Not content with just competing against the general public, the BBC's new group of Lycra-clad athletes will soon take on celebrities in a Gladiator celebrity spin-off special.
The first season of the new take on the 1990s ITV classic began in January 2024 and introduced viewers to 16 new gladiators, each of whom were amateur contestants put through their paces.
read more: Will Gladiator return for a second series?
At the end of each challenge, both gladiators and home-trained challengers took on the terrifying Eliminator, an infamous attack course designed to test strength and stamina. The end result was a huge success for his BBC, with millions of viewers tuning in to see who would come out on top at the end of each episode.
A celebrity spin-off of Gladiators is currently in the works, but what do we know about it?
When will the Gladiator Celebrity Special be released?
The celebrity spinoff of Gladiators doesn't have a release date yet. However, the first series doesn't end until March 2024, so it's likely we won't see a Gladiator celebrity special until the end of the year at the earliest.
In April 2024, the show's executive producer Dan Baldwin revealed that a celebrity version was also in the works, along with a second series of the main show.
Baldwin told BBC Radio 4: “I can reveal there will be a celebrity feature…” “I think the Gladiators are here to stay and I'd say they're here to stay.”
Who is starring in the Gladiator Celebrity Special?
The full lineup for the “Gladiators'' celebrity spinoff has not yet been revealed. However, given the show's huge success among viewers, it's anyone's guess which big stars will appear.
“We wanted it to be event TV, so we needed to get 3,000 viewers each time,” Baldwin said in a chat with BBC Radio 4.
“The first episode drew almost 10,000 people. So at that point, we knew we had something…but so many people caught on to it that it became more and more It went strong and we're really happy with how it went down.”
Who is the host of the Gladiators Celebrity Special?
Gladiators was filmed in Sheffield and airs on BBC One on Saturday nights, hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh.
The duo are quickly becoming popular with viewers, but it is unclear whether they will return to center stage for the show's second series or the recently announced celebrity special.
However, given the show's success, it would be surprising that the Walshes don't return.
A celebrity spin-off of Gladiators is coming to BBC One and iPlayer soon.
