# Gladiators (2023 British TV series)
**Gladiators** is a British sports entertainment game show in which members of the public, called Contenders, compete against elite athletes, called Gladiators, in physical events culminating in an obstacle-course race called the Eliminator. Announced by the BBC in 2023, it is the second revival of the original 1992 ITV series, after the 2008 [Sky One](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-one) version, and premiered on [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) and [BBC iPlayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-iplayer) on 13 January 2024.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) • [2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) It is produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, hosted by father and son Bradley and Barney Walsh, and refereed by former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg.[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First aired | 13 January 2024, BBC One and BBC iPlayer; filmed at Utilita Arena Sheffield[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) |
| Production | Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK; executive producers Lou Brown and Dan Baldwin[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) • [3](https://kpx.tv/projects/gladiators/) |
| Presenters and officials | Bradley and Barney Walsh (hosts); Mark Clattenburg, Sonia Mkoloma and Lee Phillips (referees); Guy Mowbray (commentator)[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) |
| Format | Four Contenders per episode (two male, two female) in five events against the Gladiators, then the Eliminator; an 11-episode knockout series of five heats, three quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a grand final[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) |
| Gladiators | 16 in series 1, including Sabre, Nitro, Diamond, Fire, Giant and Fury; Cyclone and Hammer added in series 2, giving 18[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) • [4](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/c2e1rwk0m1vo) |
| Launch ratings | Average 6 million viewers, peak 6.4 million, 38.2% audience share; 9.8 million within 28 days, the biggest entertainment launch for a new series in seven years[5](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bbc-press-office_bbc-onesgladiators-had-an-average-audience-activity-7153000816998510592-2hDs) • [6](https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/01/31/ratings-success-for-bbcs-gladiators/) |
| Renewals | Series 2 (2025), series 3 (2026) and series 4 (2027, with a Celebrity Special) all confirmed[7](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/cn07re21dl3o) |
## Format and events
Each episode follows the structure of the original series: two male and two female Contenders compete in a series of physically demanding events against the resident Gladiators, earning points that translate into a head start in the final event, the Eliminator, a head-to-head obstacle race between the two Contenders of each sex.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) The series runs as a knockout tournament of preliminary heats leading to quarter-finals, semi-finals and a grand final.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators)
**Classic events.** The revival retained signature games from the 1992 show, confirmed before broadcast by Gladiators Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) and Diamond ([Livi Sheldon](https://www.edgepedia.org/livi-sheldon)): Hang Tough, The Wall, Powerball and Duel, with Gauntlet also returning.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) In Duel, the Contender and a [Gladiator](https://www.edgepedia.org/gladiator) stand on podiums 1.1 m in diameter armed with pugil sticks set 41 cm apart; knocking the opponent off earns 10 points, staying on the platform for the 30-second time limit earns 5, and falling early earns nothing.[8](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/events-uk/duel/) In The Wall, two Contenders race up a 10-meter climbing wall while Gladiators chase and try to pull them off; the first to the top scores 10 points and the second 5.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) In Gauntlet, a Contender has 20 seconds to run through five zones, each guarded by a Gladiator, earning 2 points per zone passed.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring)
**New events.** Series 1 added [Collision](https://www.edgepedia.org/collision), in which a Contender carries a ball across a suspension bridge while four Gladiators swing in on trapezes; [The Edge](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-edge), a cat-and-mouse chase on a padded grid 30 feet above the arena floor; and The Ring, a tackling game in which Contenders press a central button for 2 points per press.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) • [9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) Series 2 introduced Unleash, a running-track chase in which the Contender must reach a hanging flag while a pursuing Gladiator tries to steal the tag on the Contender's back, alongside the returning Atlaspheres and [Crash Course](https://www.edgepedia.org/crash-course).