BBC Releases First Image Of All 16 ‘Gladiators’ In Costume For New Series
The BBC has released the first photo of all 16 new ‘Gladiators‘ for their revamped series which begins filming at the arena in Sheffield this week, to premiere later this year on BBC One and iPlayer. They’ve also revealed the referees for the show.
The 11-part series made by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK will see a new generation of Gladiators compete against a brave set of contenders in the ultimate test of speed and strength. They will take part in a series of brand-new games alongside classic challenges including fan-favourites DUEL, HANG TOUGH and THE ELIMINATOR.
Just so you know who is who in the photo, here is the rundown of the new Gladiators:
Top row – Left to right: Legend, Fire, Bionic, Diamond, Nitro
- Legend – Needing no introduction, bringing his power and strength to the arena, he simply is Legend.
- Fire – Fire is fast, unpredictable, dangerous and will ravage anyone in her path.
- Bionic – Contenders stay out of the path of Bionic, he will crush anyone who gets in his way.
- Diamond – Don’t be deceived by Diamond’s bright beauty, she is unbreakable and super strong.
- Nitro – With his lightning fast speed and agility, contenders will have their work cut out getting past Nitro.
Second row – Left to right: Electro, Giant, Steel, Apollo, Comet
- Electro – Electro will make sparks fly, so don’t be shocked when she unleashes her full force onto the contenders.
- Giant – He may look like a big, friendly Giant, but don’t be fooled, he won’t be holding back when it comes to the games.
- Steel – Steel is strong, he’s tough and just like Steel, nothing is going to break him!
- Apollo – Apollo has the cheeky good looks of a Greek god and the speed of a rocket. He wants to win and won’t stop until he does.
- Comet – Comet is a force of nature, flashing past you. Collide with her and you’ll be dust!
Third row – Left to right: Viper, Athena, Fury, Phantom
- Viper – A man of few words but beware, Viper vows to smash any contender that stands in his way.
- Athena – Just like the ancient Greek goddess of war and wisdom, Athena is a combination of brain, brawn and beauty. She may be small but she’s mighty.
- Fury – Contenders beware, when that game starts you’ll feel the wrath of Fury.
- Phantom – Unbelievably strong and frighteningly unstoppable, Phantom is bringing all his force and will leave you shivering in his wake!
Bottom row – Left to right: Sabre, Dynamite
- Sabre – Fierce, powerful and agile, the main attributes of a Sabre, she’s fearless and ferocious, once she catches sight of prey, there’s no escape!
- Dynamite – She may look small, but do not underestimate Dynamite, she’ll blast into the competition and obliterate her opponents.
In addition to the full Gladiator line-up, they have also revealed the three people who will referee the matches. They are:
Mark Clattenburg, Sonia Mkoloma, Lee Phillips
Mark Clattenburg is one of England’s most decorated referees. He became a Premier League referee in 2004 before becoming a FIFA-listed referee in 2006 – meaning he could take charge of international fixtures. He oversaw several big games – including the 2012 Men’s Olympics final, the 2012 Carabao Cup final, the 2014 European Super Cup as well as the 2016 FA Cup, Champions League and European Championships Finals.
Sonia Mkoloma is a former English international netball player and made her debut in 1999. During her career Sonia competed at five Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games – making an incredible 123 international test appearances. Sonia now works as the England Netball Assistant Head coach and will be heading to South Africa for the World Cup later in the year.
Lee Phillips is a fitness professional, firefighter and athlete. Following University, he moved to London where he joined the fire service and became a full time firefighter. After joining the fire service Lee began competing in firefighter fitness competitions and in August 2017 competed in the World Police and Firefighter Games in Los Angeles amongst 10,000 athletes. He won gold in the Ultimate Firefighter and CrossFit competitions making him double World Champion.
Bradley and Barney Walsh
The new series will be hosted by the father and son duo of Bradley and Barney Walsh, who have an interesting family connection to the show. Donna Walsh, Barney’s mum and Bradley’s wife, was head choreographer for the Gladiator cheerleaders on the original series. Bradley, and a very young Barney, were regular visitors on set, with Barney taking some of his first steps on the iconic arena floor. Not to be outdone, Bradley followed in his small son’s footsteps when he took part in a Celebrities vs Jockeys special in 1997!
‘Gladiators’ is a Hungry Bear and MGM Alternative UK for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and was commissioned by Kate Phillips Director of Unscripted. The Executive Producers are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear, Dom Bird for MGM Alternative and Johnny C. Ferraro. The Head of Entertainment Commissioning is Kalpna Patel Knight and the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Clodagh O’Donoghue.
If you fancy getting into the audience for the new ‘Gladiators’, which films at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, you can apply for free tickets here (Terms and Conditions apply).
‘Gladiators‘ will air on BBC One and iPlayer later in 2023. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
