Gladiators celebrity spin-off rumoured line-up
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The Gladiators reboot has been a huge hit so it's no surprise TV bosses are doing a Gladiators celebrity special.
Gladiators made an explosive return to our screens with 16 new stars as BBC breathed new life into the 1990s ITV reality series. Fans quickly begun to spot the "new" Jet and Wolf among the 2024 Gladiators line-up.
Hot on the heels of the celebrity special news, rumours are already swirling about the stars that TV bosses are eyeing up for the show. We take a look at all the stars rumoured for the Gladiators celebrity special.
Read more: Will Gladiators be back for a second series?
So far, Davina McCall, Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews are reportedly in demand from the show. Christine Lampard said all the stars would be "brilliant" on the show when discussing the Gladiators celebrity special on Lorraine.
Yahoo News has reached out to BBC for further comment.
When will the Gladiators celebrity special be released?
The Gladiators celebrity spin-off does not yet have a release date. However, with the first series only wrapping in March 2024, it’s likely that we won’t see the Gladiators celebrity special until the end of the year at the very earliest.
In April 2024, Executive producer and managing director of Hungry Bear Media, Dan Baldwin who is Holly Willoughby's husband, made the announcement on BBC Radio 4. He said: "I can reveal we are going to do a celebrity special."
He added: "You always look at old shows that are no longer on television. You are always coming up with new ways of bringing back a show. It's no exaggeration to say that the response to Gladiators has been phenomenal."
Baldwin continued: "The episodes have been packed with nail-biting drama, thrilling action and huge emotion. Series 2 will see the show go from strength-to-strength. We have some amazing surprises in store for the fans."
Who is starring in the Gladiators celebrity special?
The full line-up for the Gladiators celebrity spin-off has yet to be revealed. However, there is some talk about the stars that TV bosses would reportedly like to sign up to the show.
Davina McCall
At 56, McCall is a fitness icon so she would be a great fit for the Gladiators celebrity special. McCall has been a fan of the show too and admitted she would love to present it. Before Gladiators returned to our screens, she had tweeted: "Bagsy present it."
Within a week of the special being officially announced, The Masked Singer star has been linked to the show. A source told The Sun: "Davina is incredibly fit and already looks keen to be involved, even if she has only previously talked about lending her presenting skills."
However, those who know and love McCall will not be surprised by the rumours. The TV presenter stays fit with her variety of exercises from Pilates, running and boxing to weighted gloves. She never fails to impress fans, often sharing bikini snaps on her Instagram.
Last year, McCall opened up about her penchant for fitness and staying motivated. She told The Mirror: "I just put on a workout outfit because it means that I’m always ready. If I start my day in civvies I am not going to work out, it’s never going to happen.
"If I’m in my workout gear and it gets to 3pm, I think, come on, back on! My Lycra is like my work clothes so I spend money on Lycra like other people would spend money on a suit for work."
Mark Wright
When he's not presenting, you will find Mark Wright training or at the gym. His Instagram is packed with photographs of the 37-year-old working out. It's no wonder that TV bosses are reportedly keen to sign him up to Gladiators for the celebrity special.
The TV presenter, who is married to Netflix's Fool Me Once actor Michelle Keegan, even helped his friend and fellow former The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent lose weight. Last year, Wright lifted the lid on why staying fit is really important to him and how it personally makes him feel.
He told breakingnews.ie: "Staying on top of your fitness game and your physical health is so important for your mental health as well. For me, if I’m not training and I’m not eating well and I don’t feel good, I mentally don’t feel good. Training keeps me on that straight and narrow."
Spencer Matthews
Matthews has been on amazing fitness journey in recent years. Now he has been linked to the Gladiators special with bosses reportedly keen to sign him up to the show.
A source told The Sun of wanting Wright and Matthews for the show: "As for the blokes, the producers love the idea of getting the fellas in to see if their gym-honed muscles are just for show or if they’ve got genuine brawn."
Last year, the reality TV star said his "life was spiralling out of control" during his Made In Chelsea days before he had a regular fitness regime. He wrote on Instagram: "It was during Made In Chelsea and I had a drinking problem. I would drink to excess almost daily and had a deluded sense of grandeur. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and change felt like too much of an effort
The dad, who is married to Vogue Williams, explained how he had changed his life for the better with fitness. He added on social media: "10 years later, I’ve embraced a different lifestyle and have self-discipline and a purpose. I’ve been training religiously, weightlifting three times a week, running, not drinking and being mindful of my health.
"A routine, clear plan and consistency is important. Your goals won’t achieve themselves. I used to be out of breath walking up a single flight of stairs."
Who will host the Gladiators celebrity special?
Gladiators, which is filmed in Sheffield and airs on BBC One on Saturday evenings, is hosted by father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh.
While the duo has become a quick hit with audiences, it’s unclear whether they’ll return to front the show’s second series or this recently announced celebrity special.
That said, considering the success of the show, it’d be a surprise if the Walshes don’t return.
The Gladiators celebrity spin-off is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer.
