Gladiators returns with ‘superhuman’ line-up of Olympians and bodybuilders

Enthralling television game show Gladiators will be returning to screens on Saturday evening with a line-up comprised Olympians, bodybuilders and weightlifting champions.

The sports entertainment show, which was originally broadcast from 1992 to 2000 in the UK, will debut 16 new “superhumans” who will look to show off their speed and strength.

Hosting the 11-episode series is the presenter of The Chase, Bradley Walsh, and his son Barney who will look on as the Gladiators take on “contenders” in both new and old games.

The show, which was filmed in Sheffield last year, will comprise challenges that include Duel, where players stand on small platforms and have to knock each other off using sticks.

There is also Hang Tough, Powerball, The Ball and classic challenge The Eliminator, a gruelling obstacle course.

Each Gladiator has been given a nickname which describes them and this year’s line-up consists of: Apollo, Athena, Legend, Fire, Bionic, Diamond, Nitro, Electro, Giant, Steel, Comet, Viper, Fury, Phantom, Sabre and Dynamite.

Sheli McCoy, who has competed in five British weightlifting championships and can deadlift 160kg, will appear as Sabre and 20-year-old Emily Steel, a full-time elite CrossFit athlete, will be known as Dynamite.

Team GB sprinter and Olympic bobsledder Montell Douglas will star as Fire on the show, while Matt Morsia, a fitness influencer whose YouTube videos attract thousands of views, will go by Legend.

Alex Gray, who previously played in the England rugby sevens team before transferring to the NFL, will be called Apollo, while Jamie Christian Johal will appear as Giant, earning his name as he stands 6ft 5ins and fuels himself with 10,000 calories a day.

Team GB sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who has 44cm biceps, has been nicknamed Nitro, and 6ft-tall bodybuilder Livi Sheldon will be known as Diamond.

Karenjeet Kaur Bains, who is the Commonwealth powerlifting champion, will go by Athena, while Ella-Mae Rayner, a former elite gymnast turned diving enthusiast, is nicknamed Comet.

Bodybuilder Matty Campbell, who can deadlift 300kg, has acquired his name Bionic for both his strength and height standing at 6ft 6ins.

Elsewhere, 6ft 5ins British bobsledder Toby Olubi has been given the title of Phantom and sports model, fitness coach and hybrid athlete Jade Packer, who know trains in CrossFit, has been named Electro.

Also making up the team is bodybuilder Quang Luong, now Viper, who says he was “born to be a Gladiator” and there is also Jodie Ounsley, who is nicknamed Fury and is looking to keep alive a family legacy after her dad took part as a contender in a previous series.

CrossFit star Zack George, who won the title of the UK’s Fittest Man in 2020, completes the line-up as Steel.

The original American Gladiators series was broadcast in the US in 1989 and became so popular a UK version was made starting in 1992 presented by Ulrika Jonsson and footballer John Fashanu.

Between 2008-2009 Gladiators was brought back for a short run on Sky.

Gladiators will launch on BBC One at 5.50pm and will be available to rewatch on BBC iPlayer.