Bradley and Barney Walsh host as contenders take on the superhuman Gladiators for a quarter-final place

Bradley’s wife Donna was a choreographer for the show’s cheerleaders, so he spent a lot of time on the set, and even took part in a celebrity special in 1997. To make it more of a family affair, their son Barney took some of his first steps on the arena floor.

So, it’s unsurprising that Bradley and Barney are excited to be returning as the show makes a comeback on BBC1 – and this time, they are co-presenters.

Bradley says: “Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve been asked to be part of this iconic show. I used to sit backstage, or in the audience, every week watching my wife be part of this juggernaut and now I get to co-host a new version of Gladiators. Saturday night family entertainment at its best…”

They aren’t the only ones who are thrilled to be part of the revived format. Gladiator fans will remember that in the 1990s, John Anderson had the job of refereeing – and shouting “Contender ready! Gladiator ready!” before the events.

Now, that role is being taken by ex-Premier League Football Mark Clattenburg.

He says: “It’s amazing. When you look back to when it first started in the 90s, Gladiators was so iconic and wherever you go in the world, people have heard of Gladiators. Growing up, I used to sit and watch every show. John Anderson the original referee was so legendary.

“For me, it’s such an honour and such a privilege to now in 2023 to now be part of Gladiators. To be named referee after John Anderson is such an honour. Even though I’ve refereed some of the biggest games in the world – this is one the most amazing things I will do in my life.”

The Gladiators he’ll be overseeing are Fire, Bionic, Diamond, Nitro, Electro, Giant, Steel, Apollo, Comet, Viper, Athena, Fury, Phantom, Sabre and Dynamite.

Although some of them may seem a little young to have fond memories of the original UK version, they are all excited to have been given their uniforms – and nicknames.

Zack George says: “I was inspired by the Gladiators as a child, but never imagined I’d be physically fit enough to be considered a ‘superhuman’! I hope a new generation of fans will look up to me as their new strong, unbreakable hero, Steel.”

Tonight, we’ll get to find out just how unbreakable these heroes really are as they take on their first batch of contenders. Legend will be taking part in Hang tough, Sabre gets her claws out in The Ring and contenders feel Viper’s venom on the Collision Bridge. It’s all leading up to the infamous Eliminator, where a place in the quarter-finals is up for grabs.