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[24]
  • Team GB Commonwealth, World, and European champion sprinter
  • Has won gold medals at both 100 metres and 200 metres
  • Can run as fast as a car at 26.5mph
 "The Power" — Snap!
Phantom Toby Olubi 1– 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[25]
  • Olympics bobsledder and sprinter
  • Has the longest wingspan of all the Gladiators, at 2 metres
 "In for the Kill" — La Roux
Steel Zack George 1– 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[26]
  • CrossFit athlete
  • Titled UK’s Fittest Man in 2020
  • Dreamed of becoming a Gladiator whilst growing up
 "Pass Out" — Tinie Tempah
Viper Quang Luong 1– 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[27]
  • Bodybuilder and boxer
  • Has played a villain in Pierce Brosnan's Bond film Die Another Day
  • Can lift 210kg, the weight of a garden shed
  • Has a tendency to be underhanded
 "Trouble's Coming" — Royal Blood
Female Gladiators
Alias Name Tenure Stats Information Entry theme
Athena Karenjeet Kaur Bains 1– 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[28]
  • Commonwealth, All-England and British Powerlifting Champion
  • First British Sikh woman to represent her country at both European and World championships
  • Specialist skill: powerlifting.
 "Unfinished Sympathy" — Massive Attack
Comet Ella-Mae Rayner 1– 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[29]
  • Former elite gymnast and cheerleader
  • Semi-professional diver
 "Levitating" — Dua Lipa
Diamond Livi Sheldon 1– 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[30]
  • Professional bodybuilder and personal trainer
  • Used to play football at a younger age for a boys' team
  • Can lift 160kg, equivalent to a gorilla.
 "Woman Like Me" — Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj
Dynamite Emily Steel 1– 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[31]
  • Elite CrossFit athlete and National Swimming Champion
  • Youngest Gladiator in the current line-up; 20 years of age at the time of filming of the first series
  • Can walk in a handstand for 100ft
 "Bang Bang" — Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
Electro Jade Packer 1– 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[32]
  • Sports model, fitness coach, and bodybuilder
  • Hybrid-style CrossFit athlete
  • Key attributes: pace, power and precision
 "Light It Up" — Major Lazer
Fire Montell Douglas 1– 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[33]
  • First British woman to compete at both summer and winter Olympic Games; Bobsleigh and sprinting champion
  • Former British record holder for 100 metres with a time of 11.05 seconds
  • Able to run at up to 25mph, enough to outrun a grizzly bear.
 "Stop This Flame" — Celeste
Fury Jodie Ounsley 1– 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[34]
  • Rugby union player
  • As born deaf, Fury is the Honorary President of UK Deaf Sport
 "Bad Habits (Bring Me the Horizon remix)" — Ed Sheeran
Sabre Sheli McCoy 1– 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[35]
  • Scottish champion at both British Weightlifting and CrossFit Championships
  • Can lift 160kg, the weight of a baby elephant
 "Let's Go" — Zayde Wolf

Referees

In May 2023, the BBC announced the three referees for the series. The main referee is Mark Clattenburg, a former international football referee who adjudicated the 2012 Men's Olympic final and the 2016 Champions League and European Championship finals.

The other referees are Sonia Mkoloma, a former international netball player who competed at five Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games, and Lee Phillips, a fitness professional and firefighter who won gold medals in the Ultimate Firefighter and CrossFit events at the 2017 World Police and Fire Games.[36]

Commentator

In September 2023, the BBC announced that football commentator Guy Mowbray would provide "voiceover commentary" for the series. He has previously commentated for the European Championships and the Premier League.[37]

Contenders

The casting for the new contenders took place across England,[38][39] as well in Scotland[40] and Northern Ireland,[41] in April 2023.

Episodes

Series Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 11[42] 13 January 2024 23 March 2024

Series 1 (2024)

The first series premiered on 13 January 2024, and runs through the first quarter of the year.[1][43] Presented by Bradley and Barney Walsh, it features eleven 60-minute long episodes.[42]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleBBC One airdateUK viewers
(millions) [44]		Weekly Rank [44]
11"Heat 1: Myles vs. Finley / Kerry vs. Tasha"13 January 2024 (2024-01-13)6.4 millionTBA

The series begins, with four brave everyday contenders taking on the might of the new Gladiators. Events of the first heat include the returning games Duel, Gauntlet and Hang Tough, with two brand-new games called Collision and The Ring. Gladiator Viper shows up to be aggressive on Collision Bridge and Gauntlet, with Sabre showing her claws in The Ring and Legend making a statement in Hang Tough.

