COLLISION course

Gladiators, ready? The muscle-bound heroes are back to thrill us again...

- MICHAEL DARLING

NEW ENTERTAINMENT

Gladiators

Saturday, 5.50pm, BBC1

When Gladiators returned to our screens, BBC1's revival of the epic 1990s series was one of the most-watched shows of 2024 with nearly 10 million viewers tuning in for the first episode.

Now, it's back with more fit and eager contenders ready to take on the elite team of athletes and bodybuilders in a series of thrilling bouts and battles such as Duel, Powerball and The Edge.

Bradley and Barney Walsh once again host proceedings at Sheffield Arena, while the 16 Gladiators from the first series are returning, along with Mark Clattenburg and his team of referees. Plus, there are two new games Unleash, which involves a cat-and-mouse chase on an assault course, and Atlaspheres, in which contenders and Gladiators do battle in giant metal balls.

TV&Satellite Week caught up with Jade Packer, 26, and Alex Gray, 33, AKA Electro and Apollo, to find out more...

Did you expect the return of Gladiators to be such a hit?