[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) • [9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) Series 3 added Destruction, a three-way race in which players smash through four 8-foot barriers to reach a central button, and Everest, in which Contender and Gladiator push a moving wall to force each other off a tilting platform, plus the returning Suspension Bridge.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) • [4](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/c2e1rwk0m1vo)
**The Eliminator.** The final event decides each episode. The Contender with more points from the earlier events gains a head start of 0.5 seconds per point of advantage, so a 4-point lead equals a 2-second head start.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) The course spans the arena floor and comprises nine obstacles: over-and-under hurdles, a rope climb, an overhead ladder, a trapeze, a cargo net, a zip-line, a balance beam, the Travelator, a reverse-motion treadmill, and a rope swing through a paper burst at the finish.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring) • [10](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/events-uk/eliminator/) For Series 3 the balance beam was made harder with more extreme angles.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring)
## The Gladiators
The first series introduced 16 Gladiators: Sabre, Legend, Nitro, Diamond, Phantom, Athena, Bionic, Fire, Giant, Dynamite, Viper, Electro, Apollo, Comet, Steel, and Fury.[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) They include sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro), rugby player Alex Gray (Apollo), sprinter [Montell Douglas](https://www.edgepedia.org/montell-douglas) (Fire) and bodybuilder Jamie Christian-Johal (Giant).[11](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/gladiators-uk-2024-review-b2479274.html) After audience research underlined the importance of representation, the cast includes Fury, professional rugby player Jodie Ounsley, who is deaf, and Athena, former [Team GB](https://www.edgepedia.org/team-gb) powerlifter Karenjeet Kaur Bains, the first Gladiator with south Asian origins.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/30/we-dialled-up-the-superhero-how-gladiators-became-the-bbcs-biggest-entertainment-hit-in-years)
Series 2 added Cyclone (Lystus Ebosele), the first Irish Gladiator, and Hammer (Tom Wilson), bringing the roster to 18.[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) • [13](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0624/1520054-gladiators-to-return-with-new-series-and-celeb-special/) Filming is physically demanding: during production of the first series, Comet ([Ella-Mae Rayner](https://www.edgepedia.org/ella-mae-rayner)) broke her ankle and foot and suffered a [Lisfranc injury](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisfranc-injury) and ruptured ligaments, and Sabre (Sheli McCoy) tore her hamstring.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators)
## Production
In July 2022 the BBC was reported to be in talks with [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/metro-goldwyn-mayer), which holds the rights to the original format, and the revival was later confirmed for 2023.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) Contender casting took place across England, Scotland and [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) in April 2023, and filming took place at Sheffield Arena in June 2023, the venue that had hosted the 1995 live shows of the original series.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) Free tickets distributed by Applause Store met what the company called unprecedented demand, with the 3,000 capacity reached early and some ticketholders denied entry.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators)
The Walsh family has links across both eras of the show: [Bradley Walsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/bradley-walsh) took part in a celebrities-versus-jockeys special in 1997, and Donna Walsh, his wife and Barney's mother, was head choreographer of the G-Force cheerleaders on the original series.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators) • [2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) The first trailer was released on 25 December 2023, and the premiere date of 13 January 2024 at 5:50 pm was announced on 3 January.[1](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators)