  • Event 1 – Duel

Nitro, Giant / Diamond, Fire

Scores: Finley 0 - 0 Myles / Tasha 5 - 0 Kerry

  • Event 2 – Collision

Legend, Steel, Giant, Viper[lower-alpha 1] / Fire, Athena, Electro, Dynamite

Scores:

  • Event 3 – The Ring

Apollo, Phantom / Sabre, Dynamite

Scores:

  • Event 4 – Gauntlet

Viper, Phantom, Steel, Apollo / Electro, Athena, Fury, Diamond

Scores:

  • Event 5 – Hang Tough

Nitro, Legend / Sabre, Fury

Scores: Myles 23 - 18 Finley / Kerry 26 - 23 Tasha

  • The Eliminator

Male Winner: Finley
Female Winner: Kerry

22"Heat 2"20 January 2024 (2024-01-20)TBDTBA

The second of the heats. Four new contenders take on the Gladiators in returning classic events Powerball and The Wall, and in the latest new event, The Edge, which is a cat-and-mouse hunt thirty feet above the arena floor. In addition, two new Gladiators make their debut: Bionic and Comet.

Events: Duel, The Edge, Gauntlet, Powerball, The Wall
Notes
  1. ↑ Viper got disqualified for leaving his trapeze and pushing the contender off. The contender (Finley) was allowed to compete the remaining 30 seconds with three remaining gladiators.

Future series

In November 2023 it was reported in newspapers that Holly Willoughby, who had recently left ITV's daytime show This Morning, was being considered by the BBC as a co-host alongside the Walshes for a potential second series of the show.[45]

Controversies

Over ticketing

Numerous people turned up for the first day of filming having successfully applied for free tickets, only to be denied entry, due to the venue having reached its capacity. Many people arrived hours before the stated start time and were still denied entry, with some having travelled long distances and having paid £5 to park—while another group had travelled for four hours and stayed in a hotel overnight. This resulted in "lots of unhappy people and upset children".

Ticketing was organised by Applause Store, whose website states that tickets for TV and radio shows are "distributed in excess of studio capacity to compensate for 'no shows'".

Their website says, "seats are limited and ticket holders will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the capacity of the studio", and that admission is not guaranteed for any show or production. Applause Store also advises prospective attendees to arrive as early as possible, "before the 'arrive by' time on your ticket", to make sure you get a seat.[46]

Injuries

Two Gladiators sustained injuries during filming of the series. Ella-Mae Rayner—aka Comet—sustained a "severe foot injury". After a series of scans and X-rays, Rayner found out that she had broken her ankle and foot in multiple places, including the talus. Her other injuries included: a Lisfranc injury, three ruptured ligaments, and a dislocated bone. Sheli McCoy—aka Sabre—tore her hamstring. A spokesperson for the BBC said:

"The health and well-being of all Gladiators, contenders and crew is of paramount importance. Gladiators is one of the toughest and most physically demanding programmes on TV and due to the high-impact nature of the show it is not unusual for those competing to suffer injuries. In each instance, as soon as it became apparent that a potential injury had occurred, the correct protocol was immediately followed. The injured Gladiators are currently following medical advice and working on their recoveries."[47]

Reception

Critical reception

The series received positive reviews, with The Guardian describing it as a "phenomenal reboot" of its original show.[48] 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."[49] Describing the premier as "Gladi brilliant", The Sun praised the show's ability to attract 6.4 million viewers on its debut episode: "There was one thing we can all agree on, and it’s that in a space of just minutes, Gladiators ripped the doors off Strictly and saved Saturday night TV."[50] Presenter and author Richard Osman praised the casting on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, describing the series debut as a "smash hit".[51] Amongst viewers, features like the return of some iconic events, and characters of some of the Gladiators were praised.[52]

The series had complaints around the Walshes' participation as the hosts. In particular, son Barney who has been seemingly criticised as using Nepotism in television. Many consumers weren't happy about the selection of the presenters, and some even found the duo "boring".[53]

Ulrika Jonsson, who presented the original programme, criticised the reboot on Lorraine for lacking the cheerleaders that had been used in previous iterations of the show, speculating it was due to "woke rubbish".[54]