## Reception and ratings
The launch episode drew an average audience of 6 million with a peak of 6.4 million and a 38.2% share, the biggest entertainment launch in the UK since *Let It Shine* in January 2017.[5](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bbc-press-office_bbc-onesgladiators-had-an-average-audience-activity-7153000816998510592-2hDs) • [6](https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/01/31/ratings-success-for-bbcs-gladiators/) Seven-day figures took the first episode to 8.7 million, including 3.3 million on iPlayer alone, and 1.1 million viewers aged 16 to 34.[6](https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/01/31/ratings-success-for-bbcs-gladiators/) By 28-day figures, 9.8 million had watched the first episode and the series averaged 8.3 million.[2](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/) The Guardian described the revival as the BBC's biggest entertainment hit in years, crediting minimal changes to a format with cross-generational appeal.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/30/we-dialled-up-the-superhero-how-gladiators-became-the-bbcs-biggest-entertainment-hit-in-years) Reviewers noted the show's closeness to the 1992 original, with the same theme tune, arena format and event roster, plus a somewhat friendlier tone between Gladiators and Contenders.[14](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-does-the-new-gladiators-compare-to-the-90s-original/)
## Later series
Series 2 began in January 2025 and series 3 premiered on 17 January 2026, with Giant returning after missing series 2 through injury and a celebrity Christmas special preceding the run.[4](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/c2e1rwk0m1vo) In June 2026 the BBC confirmed a fourth series for 2027, again from Sheffield Arena, with a new unrevealed event and a one-off Celebrity Special; series 4 will run to 11 one-hour episodes.[7](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/cn07re21dl3o) • [15](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/0624/1580140-gladiators-to-return-to-screens-for-a-fourth-season/) Former rugby star Joe Marler was announced as the first celebrity Gladiator, appearing as Mauler, and three-time World's Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman also joined the cast for series 4.[16](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/news/articles/c39ep0eyk21o) • [17](https://acesso.kissmyscore.com/?_=%2Fpulse%2Fwhats-occurring-across-bbc-week-bbc-press-office-on1xe%23xybe3UUSZzbs022gEii2Pso2w8MYSyd0&trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse) Giant left the show after three series, saying a planned public disclosure about his relationship did not align with conditions the show set.[15](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/0624/1580140-gladiators-to-return-to-screens-for-a-fourth-season/)
## References
1. [Gladiators, BBC Wiki (Fandom)](https://bbc.fandom.com/wiki/Gladiators)
2. [Gladiators | BBC One & iPlayer | 2024 – present, GladiatorsTV.com](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/uk-bbc-2024/)
3. [Gladiators, KPX](https://kpx.tv/projects/gladiators/)
4. [Gladiators: Everything you need to know about series three, BBC Newsround](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/c2e1rwk0m1vo)
5. [BBC Press Office on Gladiators launch ratings, LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bbc-press-office_bbc-onesgladiators-had-an-average-audience-activity-7153000816998510592-2hDs)
6. [Ratings success for BBC's Gladiators, Advanced Television](https://www.advanced-television.com/2024/01/31/ratings-success-for-bbcs-gladiators/)
7. [Gladiators returning with new series and celebrity special, BBC Newsround](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/cn07re21dl3o)
8. [Duel | Events, GladiatorsTV.com](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/events-uk/duel/)
9. [Gladiator Events, Rules and Scoring, BBC](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/programmes/articles/3nRDFwg1Lrps0FddFwlPFwn/gladiator-games-rules-and-scoring)
10. [Eliminator | Events, GladiatorsTV.com](https://www.gladiatorstv.com/events-uk/eliminator/)
11. [Gladiators review, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/gladiators-uk-2024-review-b2479274.html)
12. ['We dialled up the superhero': how Gladiators became the BBC's biggest entertainment hit in years, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/30/we-dialled-up-the-superhero-how-gladiators-became-the-bbcs-biggest-entertainment-hit-in-years)
13. [Gladiators to return with 2026 series and celebrity special, RTÉ](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0624/1520054-gladiators-to-return-with-new-series-and-celeb-special/)
14. [How Does the New Gladiators Compare to the 90s Original?, Den of Geek](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-does-the-new-gladiators-compare-to-the-90s-original/)
15. [Gladiators to return to screens for a fourth season, RTÉ](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/0624/1580140-gladiators-to-return-to-screens-for-a-fourth-season/)
16. [Joe Marler to become BBC's first celebrity Gladiator, BBC](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/news/articles/c39ep0eyk21o)
17. [What's occurring across the BBC this week?, BBC Press Office](https://acesso.kissmyscore.com/?_=%2Fpulse%2Fwhats-occurring-across-bbc-week-bbc-press-office-on1xe%23xybe3UUSZzbs022gEii2Pso2w8MYSyd0&trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Screen seasons › Culinary, physical, and other skill competition seasons › Racing and adventure competition seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license