Ratings

The premiere of BBC's reboot series got approximately 6 million viewers, with the highest peak of 6.4 million, which was more than enough to beat ITV's primetime programmes Wheel of Fortune and The Masked Singer the same evening. The latter reached only about 3.7 million and Wheel of Fortune about 2.5 millions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Darvill, Josh. "Gladiators start date confirmed for new series on BBC One". tellymix.
  2. 1 2 "Presenters Ready? Bradley and Barney Walsh are confirmed as hosts of Gladiators". BBC. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Frost, Caroline (30 July 2022). "BBC in Talks with MGM Studios to Bring Back 'Gladiators', One of UK's Biggest 1990s Shows". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Gladiators BBC: Release date speculation, cast and host for reboot". Radio Times. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Ritman, Alex (25 August 2022). "'Gladiators' Getting U.K. Reboot on BBC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. ↑ Singh, Anita (4 May 2023). "Bradley Walsh follows in wife's footsteps with son Barney as new Gladiators hosts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Didcock, Barry (31 August 2022). "Contenders ready? They better be because Gladiators is back". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Mannion, Jennifer (31 March 2023). "Sheffield Arena to host return of hit 90s TV show Gladiators and audience tickets are free". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Gladiators fans 'complain to Ofcom' as thousands 'refused' entry for filming". Daily Express. 2 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Gladiators reboot set for early 2024 release date". radiotimes.com.
  11. 1 2 "BBC Trailers – Gladiators". bbc.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "BBC One – Breakfast, 19/05/2023". BBC.
  13. ↑ This Morning, 18/05/2023
  14. ↑ "Get ready to feel their power - Fury and Steel named as the first Gladiators!". BBC.
  15. ↑ "New Gladiators Giant, Fire and Legend are ready to face the challenge of champions". BBC.
  16. ↑ "New Gladiators Nitro and Diamond are showing their strength and speed". BBC.
  17. ↑ "Sabre, Apollo and Dynamite have the heart of winners as they join Gladiators". BBC.
  18. ↑ "Athena and Comet have power in their soul as they become Gladiators". BBC.
  19. ↑ "Final Gladiators Bionic, Electro, Phantom and Viper revealed". BBC.
  20. ↑ "Apollo".
  21. ↑ "Bionic".
  22. ↑ "Giant".
  23. ↑ "Legend".
  24. ↑ "Nitro".
  25. ↑ "Phantom".
  26. ↑ "Steel".
  27. ↑ "Viper".
  28. ↑ "Athena".
  29. ↑ "Comet".
  30. ↑ "Diamond".
  31. ↑ "Dynamite".
  32. ↑ "Electro".
  33. ↑ "Fire".
  34. ↑ "Fury".
  35. ↑ "Sabre".
  36. ↑ "First look at the Gladiators line up and the referees keeping them in check". BBC.
  37. ↑ "Football commentator Guy Mowbray to call the action on BBC One's Gladiators".
  38. ↑ Fitzgerald, Katie (12 February 2023). "'Gladiators, ready!': Contenders are needed for reboot of iconic 90s show Gladiators". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  39. ↑ Mack, Tom (25 February 2023). "Contenders ready! Gladiators try-outs come to the Midlands ahead of cult show's return". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  40. ↑ Durham, Thomas (22 February 2023). "Aberdeen contenders wanted for BBC Gladiators reboot with try-outs to start soon". Aberdeen Live. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  41. ↑ McLaughlin, Sophie (19 February 2023). "Gladiators: Northern Irish contenders wanted for BBC reboot of iconic gameshow". Belfast Live. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  42. 1 2 "Gladiators reboot: When is it on? Who is hosting? Who are the new Gladiators? Which channel is it on?". Virgin Radio.
  43. ↑ "Meet BBC's new Gladiators as they show off bulging muscles and abs in tiny latex outfits". Mirror. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  44. 1 2 "Weekly Top 50 Shows". BARB. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  45. ↑ "Holly Willoughby to make 'TV comeback' with Bradley Walsh, claims insider". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  46. ↑ "Gladiators 2023 Sheffield: Fans left gutted as many are turned away from filming for BBC show at Utilita Arena".
  47. ↑ Rodger, James (19 June 2023). "Gladiators star rushed to hospital for operation after 'severe injury'". BirminghamLive.
  48. ↑ https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/13/gladiators-this-phenomenal-reboot-rips-the-door-off-saturday-night-tv
  49. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/ulrika-jonsson-gladiators-woke-wwe-b2479270.html
  50. ↑ https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/25358660/gladiators-reboot-tv-ratings-saturday-night/
  51. ↑ https://podcastaddict.com/the-rest-is-entertainment/episode/169820053
  52. ↑ https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv/gladiators-revival-bbc-good-comeback-019961-20240114
  53. ↑ https://uk.news.yahoo.com/gladiators-fan-reactions-nepotism-nostalgia-105443205.html
  54. ↑ Nugent, Annabel (13 January 2024). "Ulrika Jonsson suspects 'woke rubbish' is at play in new Gladiators reboot on BBC". The Independent. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
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